From the page: The glass jar still has plenty of stories left in it
Idea 5
Countertop composter
Vermicomposting has been around ever since people noticed that worms turn food scraps into rich fertilizer, a practice popularized in home containers in the twentieth century. It works because the worms eat the organic matter and return humus full of nutrients ready for plants.
What you need
- Two large glass jars (one nested inside the other, like a 2 to 3 quart canning jar)
- Red wiggler worms (easy to find at fishing or gardening stores)
- Soil or moist substrate for the initial bedding
- Fruit peels, coffee grounds, and chopped vegetable scraps
- Cardboard or shredded, moistened newspaper
- Thin cloth and a rubber band to cover it (airflow without letting flies in)
How to make it
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1
Poke holes in the lid or cover the jar with thin cloth held by a rubber band: the worms need to breathe, but the cloth keeps flies out and holds in moisture.
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2
Make the bedding at the bottom with moist soil and shredded cardboard — it's the worms' "bed," holding moisture and giving them shelter while they settle in.
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3
Release the worms onto the bedding and wait a few days before the first feeding, so they can acclimate to their new home.
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4
Bury small portions of vegetable scraps always in the same corner, covering them with dry material — burying prevents odor and keeps insects away.
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5
After a few weeks, place the second jar nested on top with fresh food: the worms migrate upward, and the humus in the bottom jar is ready.
Finishing touches
Keep the soil as moist as a wrung-out sponge — not soaked, not dry. The harvested humus goes straight into the little herb pots in the kitchen, closing the cycle right inside your own home.
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