Compost In Progress

I love compost.  In all my years of gardening, I have found nothing else that comes close to increasing the productivity of a garden.  Unfortunately, every time I have moved, I have had to leave my compost pile behind. 

The soil on this property is nothing but sand.  It will take tons of organic matter to get the soil enriched enough to grow vegetables.  Last weekend I was lucky enough to find someone who is willing to give me their horse manure.  It will take a while for it to be aged enough to go in a garden, but it is a start.


In addition to the manure, I am also starting a worm bin.  I received some free red wigglers from Cape May Organics.  They arrived quickly and in good shape.  It took some effort to find an opaque bin in the right size, but I finally found exactly what I was looking for at Big Lots for only $4.00.  The worms seem to have settled into their new home nicely, but it will be months before they are contributing to the garden.  In the meantime, I will put cardboard down at the bottom of the raised beds.  For some reason, cardboard seems to attract worms.

If you are interested in starting a worm composting bin, this is a good video to get you started.