Some city gardeners give up the struggle to garden on rooftops or balconies because they have to carry large amounts of soil up and down stairs. But you can make your own growing medium with the help of worms. Here are a few tips on creating worm compost. Earthworms come to the surface to eat. Their castings, or manure, are very beneficial to plants, and worms keep the soil loose as they tunnel through it. To invite these beneficial creatures into your garden, you need to provide moisture and a source of food for them: a gourmet mulch mix made from a combination of shredded yard waste, alfalfa and straw (figure A).
You can make compost from all types of materials. Grass clippings, straw, yard waste, leaves and even newspaper can be shredded and placed on the surface of the soil as a mulch. Don't use kitchen waste--it's too wet and can attract flies. Don't use large wood chips; worms can't eat large pieces.
Note: - Don't use redwood bark of any size. It emits toxins that can be harmful to microorganisms.
Keep your mulch mix fine and light. If you garden on a terrace or rooftop, you'll probably need to import some worms to get started. On pathways or permanent shrub and tree plantings, you can use mulches made from recycled tires (figure B) or woody material such as pine bark, but they won't invite worms to work your soil.
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