A few months ago, my workplace purchased several vermicomposters. Pretty progressive move for a corporate head office. Yeah, it would have been a lot cooler if we got a big fluffy dog instead, but Rover can't turn food and paper scraps into nutrient-rich "soil" like worms can. Well.......... it's debatable, but let's just agree that I'm happy with the worms-in-office situation.The worms were purchased and delivered from TheWormFactory.ca, a small local organic farm in Ontario. Through reading and working with the worms, I've quickly learned that vermicomposting....
- Doesn't stink (literally). Worm bins allow air circulation.
- Is a good way to use shredded paper scraps. Worms consume paper, and use it as bedding.
- Is a good way to use food scraps. Worms can consume their weight in food, each day! No onions, meat or fat/oil though. My worms seem to like apple scraps.
- Worms are very independent. They can survive days/weeks without having to give them food.
With some gentle persuasion from co-workers, I decided that I should start my own home vermicomposter. The castings would be used to fertilize my future crop plants. It was easy enough to start: take a handful from one of the existing bins (worms + castings), and mix it with a handful of shredded scrap paper in a tub (with air holes). Voila: my own wicked lil wormies.
I've also picked up some great vermicomposting tricks:
- When feeding, make a hole and fill with food scraps. Cover with shredded paper to create a smell-barrier.
- Trace feeding locations in a spiral pattern. That way, the worms will learn where to look for food, and the whole bin will be used equally.
- Always have 2 to 3" of shredded paper to cover the worm's environment.
- Add water if needed to ensure environment is moist.
- When the castings are ready for harvesting, feed worms applesauce (or other blended fruit/vegetable mix) on one side of the bin. Prop the bin up on the other side, and leave for 2 weeks. Almost all the worms will have migrated to the applesauce side, allowing you to scoop up worm-free castings from the other side of the bin. Easy as pie.
Please feel free to send me a message or email if you have any questions about vermicomposting!
4 comments:
my brothers garden went BANANAS when he started using worm castings.
i've also read it's a good way to get rid of hair, nails, and uh... tampons.
LOLcopters!!!!!!!! Bananas indeed... any accidental seeds that get into the bin (pumpkin, apple) start sprouting, even in the dark.
My worms are bourgeois; they only eat organic and local food scraps. Snobby little bunch, they are. Maybe I'll start a proletariat worm bin, and feed them only tampons... then mix the 2 bins to start a social upheaval.
Can I have some worms?? Sounds great. And I've been wanting to compost in this condo since I moved in. I'd like to give this a try! What do your worms live in?
You bet you can have some worms! My worms live in 2 small tupperware bins, since that was the only thing that would fit under the sink. Each small bin is about 15" wide, 8" tall, and airholes are poked into the top. If you have more space, it's probably best if you get a bigger bin (something about 18" wide, 15" tall).
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