Adding worms to my compost pile ??

Once upon a time many yrs ago (20+) I had a huge compost bin with layers etc. To be honest I never really cared for it. Now the past ten years I've just been turning a large pile in the backyard. I'm not real concerned about speed so it works ok. This all started because now we burn wood as our source of heat thru the winter. We had a low stone wall which seemed to be the spot that ashes got dumped thru the winter. Soon after I just started adding kitchen and yard scraps along with rabbit manure etc to the pile. For the most part it works well.

The pile is usually about 4' across by 2' high on average. Again I'm not real intent on it and only turn it a couple times a month. Some of the stuff is larger that goes into the pile and it can take a while to rot down, but since I'm not in a hurry I've never worried about it. In the spring I dig out the center toward the bottom and take what I need out to use.

My soil in general is poor, we live in a very sandy area. I normally only add to the soil in my garden area (compost, manure or light topsoil dressing). It's rare you find worms when digging and to be honest I never really thought much on it. I've recently joined the forum and I'm learning a LOT, it's sort like overload to be honest...lol. And as you guessed I've been reading about worm castings being so great. I figure they would make my compost even better.... healthier.

So I guess my questions are as follows:

**Couldn't I just add the worms to my compost pile instead of building/buying a bin ???

**Is the wood ash going to be bad for the worms ???

**Is it too late in the year to add them to my compost pile now or should I wait till spring ??? I know winter is coming but the days are still in the 70's and I figure when the cold sets in they will bury themselves deeper in the pile.... or am I just wrong on all accounts....lol.

I'm not trying to used the worms to speed up my composting, just make it healthier.

So in my mind it should work, but maybe I'm not understanding the process. I also figure since the outer part of the yard where the compost sits now is very sandy while some of the worms may "escape" to the wild, most would probably stay for the eats/better soil conditions.... ??

Anyway I appreciate the advice of others who obviously know more in the subject than I do....lol. Thanks for the info !!!

~Julie =0)

If you've been keeping a cool compost pile going for any amount of time with no eartworms finding there way into it, it's likely that the volume of ashes are creating a hostile environment for the worms. I've read that excessive ashes also has a negative effect on the micro-organisms in the compost.

What I did when I heated my house with wood was to store the wood ashes overwinter in a large metal chest out in the garden (where there was no danger of fire) and spread them on the garden in the spring. An occasional handful went into the compost where it added the minerals it contains.

Wayne in the Adks.

Thanks for the reply.... I'll have to do some more research into the ashes thing. So far it doesn't seem to have hurted anything using it as I have been.

~Julie

It shouldn't actually hurt anything, especially after it reaches your soil. Ashes are rich in potassium. You might find you have a slower composting process than you might with fewer ashes. In time, it all ends up as compost, though.

Patience is always rewarded with compost.

Wayne