Worms Wanted

Worms Wanted

I was out with a friend just recently who was heading out ice fishing and didn't have any worms. That reminded me of this article I had published a while ago.

You suddenly have some free time for that fishing trip to that special lake, but no time to dig or buy worms. Not to worry, you can have your own little worm farm close at hand for any time you need them.

Worm boxes can be kept in the yard, shed or even in the house. I had mine in the shed, but being out of sight and out of the way it got neglected and I lost them. My younger brother, on the other hand, had his right in the house and had good luck. They were not even smelly.

I like the idea of a handy one indoors: no going out to the compost at -15 Celsius or in freezing rain; no stumbling about in the dark or trying to dig them without disturbing the garden or the neighbours in the wee hours of the morning.

Basically all you need is a fair-sized Rubbermaid bin with a good lid. Drill a few holes in the top and near the top of the sides to let some air in. Casting, which are good for fertilizer, will collect at the bottom, so you might want to operate two alternating containers or make a removable section for collecting the castings. You might also consider a few drainage holes to prevent pooling of bad water and put your system on a tray.
Line the bin with newspaper or some natural fabric. The worms will eventually eat this, but by then they will be at home in the container. Next fill it about a third full of dry bedding material; this is where the worms will go after feeding. You could use organic potting mix, leaf mulch or even shredded newspaper. Soak it and then let it drain before adding the worms.

Reds, tigers and blues are the most popular composting worms, but some nice healthy ones from the garden should be added, too. It is good to have a variety, and the best ones naturally will thrive better. Add the worms early in the day so they have time to get oriented and to make their initial burrows down into the bedding. Once they have disappeared you can slowly start adding the feed after picking out any worms that were not healthy enough to burrow down.

It is amazing what these little fellows will eat: any vegetable peelings, apple and pear cores, leafy discards, tea bags, coffee grounds, bread crusts, and egg shells. Yes, even left over soup, and water from cooked vegetables. Be careful adding water and liquids though, these should be gently sprinkled on to prevent collapsing the burrows.

Depending on the size of your operation you could even compost most paper and cardboard containers, just avoid the ones that have be plasticized. I understand they will even tackle phone books, but don’t expect your little workers to do miracle work.

I expect you would have to also have a larger bin outside if you want to compost yard waste such as lawn clippings, leaves and discarded flowers and vegetables. It is said that you can also use pet waste as long as it has been a month since the pet has been de-wormed. You wouldn’t want to de-worm your worm box!
Although Citrus peels take longer to compost, they are ok, but you would want to avoid woody material and large pits like peaches. Oh, yes! You know how hard those hot peppers were on your hands and lips? I’d give them a pass too.

The main thing is to keep your container moist, but not sodden. This will keep the worms happy and stop the ants from moving in, as ants only love the dry spots.
Hmm, now once I get the house in shape, I just wonder if Tricia will allow me to….

Note: Tricia has since moved into care which is why I've not been out all that much this year. Next year will see many more new places explored and perhaps some articles on survival if the interest is there.