start a worm bin

but I am still wormless! It’s too hot to mail order worms right now… I believe they will die if it’s over 92 degrees (which is a problem to be solved next summer as well). It’s been so consistently hot (yay!) that this will take several more weeks. Plus I found out a pound of worms costs $40-50. So it shouldn’t go on this month’s budget anyway. Wormies, I have your new home ready and waiting! We will have good times! I wait patiently for the weather to cool off.

Got two nesting bins. Got some newspaper to shred (yay for the Onion!). Need worms… It’s currently too hot here to ship worms from the internets so I have inquired at two local places… no luck yet. Progress is good!

See the instructable for this AWESOME alterna-bin here:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Worm_bin_bag_for_indoor_vermicomposting_and_easy_s/

I have been thinking of doing this but haven’t been living a place where i would be staying for any length of time for a few years… and now it appears that i’ve landed at least approximately where i would like to stay for a while.

I talked it over with my roomate and she is skeptical but i have a feeling that if i started it and then she saw it working after a while i’d be able to win her over. my intention is to find a way of fitting the worm ‘bag’ into a cabinet of somekind… like a roll out kitchen garbage, on drawer rollers so that i can put stuff in it or dump it out and then slide the sucker back into a cupboard and close the door. no one needs to see it and i’d be way proud if noone even knew we had one because it was tidy and hidden away and pretty stink-less.

Looking forward to starting this up in the winter after i’ve done all the other things i’m planning for summer/fall. :)

Hooray for having a home.

Worms are awesome! Like my little wiggly vegan soultwins. I have been thinking about making a worm bin for probably 2 years… time to take action!

This is the most awesome vermiculture system ever… The “Digestive Table” that has a worm bag incorporated into a gorgeous table where you toss your scraps at the end of the meal. There is even an IR camera and screen to watch the little wormies livin the life! Ohhh the most divine version of a worm bin.

So I would not go putting in a CCD camera or anything, but the idea of a bag composter is interesting, because the worms stay near the top, and the castings come right out a drawstring at the bottom. And there are instructions about how to make the bag without the fancy table.

Another option is to go with the “cheap and easy” worm bin, made by drilling holes in two rubbermaid totes… and I have a drill and one tote already. How do you get the castings out of this type of bin—just reach in and grab some? That works too. I like dirt.

Dreamin of watching worms crawl inside my dinner table :D

I’ve had my worm bin for a little over a year now. It’s nice to make vermicompost to keep the plants healthy. Poor little fellas are in the chilly basement – maybe I should bring them back upstairs…

but then the worms all died. There was a huge infestation of fruit flies because I overloaded the bin with apple peels. Big mistake. In the process of trying to fix it I was taking the bin outside for a time in the fall – must have been too cold or something – they all died. Might try again – I’m not sure.

I think actually building the bins is a project best deferred for warmer weather. Build a wooden box, or make a stacker out of rubbermaid…hmmm? I’m leaning towards the stacker, but only if I can be sure it’s stable. I used to have an expensive pre-fab worm bin that the City gave me for free as a demonstration project. So of course I was spoiled. But I had to give it (and all the wormies) up during a move.
Now, here, I can entertain worms for as long as they wish to stay.

I’ve read about it, have the container, shredded paper, motivation – just need to order the worms. Sheesh I don’t know what I’m waiting for! Maybe I’m just afraid of the pending death for some of them in transit since it’s SOOOO cold.

I established a place under the sink for one or two bins, and have pretty much convinced one of my housemates that this is a good idea. And my mom is going to ask a friend if she has extra worms that I might barter a cake for, or something. More slow progress.

OK, I brought my parents’ old bins back from their house, so now I just need to establish a place for them in the basement, clean them up a little bit, and obtain worms and bedding. Onward!