Vermicomposting Notes

I've got my worms. Woo hoo! They were hand-delivered on Easter Sunday...and they're so much fun!

Let's start with a definition, for those who are new to this concept.

Vermi refers to worms. Composting is the decomposition of organic materials into a fertilizer-rich material. Ordinarily, composting is a thermal process, in which the materials decompose through heat.

In vermicomposting, worms do the decomposing. They eat, they poop, and oh, how green your grass grows.

Types of Worms

The very best type of worm to use is the red wriggler worm. These little guys will eat half of their weight in food scraps per day. Holy crap!

The worst kind of worm to use would be the big fat ones in your backyard. The don't decompose things, they only eat things that are ALREADY decomposed. So you'd have to wait a while for them to start eating, and things would definitely smell.

Red wrigglers is the common name for the good ones, and doing a search for that will bring you tons of results.

Where to Find

Where do you find these guys? Online, mostly, from what I can tell. I've only found one place nearby to me that has them, and they're an hour away (fyi, that would be The Worm Factory in Westport, Ontario). They do accept orders online (Ontario folks only) and by phone (for all other folks). I'm guessing that sending worms across borders might be a bit of a problem though - just google it, in your area.

Most places seem to charge about the same amount for them: $25-ish for 1/2 pound, $45-ish for a full pound.

Housing

Worms need a home. Worm homes need to be well ventilated so the composting process doesn't turn to rot (aeration is the key word here) and begin to smell. Worm homes also need to be dark because the little guys don't like light. Clear b oxes are not ideal. For singles and couples, recycling a couple of buckets from Tim Hortons will do a good job of housing your worms and taking care of your scraps. For a larger family that produces more scraps, a large, shallow storage bin with a lid will work great.

Ventilation

Whichever you choose, you will need to ventilate. In the picture here, you can see that I went nuts with a drill and put a million holes in the top of a Rubbermaid bin. (I started out with a nail and a hammer, and got about 15 holes done before my fingers hurt and I was just annoyed. The drill was WAY more fun.)

The holes that my drill made (I think I was using my husband's second smallest drill bit) seemed good for airflow (not too small) but too big to keep the worms contained, should they decide to make a run for it. So I stopped off at Canadian Tire and bought a roll of screening for doors and windows. I cut a piece slightly larger than the area where the holes were drilled, and used sandpaper to roughen the plastic around the holes. I then smeared some carpenter's glue (because that's what we had in the junk drawer) around on the rough parts and pressed the screen into it. I left it to dry in the sun for a day, after which the smell from the glue was mostly gone.

So far, so good, although we've only had the worms for three days now. At this point, I do have a concern that I have some long, skinny bugs roaming around in there, and I haven't completely decided what they are or what to do about them. Seems that adding more dry bedding (shredded newspaper, dry leaves, etc) and sprinkling eggshells or calcium carbonate (to reduce the acidity of the environment) is often the answer to a lot of problems.

Anyway, I'll keep things updated here on Life with Worms. :) My kids are totally pleased about it though, and my neice even seems to be coming around. My husband doesn't care so long as he doesn't have to have anything to do with it.

Waiting for the Worms

The vermicomposting seminar was GREAT. Not as many people turned out for it as I'd thought would (omg...I'm a GEEK...) but that's okay because everyone had a better view of the little red wrigglers.

Nathan and Mark did a fantastic job of explaining how things work, things to experiment with, and what definitely to NOT do. Again, once I'm a little better prepped, I will also offer a link to their website. These guys deserve the very best in their business venture. :)

Yesterday I ordered worms. Raise your hand if you thought you could receive worms in the mail? (My hand is NOT up.) You can...and I will. Hopefully they'll be here tomorrow, and aren't chilly right now. It snowed last night, so I'm a little concerned for their well-being.

I'll be sure to include a couple of good photos of my new little friends, and their house, once they arrive.

Date for my Birthday

Oh boy, oh boy. Tomorrow is my birthday. I'm going to a vermicomposting seminar for my birthday. Oh boy.

Vermicomposting is composting with the help of worms.

Actually, I AM really excited about it, although some of my friends and family think I'm a little strange. When my niece heard that I *may* keep worms on the kitchen counter, she almost swallowed her tongue. But I'm sure she'll get used to it.

I have been wanting to do a post on vermicomposting for a while now, and last year sent out a couple of emails to local companies that offer vermicomposting "starter kits" as well as special buckets, bedding, information, and most importantly, WORMS.

Never heard back from either of them. I've wondered if it had anything to do with the last question I apologized for, yet went ahead and asked anyway..."Is it necessary to actually TOUCH the worms?"

C'mon. Green living for real people. I'm a real girl. I would prefer not to touch worms if possible. Thank god it's not spider composting...I would just hit Walmart for a case of aerosol hairspray and kiss the environment goodbye.

Anyway...will get back with more on vermicomposting after tomorrow. Gee...wonder if they'll be handing out free samples at the door?