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This will not be as hard as you might think, this keeping of worms and their bin. Worms are living breathing creatures. Caring for a pound or two of them is the same responsibility you take on with a family pet. They will need food, water, and the correct growing conditions in order to carry out their task of reducing the organic waste stream in your home.

You can keep wigglers either in or out of bins.  I recommend and focus on keeping them in bins because you can manage the variables more easily.  In contained spaces you can be certain they have enough ( but not too much)  to eat, are not too hot or cold, are not subject to predators, can be kept at a comfortable level of moisture, and can be harvested easily.  The vermicompost  is them available to use whenever and however you wish.  You control the amount of worms processing your waste and can share a portion  of your worm herd when they reproduce.

If containing your worms doesn’t suit your purposes there are other options:

1.) Pit-run– Mark off  the area to be used, say a 2′x6′ rectangle.  Loosen the soil with a pitch fork and remove the first 2″ of soil. You can pre-mix materials such as manure, peat, shredded paper into the soil and water well, then add your worms.  Or you can just water the area and add your worms.

Always water the area well before introducing the worms.  As then in the late afternoon while there is still enough sunlight to encourage them to dive for cover, but not enough strong light to damage them.

Feed the worms as you would in a bin.  Cover them with straw or soaked newspaper to help contain the moisture and minimize predators.  You still may have visitors or the animal nature interested in your scrapes or a meal of delicious worms.

2.) Trenching–Mark off  an area and loosen the soil as instructed with the pit-run.  Remove the soil to a depth of one foot and add back food and bedding moistened and mixed with the soil. Mark off  an area and loosen the soil, water well and lay out a layer of bedding at least 6″ high.  The 6″ depth ensures enough depth for the worms to escape if the birds discover your cashe.

Bedding material can include pre-heated compost, manures from plant eating animals such as rabbits, horses, chickens, llamas, etc.; mixed with soaked shredded paper as examples.

Add your worms in the late faternoon and feed as usual.

Because the window has so much exposed surface area, water loss is a problem.  If you use this method, try laying a soaker hoses down the length  of the windrow for easy water care.  If you live in an area which is hot and dry most of the year, you might consider an over head shade cloth to keep the moisture in and help prevent water loss through evaporation.  As with the pit-run method you can cover the area with soaked newspaper or straw to help retain moisture and deter predators. Do not use plastic, as you will over heat your worms!

4.) Tree base– still experimental, but the University of Oregon is testing vermicomposting around fruit trees.  The area is cleaned and raked out to the drip line of the trees, the food wastes are applied in a thin layer every 14 days and well watered.  The area is sprinkled with rock dust and covered with leaves. There were no worms evident at the beginning of the experiment and none were added.  Now the trees and near by vegetables flourish with many worms evident in the soil.  The worms will stay in the area as long as there are ample organic food sources and moisture available.

To Recap:

> There are many different ways you can keep your worms.

> Choose the method best suited to your area of the country and it’s climate conditions.

> Consider your worms as another family pet, just many of them and not only one.  They will need your care to preform well and give you and your soil the much needed boost to have flourishing gardens.

Until next time when I will write about which kind of worms to get for your bin, setting up your bin, choosing the right one for you and a few other suggestions, I do hope you are learning from your worms and will ask questions. That is what I am here for: to answer them.

~Shel

The conditions that control worm populations are the same as those required for them to survive in a contained space:

1) ample, but not excessive food supply

2) sufficient surface area

3) population density

4) nutrition for reproduction

5) moisture

6) ambient ground and air temperature, 55- 85 degrees F ( 13-27 C)

What type of container should you use?

The type of container you use is limited only by your imagination.  Below are a few guidelines you will want to keep in mind.  Also, remember, a lid will keep it dark and help it to retain moisture, and keeping the birds from feasting on your worms.  Even a bucket can be used as a worm bin.(9)  When selecting a bin it is important to pay attention to the square foot surface area listed in the chart of worm to waste ratios.  This will be covered in the next blog I do here.

Consider the following when you select your worm bin:

> The inside of the bin should always be wet, so cardboard and similar materials are not appropriate.

> Select a size that is easy for you to handle.  If you maintain a bin kept in the house, it will need to be taken outside before harvesting.

> Appearance is important to some people, so obtain or build something that is attractive.

> Plastic holds up well and retards moisture loss.   Plastic containers often come with the necessary lid.  Caution: worms prefer to work in the dark, so try and avoid clear plastic or keep the container covered in the shade.

>  Wood breathes well but warps and rots.  It is also much heavier than plastic, especially when filled with worm castings.

>  Wood manufacturers infuse some wood with pest resistant chemicals to increase longevity.  These chemicals can be poisonous to the worms.

To reduce the cost and keep with the spirit of recycling, try to use a container that has had a former function.  You may build one of scrape, have one at home, or discover the perfect worm home for pennies on the dollar at a second hand shop or garage sale.

Some suggestions:

* old dish pans are a good size for an individual or a couple.

* plastic flip top storage bins work wonderfully.

* bins made from safe ( not pressure treated) scrap wood are effective.

* recycled barrels, cut in half lengthwise and bolted  together at the mouth provide inexpensive bins with lots of surface area.

Do clean the container thoroughly before you add your worms. If your bin doesn’t have a lid, a piece or wood or cardboard with a rock on the top will do.

Remember: No matter the type of bin you choose, recycling is part of the goal!

Recipe For A Worm Bin

Equipment and Ingredients- What you will need

* one container for worms, with a lid

*one  old sheet, or other porous liner

* one electris drill with a 1/4″ drill bit

* bedding: shredded newspaper, corrugated cardboard cardboard as a liner for the bottom of the bin ( soak all the shredded paper for at least 24 hours before you star your bi)

*  a tray to catch the drips beneath the worm bin

* 2 short sections or 3 of 2″x4″‘s to raise the bin off the tray it will sit on

* a hand full of garden soil to add in the micro-organisms who will aid in breaking down the food waste for the worms.

* Locattion in deep shade for the bin

* Composting worms– red wigglers–as many as you need to compost your waste volume

To Recap:

> You now know the type of bin you will be choosing and what to shy away from

> You have a few suggestions which should help you in obtaining your bin

>  the equipment you will need has been out lined

Next time I shall write about the worm to waste ratios, the ideal surface areas to waste volume and how to figure out the volume of youe organic wastes.

Until then: enjoy your worms, if you have them.  Learn from them.  Ask questions!

That is what I am here for, to help you all I can.

~Shel

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Like to Garden? Heard of composting with worms? It is called vermicomposting and it’s a fun family project that can significantly reduce your waste stream while giving you unbeatable compost.

Whether your passion is vegetable gardening, beautiful flowers, lush house plants, soil fertility or simply household waste reduction, this site is for you.