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

I haven’t read it yet, but a friend recommended it as a great read. But it’s in good shape.

Really now... What is there to say about a worm book? Can it actually be INTERESTING? Well, this book held my attention well, taught me many things I did not know, did not burden me with super technical bunk that I do not need or want to know, and was a detailed, well rounded book on the topic. That said, I think the book was excellent. Of course, a more recent publication would be better (for instance: no mention of european nightcrawlers -- something rather recent on the American worm market)... but this book gave me ALL the information that I needed to begin raising worms and understanding the HOW's and WHY's of worms and vermiculture.

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.

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!

My husband liked this book enough he wanted to immediately set up a worm bin. It has so much info on worms and how they help our planet. They are vital to our soil. Short read. Excellent book!

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.