USING WORM SOIL TO ADVANTAGE

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To get the most out of my worm soil, I practice crop rotation. Fresh-from-the-pile worm soil is used in early spring to plant members of the nightshade family. Afterthese are harvested, I follow up in the same rows with a fall crop from the mustard family, without adding any additional worm soil. The following spring, I again use the same rows - and worm soil - to grow vegetables from the gourd family. I continue in this way until the worm soil is exhausted, at which point I renew the row with fresh worm soil and begin again with the nightshade family.

s Below is a list of some common garden plants, arranged according to family and species. It's the family designation you want to keep in mind when planning your crop rotation. Plant this year's tomatoes where last year's peppers stood, and you're asking for disappointment; both are members of the nightshade family, and so require the same soil nutrients.