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Vermicomposting in the cold-climate apartment – Harvesting Castings

July 23, 2006

I start fresh cuttings in a mixture of peat moss and vermicomposting soil, rich in castings.

And of course, there are worm eggs in the castings mix, so the eggs hatch while the cuttings are taking hold.

Worms in the house plants means that I have self-fertilizing house plants, and the soil is aerated, and it sometimes dries out rather rapidly.

My solution is to stand a collection of pots in an tub (an old refrigerator drawer shown below), and soak them with water from my pail. The water in the pail contains bacteria – it is where I strain my pasta – and so the soil in the pots gets a load of bacteria, which is what the worms eat.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch,…..

On the lid of the terrarium, where I had stood my pots, …

… and on the margarine lids where I had stood my pots, you will see for each pot four small piles of pure castings.

Here is where the worms have retired to do their thing.

I can collect these small amounts in a plastic bag, and am amazed at how quickly the amount adds up.

This is, too, confirmation to me that each pot has a small but healthy population of worms, continuing to make my houseplants the most luxurious on the block!

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