vermiculture (worm poo)

9 SEPTEMBER, 2013

Living in the city can feel odd. The way we go about our lives and want to connect and yet want to also keep our distance. I feel this as I stand out in the front garden and plant. I really like this street I live in, with all its bumps and bruises. But I also crave privacy and seek to protect it. The hedge is a symbol of this for me, growing slowly now to about the height of the front fence.

Today I planted pigeon peas around, mostly between the lilly-pillies and along the side fence. Hopefully they'll grow up fast and provide some much needed nitrogen for the shrubs. Tim Lang, the Queensland gardener who gave them to me, said they should create a screen within six months and could then be slashed to fix the nitrogen into the soil. But maybe he meant if I planted then in Queensland...?! We will see!I sowed the pigeon pea into a bed of vermicompost - the soil was so sandy in places.

Separating out the worms from the dark, rich compost they make can be quite a process. I empty the contents from the half of the bin that has been resting and turn if out onto a big sheet. I then wait for the sun to warm the pile and for the worms to head deeper down before I take off the top layers of soil, where there are usually less worms. This process is slow but there is something grounding about it, getting my hands into such amazing, nutrient dense and sweet smelling earth.

The worms are thriving, and I always see their tiny lemon eggs that lets me know they're content and breeding. I filled all my tired looking pot plants with the compost too. I know they will love me for it! Today there were actually so many worms in the pile that I returned the bottom half to the worm box and covered it with another potato sac I had. The cycle continues! And I am eternally grateful to these shy, invaluable creatures.