I was invited to a lovely tea today and saw the sweetest garden, filled with creativity and whimsy. We came to the subject of composting and what finished compost should look like when it’s ready to use. It’s basically black and full of happy, well-fed worms! This is what a scoop of my home made compost – aka “Garden Gold” – looks like (and all the brown things are worms!):
Finished Home Made Compost is black and FULL of worms - this is just one scoop of many!
This compost is GREAT for my organic vegetable garden, for my fruit trees, for my roses, for all my flowers (other than orchid type flowers). To use the finished compost, this is what I do:
I go to a plant or bed or fruit tree to which I wish to add compost, and gently (so as not to disturb any roots), using a small hand rake, rake the existing soil so it is loose. The hand rake I use is technically called a “composite cultivator.” Here is the sort of three pronged hand rake that I use:
Once I’m through prepping the site by loosening the existing soil with the hand rake, then I go to the composter and with a big scoop, I scoop out (again, very gently so as not to hurt the worms) a generous scoop of compost. Here is the garden scoop I use:
I take this garden scoop full of my “Garden Gold” (home made compost) and I carefully walk it to the soil around the fruit tree/garden bed/etc. that I just hand prepped with the hand raking. I then carefully sprinkle the compost on top of the existing just raked soil. I make sure the watering system goes on for about 8 minutes around 12 hours later, and that’s it! It’s that easy! -And the results are truly wonderful!
Tip: Wait with bringing over the scoop of compost until you have the garden soil prepped with the hand rake, or you will find your worms escaping!
Reminder: Click this link to find my earlier post on how to make compost. If you’re new to composting, make sure you read this – it has helpful hints like advising that you purchase a tumbling composter – that will make your life easier! Here are examples of tumbling composters:
While working in the garden inspires me, I haven’t added any worms to my artwork that I can remember. I did text the photo of the scoop full of worms to my Mother though 😉
