cktimes.ca Archives for Ecowrappin'
Ecowrappin'
Hi, my name is Kris Lee and I have worms.
Tuesday, September 17, 2002
Believe it or not, I've actually introduced myself that way. The reaction is priceless. What is it about worms that makes people crinkle their noses?Someone told me that we have an aversion to things which do not have legs and eat dead stuff. That would be my definition of a couch potato munching on a pepperoni and anchovy pizza.
Worms are our friends. They're nature's Molly Maid and garbage disposal all wrapped in one little tube. The red wigglers or manure worms are exceptional because they eat their weight everyday and reproduce faster than you can say "super slime ball".
Although they're not cuddly and furry, they could be considered "useful pets". Unlike Fido or Miss Mew, they reduce the amount of waste that we have to carry to the curb. They don't want to go for a walk at 7 am, bring in fleas and believe it or not they don't smell. They eliminate those inconvenient visits to the outside composter on a freezing night in February. So what's the catch. There's only one. Because they are so hungry and because they multiply so quickly they can starve if you don't keep feeding the worm box. The household rule is, whoever goes to the worm depot (i.e. basement or utility room) has to pick up the 1 litre plastic tub in the kitchen and dump the veggie stuff into the bin at least once or twice a week.
Where do you start? There are 2 ways: a home-made contraption or purchase a kit that comes ready made with worms and all.
If you're Tim the tool man (or woman) type just purchase a curbsize blue box type of container and TWO lids, one to catch the water and the other that fits as a cover for the top, from a department or hardware store. (For some reason the little fellas love to crawl up the side.) You also need to buy about 4 small (1 cm diameter) vent tabs for the lid, about the size of a nickel. Garden filter cloth is needed, enough to line the bottom.
The bottom lid has to be such that the bin is slightly elevated (1 cm or 1/10 inch) from the bottom to allow the water to drain properly. If you don't do this they'll drown. Punch circular holes (1/2 cm) in each bottom corner of the bin for the drainage. That's all you need for the bottom part.
Like all living things these Cadillac critters like oxygen, so you also need to punch holes in each corner of the top lid. Clip the vent tabs into these holes so they don't crawl out. As well, I found that fruit flies like to use these vents for entrance and exits so I wrapped the vents with filter cloth.
Now all you need are worms. Normal large earthworms are no good. Most dealers recommend red worms (also called red wigglers or manure worms), African or European night crawlers.
Depending on the size of your household you need about 1 to 2 pounds to start. The container has to have starter bedding made of either sopping wet shredded peat moss or clean sawdust. The problem with shredded newspapers or cardboard is that they may contain toxic ink or chemicals , which could kill your first batch. Sterile soil is good. Avoid using garden soil because it may contain unwanted bugs and fungi.
What to put in?
Same as outside compost, fruit and vegetable peelings, coffee grinds, tea bags, crushed eggshells. No milk products or meats. Even a large cantaloupe or corncob will disappear within months. The smaller the veggie scraps, the faster they will disappear. The temperature of the area should range around 150 to 250 C.
How to put the kitchen waste in?
It's best to place each batch in one area of the bin, then use a different location for the next batch.
How to harvest the soil (castings)?
You need gloves for this. Place a tarp or large plastic sheet on the grass. Dump the bin upside down. The worms do not like light so they will migrate to the bottom. If you distribute the soil into small mounds on your tarp, the worms will travel to the bottom of the mound. Just place the top of the soil mound in a bag and the worms back in your bin. I like to wash out my filter cloth and rinse the wormbin with a hose while the bin is empty. The worms that are returned have lost their nice wet environment so you need to leave some soil for them or add a bit of kitchen waste so they don't dry out or starve.
The soil is very high in nitrogen and can be mixed with sand or peat moss and worked into your garden. Great addition to your organic garden. "Did you feed the family pet?" now has new meaning.
For more information on the web, type vermicompost into your search engine.
"Red wigglers, the Cadillac of worms!" Sitcom WKRP.
Kris Lee is a high school science teacher in Wallaceburg, Ont. She is working hard to bridge the gap between industry and community, with a major goal of reducing harmful effects to the environment. For over 10 years Kris has been an active member of several national industry and government advisory panels.
