Get Going And Dig Your guide to sustainable gardening by Caroline Brown June 2006

This is the type of compost bin sold by the Resource Recovery folks.            A worm bin from the Worm Ladies, now living in a Warwick back yard.	Dig Your Garbage -- Home Composting Can Make A Difference It's no secret that the Central Landfill in Johnston is competing with Jerimoth Hill to become the highest point in the state. Every day, more than 4,000 tons of trash is added to the pile. Over a year, that's 1.18 tons from each Rhode Islander. Composting your food scraps and yard trimmings can reduce that amount by up to 30 percent. Avid gardeners already know the value of composting. Compost adds nutrients to the soil and attracts earthworms. Enriching soil with compost regularly improves soil texture and helps maintain the proper pH balance. And unlike chemically processed fertilizers, compost is "slow-release." Because it releases its nutrients into the soil slowly, plants only use what they need, when they need it. Compost is a powerful fertilizer. One tablespoon has enough nutrients to feed an 8- to 10-inch plant for two months. It's easy to get started To start composting at home, you'll need to build or buy a compost bin. You can find bins at garden supply shops and Whole Food stores, but the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation often has them on sale at a discount. On June 24, you can buy their most popular bin, the Soil Saver, at the bargain price of $25 (regular is $45). The sale will be held at the Johnston Landfill from 8 a.m. to noon. That sale price is good till July 1, call 942-1430 for more info about where and when you can get one if you miss the sale. The bins come with instructions to help you get started, or check out this online Compost Guide for a thorough composting primer. If you want to see compost bins in action before you buy, drop by City Farm, operated by the Southside Community Land Trust, in Providence. They have a variety of different styles in use and you can see what might work best in your specific situation. For more information, directions to the farm, and contact info, visit the City Farm Web site. Or let the worms do it A happy red wriggler, in his yukky habitat. For urban dwellers and others who don't need a big bin, there's another way to compost -- as long as you don't mind worms. Worm composting, or vermicomposting, can work indoors or out. Set up a worm bin in any convenient location where it won't freeze. Worms and bedding are added to a bin with air holes. Simply add your food scraps to the bin and the worms do the heavy lifting. They eat half their weight in food each day, and provide you with rich vermi-compost for your garden and houseplants. Rhode Island's vermicomposting experts are the Worm Ladies of Charlestown. They sell worm bins, bedding, and red wigglers, the species of worm used for vermicomposting. The Worm Ladies have a variety of books and information to get the novice worm farmer off to a successful start. If you prefer a hands-on introduction, City Farm has a composting workshop coming up on Saturday, July 15th. You'll learn the basics of the various methods, including the art of indoor worm composting. Become a Master To learn more about composting and worm composting, you might consider becoming a University of Rhode Island Master Composter. The program is offered by URI's Cooperative Extension Center. This spring, the program graduated its second class of local residents who are now certified experts at composting and recycling. Master Composter classes meet once a week for six weeks in the spring. Those completing the program are required to complete 30 hours of volunteer time to educate the public about composting and recycling. For more information, email Tara Germond at the URI Cooperative Extension Education Center.

Read more from Caroline Brown at her blog, EarthFriendlyGardening.

Need more inspiration? Gardener Kathie Florsheim shares her own experience with the red wigglers she's learned to live with.

Masthead photo courtesy of Caroline Brown, all others by Mary Grady.

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