I have been promising pictures of my worms for a while now, this is a new adventure for us. I can't say as I know all about it, but if you ask any questions, I will try my best to get an answer for you.
First off vermicomposting is
Composting + Worms = Vermicomposting
Many of us have a compost pile already. Compost is a wonderful way to recycle your leftovers and enrich soil for your garden. With Vermicomposting you are doing it even more so. The worms multiply they shed and they create a worm tea, which is a beautiful organic fertilizer... but that comes later.
First off, let's talk about how to set up your worm farm... small scale. We are going to be moving our worms to a bathtub soonly, but for now we are using just a plain ole rubbermaid tote box.
Then once you get your tote, drill or cut some small air holes.
Then you want to take shredded paper, newspaper, cardboard and get it moist. Next, fill with some good soil. Now you want this place moist but not soggy, you don't want to drown your little fellas. Sorry, I don't have a picture of adding soil.
Then your worms... You know that you have really started to change when you go online to buy worms rather than shoes or clothing... Here is what my worms looked like when they arrived. "You mean to tell me you BOUGHT worms???" A question from my sister Yes, I did buy these worms. You can't use just any ole worm for this, you want a composting worm, and red wrigglers are just right for the job. You can't just dig up worms in your backyard for this one.
Here is a close up shot, just for your enjoyment. Nice, eh? That is 1000 of those little guys.
Now what do you feed them???
Anything that was once alive... fruit scraps, veggies, dead plants, paper, hair, the lone sock you find in your dryer, eggs and so on. Be sure to limit citrus peels and onions, they are quite strong.
Our little guys are getting an old sock and some dead flowers, oh and an apple core...
It is better to cut up the food that you are giving them, it helps them to break it down faster... but I am just eager to see that sock go from a full sock to no sock... so that is why I left it in one piece!
Bon appetit You want to dig the food down in there with them a bit, and stir them up when you feed them. Also be sure to keep the farm humid and moist. Don't let them dry out, a spritzer bottle would be a good thing to have on hand.
Finally take some sheets of newspaper and lay them across the top and moisten them, it helps to keep them down in the bin, so they can do their job. Then you can add your lid, and voile you have your worm farm!!!
When I transfer them over to the bathtub, I will make a new post with pictures on that too.
And that is when I will be able to share with you about worm tea!!!
Have a great day friends!!
worms...
I have a slight aversion to worms... ever since a schoolyard prank way back when... but I know they are God's creatures and as such, are very helpful...;)
Good on you, Chas...
Great job Chas!!! The one thing I have wondered is when you start to use the compost do have to take out the worms or do you use compost and worms in the garden?
Oh fun! DH use to have a worm farm, but they all disappeared. We had to go out of town and while we were gone, something got into the tub and knocked it over. When we got back they had all escaped.
We also had a terrible time keeping the fire ants away. Any hints?
I know he would like to start again with them. Maybe this fall. Right now he's trying to homebrew a hydrogen thingie to put on the cars to save on gas. I sure love having a handy husband! He does a lot of homebrew alternative energy stuff. We're currently using a wood fired water heater that he built from scratch (junk...lol!) and he's going to hook up a system where all of our water is heated by solar and/or wood. He's also working on homebrew windmills.
Well that is just cool. We have a video of Rebecca Kohls showing how to do that. So, how much do 1000 worms go for these days?
Heather Wawatoosie - 08:55 - Friday, May 9, 2008
Worms
What lovely creatures and a fun project to try. I have a worm farm under my rabbit hutches. They just seem to migrate there. I have never tried to purposely grow them beyond that. I look forward to seeing the bathtub experiment. Is the bathtub indoors?
Thanks for sharing this! I do have some questions for you ;) ...
How long does it take for the worms to make useable compost?
How do you "get your compost" without disturbing your whole little worm farm?
How much compost can 1000 worms make?
I started a compost pile yesterday; but I just happen to have an empty tote very similiar to yours, and a dear friend who is forever filling up the recycling box with shredded paper ;) . Maybe a worm farm would be a good project for our family.
Blessings,
Catherine
Just stopping by to say "hi" after a bit of a break from blogging. Happy Mother's Day!
Anonymous - 05:06 - Friday, May 9, 2008
Untitled Comment
Sorry! The above anonymous comment is from me.
Renee'
http://rmboys2.wordpress.com/
Anonymous - 05:07 - Friday, May 9, 2008
Worms and Flowers
Chas, I'm so impressed with everything ya'll are doing! I want you and the kids to come play one day so we can talk worms and chickens and gardens and canning and you can take some of my million irises. What do you think?
Becky in New Home - 10:04 - Friday, May 9, 2008
worms
Hi Chas! I am just wondering how one gets a job counting out 1,000 worms! That is so funny. Awsome though. I could use a few of those little guys to take fishing with me;) You are so cute. Good luck with your composte.
Love you! Leslie<><
That is so cool, I wish I had a place to do that. I didn't know they would eat socks! You'll have to post progress pictures of that sock getting devoured.
Anonymous - 11:45 - Monday, May 12, 2008
Sorry!
That anonymous comment about was from Stacy Leigh:
neverfails.wordpress.com
Anonymous - 11:45 - Monday, May 12, 2008
about your worm bin....
we started one, too. Lost some of the worms because no one told us to lay newspaper down over top of them to keep them in. I finally put cloth all around the bin's lid. THat helped. I am interested in how it goes for you. We have had ours about the same length of time.
Hi Chas, glad to see you got started on worms too! I bet they have a happy home with all the scraps from your garden. Just don't stir them around too much, and if they start to climb out of the bin, then see if there is something that they need, like more moisture or food.
Description
Welcome to the Journey of our lives here at our place on this Mountain, our Heritage Acres Farm. My name is Chas and here you will find my thoughts, my ideas and my accomplishments of my life as a Christian wife to my Sweetheart of many years, and as a Homeschooling Moma to my 4 beautiful blessings. We are making the most out of what God has abundantly blessed us with! Truly, My Cup Runneth Over...
I hope you enjoy your visit here and come back soon!
Next, fill with some good soil. Now you want this place moist but not soggy, you don't want to drown your little fellas. Sorry, I don't have a picture of adding soil.
You know that you have really started to change when you go online to buy worms rather than shoes or clothing... Here is what my worms looked like when they arrived.
"You mean to tell me you BOUGHT worms???" A question from my sister 
Yes, I did buy these worms. You can't use just any ole worm for this, you want a composting worm, and red wrigglers are just right for the job. You can't just dig up worms in your backyard for this one.
Nice, eh? That is 1000 of those little guys. 
You want to dig the food down in there with them a bit, and stir them up when you feed them.
Also be sure to keep the farm humid and moist. Don't let them dry out, a spritzer bottle would be a good thing to have on hand.
Then you can add your lid, and voile you have your worm farm!!!
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