EcoPerks

I have a confession: my worm bin has a serious case of the ickies. My small batch of “red wrigglers” purchased in a pint-sized container from my local OSH, swims through a sea of sludge-y goo, and actually they seem perfectly happy. But the whole scene just doesn’t jive with my expectation of worm composting. I thought they would be living in a lovely loam-y kind of potting soil, and that the minute I added a new “meal” to their plate, it would be quickly eaten, and out would come this gardeners’ gold, otherwise know as worm castings. From my research into this undertaking, I had also reached the conclusion that my worms would be reproducing at a rabbit-like pace, and that, by now three months into it, I’d have handfuls of worms to foist on my unsuspecting friends. But my bin seems eternally muddy, with moisture condensing on the lid, and keeping the whole business rather soupy…..and another thing: the bog seems to breed tiny flies, that can’t be a good sign. Clearly, I need a worm expert.

And lucky for me, such a person is on the payroll at the LA Bureau of Sanitation - his name is Steve - and he gave me some tips to try. First off, Steve said, “You’ve created a rainforest in there!” and prescribed a steady diet of shredded newspaper, called “bedding” in worm circles, to dry out the stew. When asked whether he uses a shredder, he volunteered that since his shredder broke, he’s just been ripping old newspaper into “finger-sized” strips. Okay, I can do that. Next he said, “Don’t add any water.” Check. Then, “Always put dry material over the food.” Ohhhhh. That was somewhat new to me, and Steve assured me that the additional bedding should take care of my fly problem, because those beasties are “surface feeders,” and if they can’t get to the fresh food, they’ll find other sources away from my worm bin.

1. The Container: Mine came from one of LA Bureau of Sanitation’s Composting Workshops and Bin Sales, but can easily be made from a plastic storage bin with plenty of small (3/8ths of an inch) holes drilled in the top and sides - important for airflow. I also drilled a hole in one bottom corner and elevated the opposite side in order to catch the “tea.” I keep my bin outside my kitchen door on a fairly shady shelf, and aside from a few escape artists who tried to break out in the first week, my worms are a happy bunch. Worms are sensitive to extreme temperatures, so best to not let them get too hot or too cold. I plan on bringing my bin inside during our cold winter snaps.
2. Worm Suppliers and Diet: Finding worms is not as easy as one might think. Some sources recommend starting a colony from the worms you find in your yard, which sounds rather labor intensive, but hey, it’s free. I bought my red wrigglers at the chain hardware store, OSH and there are online vendors who will ship worms. I’ve heard of beneficial insects being sold at Farmers’ Markets, so that might be an option in your area. I feed my worms all sorts of non-meat kitchen scraps, everything from tealeaves and vegetable peels to egg shells and apple cores. Once, I tossed in half a bagel left on my son’s plate and they eventually ate it, but I’ve avoided bread since, as the bagel turned moldy for a while before it disappeared. Worms need dirt for their digestion, so I throw in at least a handful at every feeding. The bedding provides an important top layer, and while I most often use shredded newspaper, a small flake of straw or a batch of fallen leaves also find their way into my bin.
3. “Gardeners Gold:” After several months, my worms had produced enough castings - literally worm poop - to merit a harvest. One recommended technique requires moving the bulk of worms and castings to one side of the bin, and filling the empty space with fresh food, dirt and bedding with the idea that the worms will migrate towards the new stuff. At that point, you can remove the castings and sprinkle them on your plants. But a gardener friend encouraged me to take a simpler approach by putting handfuls of worms mixed in with their castings directly into the soil I was preparing for my bed of winter crops. That way, the worms will continue to nourish the soil where my beets and broccoli grow. I also set a few handfuls to work in my compost pile.