backyard inari

turning an urban backyard in Japan into a vernal permaculture paradise

Sunday, April 09, 2006

We've got worms! 500 grams worth. Red wigglers--dung worms--shimamimizu (シマミミズ). These little guys should they stay unfrozen, moist, well and properly fed should get the job done. What job? composting!

Plucked from a fate of fish bait, these worms now are free (within a plastic fermenting bucket) to do what they do best. That is to break down organic material and create rich, fertile soil. These guys are the soul of vermiculture.

Vermiculture is the raising of worms. As worms need to feed on decaying organic material, the best way to raise them is to feed them what we have plenty of: food scraps. Comfortable with coffee grounds, fruit rinds, vegetable matter, egg shells--pretty much anything non-dairy, non meat and not too complex in the starchy end of things. Thus, my understanding is that breads, rice and other grain products may not sit too well in a worm composter.

To learn more about the wonderful world of worms and composting here are a few links:

http://www.howtocompost.org/cat_vermi.asp

http://www.jetcompost.com/burrow/index.html

http://www.mmjp.or.jp/mimichan/contents/sagamin.html (in Japanese)