Worms

One of the best things I've even done for my garden has been getting into vermicomposting - composting using red wiggler worms (not the common earthworm found in the garden). I have a large rubbermaid container with holes in the lid, and occasionally I chuck in some fruit and vegetable waste after prepping a meal. In summer I send most of my compost outside, but in winter a lot more finds its way to the worms. The worms then turn it into the most amazing compost ever in just a few days! 

An interesting thing I heard this winter was to put tons of banana peels in, which makes your compost very high in potassium. Potassium is the essential nutrient for flowering and fruiting vegetables, such as tomatoes and peppers (it's the K in the N-P-K number on chemical fertilizers). After doing that all winter, I put a handful of vermicompost in each planting hole when I transplanted tomatoes into the garden, and they are going crazy! In fact, I have one Early Girl Tomato that has over 50 tomatoes on it right now!

Here's a site someone just sent me that has the most thorough and helpful explanation for how to set up your own bin: Red Worm Composting. 

More on vermicomposting some other day, time to play with the kidlets!