OH Guide: The wonderful, wacky, wormy world of home composting

We had a basic, basic plastic container worm bin about four years ago, which didn't yield a substantial amount of rich humus. However, maintaining the box proved to be fruitful in an entirely different way. Our young son (4 at the time) was totally mesmerized by the bin and its squirmy occupants which opened up several discussions on worms, recycling and taking care of living things. Who knew a silly little bin would hold so many teachable moments? I was crushed when we no longer were able to maintain it due to a home remodel (RIP worms).

The remodel is now finished, give or take a few minor projects, freeing up space for some type of composting apparatus. We're situated in a suburban area so space is still an issue. However, what I found is that there's always a solution and the pros for composting outweigh the cons. And since few a weekends back we planted a family vegetable garden in a raised bed (husband + reciprocating saw = scary moments) I think it's time we give it a go again.

Why should we compost?

The reasons are seemingly endless, especially if you have kids.

But the most obvious and important reason for home composting is to help reduce greenhouse gasses by cutting the organic materials that your family is sending to landfills on a weekly basis. Approximately 30% of your household's weekly waste comes from trash that can be recycled into compost. This includes certain food scraps and yard clippings. In fact, according to an article by Marion Owens posted on Plantea.com there are 163 things that can be composted. It's quite a list, and a few sound a little wack-a-doo like "bee droppings" and "toenail clippings." Um, yeah. But all in all, it's a helpful indicator of what can be tossed onto your home compost pile ("The Pile" as it's known around here), thus keeping it out of the landfill.

Composting yields a humus rich in nutrients which actually improves your soil quality for better plant production without the use of harmful chemicals. Which in turn saves you tons of money on store-bought fertilizers and chemicals. The humus produced through home composting also cuts down on destructive plant diseases and pests that ruin gardens.

Besides all theses environmental bonuses to home composting, the reasons nearest to my heart is what it teaches young kids. Maintaining a home composting system provides oodles of delicious learning experiences for your children, like the importance and how-to of recycling, taking care of living things and science (getting to use big, impressive words like decomposition, micro-organisms and bacteria is an added plus).

How Stuff Works provides a quick and easy overview of the fundamentals to composting. And for a more detailed dive on composting check out The Environmental Protection Agency's section on composting.

Mary, Mary, quite contrary how will The Pile grow?

Once you appreciate why home composting is important you'll next need to decide what type of compost setup works for you. There are tons of different ways to create and maintain a compost pile or bin, and depending on space and commitment there's a type perfect for any composting lifestyle. Yeah. It's lifestyle.

Instructables has a section featuring a handful of projects posted by members for constructing homemade compost bins. There are plans for projects ranging from serious "Double-decker Drum Composters to simple "Mini Wooden Portable Compost Bin." Instructables is a great place to start if you're trying to narrow down your Pile choices.

Another great resource for DIY compost structures is this how-to list of build-a-bins provided by Riverside County Waste Management. The list provides printable plans and cost estimates for a variety of compost bins.

Ecobites has instructions for building a simple compost bin from a recycled garbage can stating, "You can create compost in a heap on the ground, but most gardeners think that containing your compost pile makes it look tidier." Indeed.

However, if you gotta have da worms and you're all about the vermicomposting like I am, I recommend Treehugger's Green Guide to Vermicompost. It's page after page of information on the "whys" and "hows" to composting with worms, complete with links and photos to help you be a vermicomposting kingpin. And take a peek at their video. It's an entertaining take on the whole slimy thing.

If you're not into the whole building-your-own-bin thing but still want to vermicompost, then look into your local sanitation department and public works department, which often hold monthly workshops with free bins or discounted bin sales. This is what we did the first time we tried vermicomposting and it was an easy, nonthreatening way to get our feet wet.

Continue the composting adventure:

The fun doesn't have to end when the lid is sealed on the bin. Why not extend the adventure with a few activities?

Discovery Kids: Yucky Worm World is a great site for kids to explore. It's got an interview with a worm expert, a section dedicated to general information on earth worms that includes a diagram of the inside of an earth worm, videos of a worm's birth + heartbeat and a recycling section that discusses the important job of the worm.

Painting with Earthworms is an art project sure to get a nervous squeal or two from the lil' ones. After the icky-factor wears off I'm sue it's thrilling.

Play scientist. Explain to your children that one of the jobs of a scientist is to make observations and document these observations by drawing illustrations. Dig up a wiggly worm from your Pile and place it carefully in a clear cup. Have the kids observe the worm's movement and body structure. Talk about what they see as they make their observations. Next, pull out a piece of white paper and have your micro-scientist sketch up a picture of what they see. Have them finish up the "observation" by coloring in the picture with watercolors or crayons. Maybe have them write an observational statement below the picture explaining what they saw. Then, tell them to eat the worms for dinner. Just kidding, don't do that. Those are for dessert.

Make a Worm in box or a Wiggle Worm from recycled materials.

Eat yer worms:

Disclaimer: don't actually eat yer worms. But how about cooking up some fun by whipping up a sweet worm-like treat? This W is for Worm cupcake recipe from Family Fun is great goofy fun. So is this Wiggle Worm Dirt recipe from Recipe Tips.

Read about it in a book or two:

Read a book on composting and worms. A few we are fond of in our family include:

Composting: Decomposition (Do It Yourself) by Buffy Silverman. This is a short-and-sweet book on DIY composting with clean photos and kid-friendly scientific explanations to get the kids excited about composting.

Wiggling Worms at Work by Wendy Pfeffer is part of the "Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science" series of books and is informative for young children on the science and inner-workings of the worm. Highlights include the worm lifecycle and their important work on our planet.

The Worm Book: The Complete Guide to Worms in Your Garden by Loren Nancarrow is a great guide to vermicomposting. An excellent family read to prepare you and your mini worm farmers for the bin.

Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin is the book you read at the end of a long day when you and your little wiggle worms are cuddled up on the couch ready to relax. This is my nine-year-old's favorite worm book ever. It's a sweet and silly book that reads like the personal diary of a typical school-age worm recounting the events of his squiggly life.

One final thought on worms: there's no better time to teach our children about environmental self-sufficiency and protecting our planet. And these little guys do a pretty good job opening up that conversation.

Or as my geeky husband likes to say: WORM SIGN! WE HAVE WORM SIGN!

Enjoy!