Why Worm Composting?

I'm very, very new to gardening. I haven't even started yet actually, but I really hope to have a vegetable garden set up in my backyard sometime in the new year. One of my first questions is about worm composting. I came across this video on YouTube; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lcv69QL_Ers

Basically, what is the point of worm composting? Do you continuously add the dirt created by the process to your garden or is this more for potted plants? Both? I'd love to hear about all the ways this soil can be used. I'm really into recycling and doing what I can to help our Earth so this sounds like something I'd like to do anyway.

Thanks!

Hi,
This link has a short and sweet explanation.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/document_mg452

I have collected a bunch of interesting data on soil, mulching etc. I put these things in a diary so I don't have to keep searching for information on the internet. I can't remember it all so it comes in handy.

FERTILIZERS, SOILS, PLANT NUTRIENTS
http://davesgarden.com/community/blogs/t/rjuddharrison/1624/

These are all of the other titles of diaries, in case your bored one day.
http://davesgarden.com/community/blogs/m/rjuddharrison/
I think the other interesting collection of data is under OFF THE SHELF GARDEN TIPS H202/ASPIRIN

Happy Gardening!
Rj







This message was edited Dec 28, 2009 7:41 AM

You may wish to check out 'TheCompostGuy' on Youtube Channels. We started our own Vermicompost, I am just about to harvest the Casings, thats the superior fertilizer the little Red Wigglers give you!

I have many years of experience as a back yard organic gardener. I do not create a compost heap but apply rabbit manure directly to my soil, and it creates a wonderful food for earth worms. I do not have to wait long for them to appear, and where I live I do not have to purchase worms. All I have to do is put the bunny manure in the soil and the worms will show up for diner. This is probably not true for everyone. Other manures such as cow manure take longer to decompose than mine which means that rabit manure is the most ideal manure that I know about. Organic matter which is high in nitrogen helps the worms and the decomposition. That would be blood meal, fish emulsion or cottonseed meal . He said not to use animal wastes probably because he is showing how to make compost in a city slicker space, but that does not apply to me, and animal wastes stink, but rabit manure is not nearly as bad.

To answer your question about why it is necessary to have worms in the dirt, they improve the soil in every way and in ways that regular modern fertilizers cannot. They keep the environment of the soil conditioned to grow plants and hold nutrients for the next and the next growing season in ways where other fertilizers just waste the naturally occurring fertility of the soil. If you choose organic gardening as your preferred method, you must not mix it with the other kind of fertilizers because those others kill the good bacteria and good creepy crawlies of the soil. Those others also kill earth worms. The worms also help the soil hold moisture in the right quantities. Other fertilizers have to have organic matter added to them to get some semblance of a complete plant food. Earth worms provide the final phase of the decompsition process, and when they are finished with their job, the dirt is ready for growth.

Great links rj! Thanks.

There's a forum for Vermicomposting: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/f/wrigglers/all/