LESLIE GARRETT is a National Award-Winning Journalist, Author and Editor, based near Toronto. Her syndicated column The Virtuous Consumer runs monthly in City Parent, Big Apple Parent, About Families and many other publications.
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As the Worm Turns…Put red wigglers to work to create black gold
2010/08/25
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Admittedly, my adventure with vermi-composting ended with a whimper. And a whiff of something decidedly sour. However, once I learned that my garage was simple too cold for vermi-composting (using worms to turn your organic waste into rich soil), I could start again in the basement…
Herewith, my hard-won worm wisdom:
Bin Shopping. While you can purchase a bin--they usually come with a ventilated lid, vent holes along the sides, several draining holes in the bottom, and a tray to catch excess liquid, Anita notes that almost any plastic container (think Rubbermaid) can be converted into a worm bin by adding vent holes in the lid and sides. Draining holes aren’t necessary; even though liquid can build up over time from food waste with a high water content, this can be remedied simply by drawing back the bedding (see below) once a month and adding more fresh bedding to soak up any excess. You can even keep your vermicompos- ter under the kitchen sink for convenience--or in a laundry room, basement, or heated garage.
Make Your Bedding. Composting worms, or red wigglers (the noted stars of the compost world), need a moist environment to live in so they can breathe through their skin, explains Anita. For bedding materials, she recommends pre-soaked (at least 24 hours) peat moss, damp paper, or newsprint (shredded); brown leaves; and cardboard strips. The moisture level should be that of a damp, wrung-out sponge. Martha Stewart-types can layer the bedding (like making a lasagna) by alternating layers of shredded paper with layers of leaves or cardboard strips until the bin is three-quarters full.
Mix in a cup of soil, sand, or pulverized egg shells. Worms have no teeth, so the grit is necessary for them to grind up the food inside their gizzards
Worm Psychology 101. For the first week, feed your worms only some coffee grounds or spent tea bags (they tend to sulk at their new environment and need time to settle in before they begin their task). In the second week, you can begin adding small amounts of finely shredded veggie food waste—veggie/fruit peelings, cooked pasta, crushed eggshells . . . even citrus peels in small amounts. Gradually increase the amount of food waste, burying the food scraps under the bedding and covering them with new, damp bedding. Because the worms also eat the bedding, don’t feel obliged to “feed” them everyday.
Taking the Temperature. These hard-working worms expect temperatures between 13 and 25 degrees Celsius, or room temperature. Move them out of their comfort zone and you may have a mutiny on your hands…
The Wormful Bounty. After three or four months, the original bedding will be no longer recognizable as such—instead it will be rich compost. Working in bright light with a large plastic sheet, take the vermicompost (fancy name for worm-created compost) and divide it into several small piles. Every ten minutes or so, remove the compost from the top of the piles a bit at a time until you discover the worms all huddled together at the bottom like terrified hostages in an armed robbery. Gather the worms and place them in new bedding and begin the cycle all over again. Then put your beautiful compost to work for you in your garden…
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