Yesterday Noah and I attended a great workshop at the library about worms. In addition to learning all sorts of interesting things about worms (did you know they have five pairs of hearts?), we also built our own wormery. A simple process: take a clean and empty liter bottle, add dirt, red wigglers, lettuce, and shredded newspaper. Wrap a piece of black construction paper (leaving a window for worm viewing. Place in a dark, cool spot. Check every couple of days and add a mix of veggie/fruit scraps and newspaper. We plan on using ours as a "starter" for a larger worm composting system (stay tuned for details on that).I have been interested in worm composting since seeing my first fancy worm composters in Seattle....just never thought it would be possible with all of our frequent moves. But after yesterday, I am feeling fired up again about worms (did I really just write that?). I also never thought I would be taking worms to lunch with me but that is also what happened. After the workshop yesterday, Noah and I met up with some family members at a local Chinese restaurant. And since it was very hot we couldn't possibly leave our new worms in the car to be cooked alive. So yes, we walked into lunch with our worms. And then proceeded to take them with us to the grocery store and the book store....turned out to be a big day for the worms!
And speaking of "big days"...today is Adam's birthday! Happy Birthday! We miss you and love you very much. And inquiring minds want to know...are there worms in Kuwait?
Very interesting! I think we may try this :) Thanks for sharing!
very cool! my parents had a "worm bed" when I was a kid. it was pretty amazing how quick they transform things. thanks for the link too. the mounting guilt of tossing egg shells and produce scraps is coming to a head... :)
A worm composter! Fabulous!! I might actually be able to do this. We have tons of worms in our garden. Can I just dig 'em up and drop them on top of my trash? I mean, green trash scraps, that is? I will go internet surfing right now!
What an exciting day for your worms. :D This post reminded me of a fascinating article in Nat'l Geographic May of 2007. Here's a link (hope it works--I don't know how to embed a link the comment box...) If not, you can do a search for it--it's about how earthworms were introduced to North America by Europeans and the dramatic impact they had on the existing ecology, and the author is Charles C. Mann. www.charlesmann.org/articles/NatGeo-Jamestown-05-07-1.htm Anyway, best wishes in your composting adventures! :)
Karen, it certainly wouldn't hurt to try the "local" worms (wonder what you have over there in Italy?), but during my research it looks like tiger worms or red wigglers are the best because they can consume a lot of stuff and do it more quickly than regular earthworms. If nothing else, I am sure your Italian research on worms will prove to be entertaining/interesting...give a report!
Holly, what did the worm bed look like? I am assuming it was outside? I also have been dealing with guilt about excess food scraps and not having an established compost pile...hoping our bigger worm composter system will work out.
Heather, interesting link! thank y ou!
Love it! We'll definitely be making one of those worm viewers this year! And, I've thought about worm composting before, but never acted. I used to toss my scraps into a corner in the yard, but didn't really do anything with the soil so I quit. Hmmmm... you're getting me "fired up" again.
We have one of those three-tiered worm bins in our basement. It is great! We give them coffee grounds, fruit and veggie scraps, etc. We have had them for almost two years now and they're doing great!
I saw a worm bin on a TV show (some green remodeling show) and they kept it right in the kitchen! Think a big bin up on legs with a little tap at the bottom. Apparently the worms make juice (alright, worm pee?) that is awesome fertilizer. So they would just pull the tap, get some "worm tea" and pour that on their plants. All while getting rid of kitchen waste. I was very impressed.
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