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Malibu surfside news | October 12, 2017 | 19
Garden program director preaches power of worms, more
Advanced gardening
class in Malibu covers
compost essentials
Suzanne Guldimann
Freelance Reporter
The red wiggler may not be
the star of a superhero tentpole
franchise, but according to Curtis
Thomsen, the director of Los
Angeles County’s Smart Gardening
program, this small worm has
genuine superpowers.
Curtis was at Malibu City Hall
on Saturday, Oct. 7, to teach
the Smart Gardening program’s
advanced gardening class, a
crash course in composting and
drought-tolerant landscaping with
the worm as the star of the show.
Thomsen explained that mulching
with compost can reduce garden
water use by as much as 50
percent by increasing the amount
of essential organic material in
the soil. It can also provide an
easy way to recycle up to 40 percent
of household waste. Add red
wigglers to the equation, and garden
productivity can be increased
dramatically.
Thomsen said that compost bins
provided for the program offer a
way to transform kitchen scraps,
yard waste and even junk mail
into garden soil with relatively
little effort. However, he recommends
that serious gardens consider
having two compost bins:
one for regular materials, and the
other for acidic yard waste like
oak leaves and pine needles that
can be processed into mulch and
compost for acid-loving plants
like citrus, roses and berries.
“Do not use the City of LA’s
compost on your plants,” Thomsen
warned, explaining that the
freely available material often
contains large amounts of eucalyptus
and oleander, plants that
contain slow-to-break-down
phytotoxins that can kill garden
plants.
Worm boxes are Thomsen’s
preferred composting option. He
said they offer an alternative way
of recycling kitchen waste and
scrap paper that can be used in
conjunction with a compost bin or
as an independent recycling project.
Although both approaches result
in rich garden soil, worms are
more efficient.
Although both approaches generate
nutrient-rich garden soil, the
technique is different. Compost
bins require full sun to function
efficiently, while worm farms
need to be kept out of direct sunlight.
Heat and bacterial decomposition
break down the materials in
the compost bin from waste to soil.
The cooler outer layers will attract
worms and other invertebrates, but
Thomsen cautioned that it’s possible
to get a steam burn from a
middle of a healthy compost bin,
because heat is the essential ingredient
in the process.
With a worm box, the occupants
directly consume the waste
material, converting it into highquality
fertilizer. The worms require
a cool, damp, dark environment
to thrive.
Both approaches to composting
require the right mix of “green”
materials — equal amounts of
vegetable peelings, coffee grinds,
tea leaves and fruit scraps — and
“brown” materials — like leaves,
sawdust, newspapers, steer and
other livestock manure, and junk
mail (as long as it isn’t printed on
glossy paper and all plastic windows
have been removed).
“A half pound of worms eat
three to four pounds a week,”
Thomsen said.
Both composting techniques
require new material to be added
regularly. As long as the bins stay
full and its contents are turned
and watered regularly, compost
will continue to be produced.
Although there is a major debate
over the leachate that drains
from the bottom of a worm bin,
Curtis Thomsen, director of Los Angeles County’s Smart Gardening program, speaks during an advanced
gardening class in Malibu Saturday, Oct. 7, at Malibu City Hall. Suzanne Guldimann/22nd Century Media
and many gardeners recommend
discarding the liquid over bacteria
concerns, Thomsen recommends
harvesting it and using it for fertilizer.
The key, he explained, is
diluting the liquid and only using
it if it doesn’t smell. A bad odor
indicates the presence of potentially
toxic anaerobic bacteria.
According to Thomsen, a single
undiluted gallon of the liquid
provides enough nutrients to fertilize
a football field. He mixes
this “worm tea” in a ratio of one
part worm tea and 20 parts water
for use as a fertilizer, and one part
worm tea to six parts water as a
kind of systemic treatment for
problems like aphids and scale in
his citrus trees.
“Vermiculture increases the nutrient
value of produce,” Thomsen
said. “It reduces water use, increases
yield and reduces insects.”
He stated that compost and
worm tea can also help make
lawns drought-tolerant by building
up the nutrients in the soil and
improving moisture retention.
“Don’t remove your lawn,”
Thomsen said.
He recommends limiting turf
areas but not eliminating them.
“Compost cuts watering by twothirds
and lawns absorb moisture
when it rains, help heat and cool
the house, and help clean the air,”
he said. “Removing lawns has
made air quality much worse.”
While most of the workshop
focused on worms, Thomsen also
discussed some garden design
basics. He recommends grouping
plants according to their water
needs, and using mulch and
sensible irrigation based on soil
moisture to conserve water. He
also recommends investing in
gray water recycling systems and
rainwater collection.
“Observe how natural systems
work and make your yard useful,”
he advised. “Copy nature,
and start with soil. Grow soil to
grow plants.”
At the end of the workshop, participants
had an opportunity to purchase
low-cost compost bins and
worm boxes. Worm castings and
worm “tea” were also available.
Information on the Smart Gardening
program, including future
workshops, can be found at
smartgardening.com. The next
class is scheduled for Nov. 4 in
Calabasas.