The Worm Book: The Complete Guide to Gardening and Composting with Worms (Paperback)

~ (Author), Janet Hogan Taylor (Author) "On the small farm we tend is San Diego, California, earthworms do most of the work..." (more)
Key Phrases: Con Worm, Commercial Worm Growing, The Worm Book

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Worms are the latest (as well as, of course, perhaps the oldest!) trend in earth-friendly gardening, and in this handy guide, the authors of DEAD SNAILS LEAVE NO TRAILS demystify the world of worm wrangling, with everything you need to know to build your own worm bin, make your garden worm-friendly, pamper your soil, and much much more.

About the Author

JANET HOGAN TAYLOR is an entymologist and former zookeeper who now works as a community environmentalist on issues of conservation, ecology, and land use.
LOREN NANCARROW is a veteran TV journalist who has forged new ground in the field of environmentalism as one of this country's first eco-reporters.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Ten Speed Press (March 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898159946
• ISBN-13: 978-0898159943
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #77,554 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #63 in	Books > Home & Garden > Gardening & Horticulture > Organic
  #67 in	Books > Home & Garden > Gardening & Horticulture > Reference
  #95 in	Books > Home & Garden > Sustainable Living

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everything worms, January 6, 2005

By	A. Tyler "Wormy girl" (Norman, OK USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is an excellent book for a beginner in vermicomposting as well as someone with an established bin. It contains everything you could possibly need to know--information on different worm species, kinds of bins, problem shooting, starting a worm business, as well as the strange and bizzare such as worm poetry, recipes, and using worms in art! I have a small collection of worm books as well as an established bin, and I still find myself referring to the book frequently. My worms are doing so well I've started providing bins for friends and family...along with a copy of this book!

37 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everthing you need to know about worms and composting, September 22, 2005

By	MotherLodeBeth "MotherLodeBeth" (Sierras of California) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

As a self reliant or self sufficiency person who tries to grow more and more of their own food every year this book is valuable for a variety of reasons. First off there are more than one type of garden worm for composting and garden purposes, which this book discusses in detail. As an example she writes of Red Wigglers (Eisenia fetida) that the common names are Tiger worm, Garlic worm, Manure worm, Brandling worm. That they are rust coloured with a membrane between each segment, and are about three inches in length. They live a few inches below the soil and are considered a shallow dweller. They prefer very rich compost, manure piles and decaying plant and animal material. And temperatures between 59 and 77 degrees and have a cocoon hatching period of between 35 and 70 days depending on conditions. The author also notes it is an excellent vermicomposting worm because it can process large amounts of organic matter.

Whereas the Redworm likes to live in 6 to 12 inches of soil. While the Blue worm does not like cold weather. These are important facts to know when ordering worms, because worms are not inexpensive, and worms like the Blue worm actually will try and escape from the bin.

The book also has an extensive, easy to read section on the do's and don't as well as why certain problems arise i.e. worms die, the compost smells, the compost is attracting ants, slugs etc.

28 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Loren and Janet have really hit on this important subject!, April 30, 1998

By A Customer

I read an advance copy of the book and was amazed at the amount of research that went into the book and all of the helpful tips on vermiculture were easy to follow and use. This book is a must for any gardener interested in environmentally friendly and successful gardening. The book is very fun to read and the humor is contagious.