Vermicomposting uses a certain type of worm to consume kitchen and food scraps and turn it into rich compost. With a simple set-up and some basic practices, you can join in the worm compost fun.
And practicing indoor vermicomposting creates compost that you can use on house plants or in your gardens this spring.
First, source the right sort of worms. These are red wigglers and you can purchase them online or sometimes, locally.
The bin size and shape is important, too, so look for one that is about 12 inches deep, wide and long. It needn't be fancy and a plastic bin will do.
Next, drill holes all around the side of the plastic bin. Once you've drilled holes, add in worm bedding in the form of shredded newspapers, paper bags or shredded cardboard.
Moisten the shredded material and then add the worms! Now, each time you've got leftover food scraps from cooking, baking or meals, feed your worms.
To consume the food scraps that a household with two people would produce each week - about three-and-a-half pounds - you'll need a pound of worms in your vermiculture bin.
You can add the scraps to the bin after each meal or gather a week's worth at a time and add it all at once to feed the worms. After about three or four months, you'll have free compost that you can use in your garden for houseplants.
Q: I have three Thanksgiving cacti. They've all bloomed, but one has no buds. Is it possible that it blooms every other year? - Susan, in St. Albans
A: Usually, environmental conditions dictate whether a holiday cactus blooms or not. These cacti like a dark period before they initiate flower buds.
Even at this time of year, you can nudge buds to form on your cactus by placing it in a room that stays dark and cool (around 60 degrees) for 12 to 14 hours at night.
Let your cactus hang out there for two or three weeks. This will help initiate the flower buds.
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