worm poop.

In honor of Earth Day today, I thought I'd talk a little bit about worm poop.

You're probably thinking, "what is she thinking?" Compost people! I'm talking about compost.

Composting is more about just throwing out your table scraps, clippings and coffee grounds. Or ...it is about that but it's also about creating nutrient soil for your plants and gardens. It's worm poop!

So how do you compost? It's basically five steps:

1. Select a sunny location near or away from your house. A sunny spot for the sun to give it oxygen and near or far from your house, well it doesn't matter because if your putting in the right ingredients it shouldn't smell. It's just a matter of how far you want to walk to get to it.

2. Build your bin. These can come in all kinds of forms.

From a simple pile,

To a wooden or pallet box/cube,

A chicken wire mesh,

Or in our case, a plastic bin sold in the store.

You could easily make one out of a 55 gallon trash can by cutting air vents in the side, creating a 3-sided door on the side close to the bottom, and then completely cutting out the bottom (that way worms can make their way in to their new residence!)

3. Start adding your INGREDIENTS!!!

~browns: coffee grinds and filters, shredded newspaper (not too much), leaves.

~greens: fruits and veggies of any kind, dead plants.

~whites: egg shells, used paper towels.

What not to add?

~meats, mayo, dairy, grease, weeds, anything that would attract varmints basically.

4. Water, turn and wait. You're not going to have dark rich soil overnight. It takes time. Keep adding your ingredients, keeping it damp, and turning it every month or so.

5. Enjoy your nutrient beautiful soil. Yes, it really does look as beautiful (as dirt can be) like the pic below.

In about a year's time, no I didn't stutter, a year's time, open up the bottom of your compost bin and use your rewards! You can spread it around existing plants as a natural fertilizer or mix it in the dirt as you plant new plants to your landscape or garden.

So, as it goes with composting, hurry up and wait!

"The earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness, the world and all those who dwell therein." ~Psalm 24:1