Worm Condo

After blogging last week about the worms we came to the conclusion that they needed a new home, the bin was just not going to work as it made it difficult to harvest the compost that we needed for the garden so off to http://www.wormswrangler.com/; we purchased a 4 level worm condo! The condo arrived Saturday morning and we set it up today.

We filled the first two floors with the "in process" compost that was in the original bin. Floor 3 we added coconut coir bedding and fresh fruit and veggie scraps. Floor four we reserved and will use when floor three is filled.

The object with this system is the worms will migrate UP as the compost is finished on each floor. Once the worms reach level three we can then harvest the compost from level one and not have to worry about separating the worms from the compost? We just rotate the floors taking the bottom one as the worms leave and putting another floor on the top with fresh scraps for the worms to eat. SIMPLE!

The worm tea is collected on t he bottom most level (the basement)! We have already seen a vast difference in the plants that have been fed with the tea, they are much bigger and robust, I;m sure we will see the same results using the worm compost as well.

To see the album click on the photo below

Worm Condo

Worms Eat our Garbage

In out effort to live green we vermicompost - worms eat our garbage! We currently use a storage tub purchased at Wal-Mart for about $5 we drilled holes in the bin for aeration, and holes in the bottom for excess liquid to drain into a tray or pot for collection. The worm tea that drains off is a wonderful fertilizer.

To start the bin we shredded cardboard and soaked it with water till damp but not dripping wet, added some soil, worms and kitchen scraps. Now on a weekly basis we add all our organic refuse to the bin and the worms are multiplying and making us some great compost. We purchased about 1,000 red wiggler worms to start our bin from an ad placed on Craig list.com but the are available on the internet!

Vermicomosting is well-suited to turn kitchen waste into high-quality soil amendments. Worms can decompose organic matter without the additional human physical effort (turning the bin) that bin composting requires.

There are few food wastes that vermicomposting cannot compost, although meat waste and dairy products are likely to putrefy, and in outdoor bins can attract vermin. Green waste such as grass clippings should be added in moderation to avoid heating the bin.

Worms love
All fruits and vegetables
Vegetable and fruit peels and ends
Coffee grounds and filters
Tea bags, paper towel
Plate scrapings, moldy bread
Eggs and eggshells
Leaves

Vermicompost has been shown to be richer in many nutrients than compost produced by other composting method. It also has outperformed a commercial plant medium with nutrients added, but needed adjustment for magnesium and pH.

Unlike other compost, worm castings also contain worm mucus which helps prevent nutrients from washing away with the first watering and holds moisture better than plain soil.

It is amazing the difference in the plants that we have feed worm tea to or used worm compost on. The plants are fuller and stronger. It is well worth the effort!

Click on the photo below to see the album

Vermicomposting