Compost Tube Terracotta

Description

Make it easy on yourself and let the worms and soil life do the work.
With a worm tube, you add your kitchen waste directly to the soil. In the open ground, the organic material you add will naturally attract compost worms, and in their wake, all sorts of other beneficial soil life. Other worms (deep-diggers and commuters) and microorganisms will take care of further distribution throughout your garden.

If you place the compost tube in an indoor area or in a planter, add 1/4 kilo of compost worms. Provide a good ecosystem by adding some leaves and soil from a forest or (organic) garden.

Dig in the tube until it is only 3 cm above the earth. Then, just like in a worm composter, add a mix of green and brown waste. That means: alternate nitrogen-rich kitchen waste or mix it with airy carbon-rich waste. Dry leaves, torn cardboard, straw, twigs are good for acidity and allow enough oxygen to reach the kitchen waste.

How often you need to empty the compost tube depends on the amount of waste you put in, as well as the quality of the soil life in your garden or planter. If you feed modest amounts, and there are many critters spreading the worm manure through the soil, then you will actually see the compost disappear on its own and compost harvesting is not necessary.

On the contrary, if you want to harvest compost, slowly but surely increase the amount of waste. Or choose two tubes less than half a meter apart. When the first tube is full start with the second. then the compost in the first tube can mature properly and you can harvest it once the second tube is also full.

The compost tube is sealable with a terracotta lid, The bottom is sealed and the holes are fairly deep in the ground. That together keeps rodents at bay, but as with a regular worm composter or compost pile, add only uncooked vegetable and fruit scraps to prevent pests.