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Master Gardener Dishes Dirt On Composting

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By YVETTE C. HAMMETT, The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 9, 2008

Updated: 01/07/2008 09:11 pm

BLOOMINGDALE - Where there are red wigglers, there is black gold for the garden.

But vermicomposting isn't for the faint of heart. After all, we're talking worms. And you sometimes have to touch them.

Only the hardiest of gardeners are likely to try it.

For those who do, the rewards are exceptional, said master gardener Lynn Barber, who taught the basics of vermicomposting to a gaggle of gardeners from Valrico and Brandon on Jan. 2 at the Bloomingdale Public Library. The process uses worms to break down kitchen waste into rich compost.

"It improves the structure and texture of soil ... increases water-holding capacity and adds beneficial organisms to the garden," said Barber, who offers her expertise as a staff member for the Hillsborough County Extension Service.

A pound of worms can consume a pound of table scraps in a day, she said.

But not just any worms will do.

Red wigglers are at the top of the heap when it comes to the best worms for vermicomposting. In just a few months, they will convert a bin full of shredded newspaper and food scraps into a rich soil that can be used as an amendment or mulch.

It's an inexpensive way to create an especially rich soil and dispose of table scraps.

"This is obviously not a solution for everyday scraps," said Leslie Humphrey of Valrico, who has five children. "It won't be enough to recycle the everyday food scraps, and I've got a ton of them."

But after sitting through the seminar, she's ready to try worm farming, which combined with outdoor composting should help make good use of kitchen scraps.

"I'm trying to find a way to minimize our waste and maximize what we do with it - and have the kids really be a part of that," Humphrey said. "I want them to be involved. I think this is something we can do."

Randy Wojahn of Valrico showed up for the seminar looking for another way to avoid using chemicals in his garden.

"I'm a big believer in the carbon footprint," he said, referring to the effect humans have on the planet. "The heaviest chemical I use in the garden is liquid soap. I'm always looking for things I can do in the garden that don't involve chemicals."

Vermicomposting is an ideal alternative, said master gardener Harriet Gord-Noghani, who sat in on the seminar and is a worm farmer herself.

"It's also great for people with liver disease," Gord-Noghani said, "because as a gardener, you'll never have to touch another chemical."

The liver monitors and filters chemicals or drugs that get into the body's blood stream.

For information on vermicomposting, call Barber at the Extension Service office at (813) 744-5519, Ext. 105 or e-mail her at barberl @hillsboroughcounty.org.

Reporter Yvette C. Hammett can be reached at (813) 657-4532 or at yhammett@tampatrib.com.

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