How I got started with worms
I remember strolling through a used bookstore and picking up a copy of ‘Worms Eat My Garbage’, by Mary Appelhoff, about 3 years ago. I think that sparked my interest in keeping worms. From there, I built a 2×2 worm box with a friend (who had power tools, thank goodness), and I have been keeping worms in one form or another ever since.
I think worms appeal to me because they were more interesting than a mere compost pile (as well as more mobile, a consideration for a renter), but very low commitment. Also, removing organic matter from landfills is an easy way to help the environment.
After building that worm box, I ordered worms from Mary’s company–1 pound was plenty. I tried to find them locally, but the suggestions in her book (sports stores, gardening centers) didn’t have any redworms.
The worms arrived in a small cardboard box via the mail one day. I dumped them into the box with some shredded paper for bedding. I was living in a basement apartment and had plenty of room. I placed food scraps in the box and never noticed it smelling. This continued for about a year, and then I moved to a garden level condo that was a bit less roomy. I kept the box in the condo until both my girlfriend and a friend who visited commented on the odor. As I remember it, the place did smell a bit citrusy (I was on an orange kick at the time).
So, I moved the box outside. This worked fine until winter. The box was uninsulated (just covered with a black plastic sheet), but as long as the temps didn’t get too low, the worms seemed fine (they heated up in the sun, and hid in the bedding. They did slow down eating quite a bit. Then we got a cold snap–a string of 0 degree days–the bedding froze solid (and all the worms died died, needless to say).
I proceeded to throw my organic matter in the garbage the rest of the winter. I’d forgotten what a hassle it was, dealing with the smell of the garbage and having to take it out regularly. So, when spring came, I ordered more worms from Mary’s company, and fed them all summer and fall. When winter rolled around again, I was afraid of them freezing again. I also didn’t want them smelling in my mouse, so I just dumped the contents of the entire worm bin into my compost bin. (It’s not a rotating bin, it’s connected to the ground.)
This turned out to be the right solution for me. I have a fenced in yard in the city, so I’m not worried about racoons or bears. I also put chicken wire underneath my compost bin to prevent animals from burrowing up into it (apparently moles like worms). My worms retreat into warm parts of the pile when it’s cold, and produce great compost. I never replace the bedding, I just open up the bottom of the compost bin and shovel out compost and put more bedding on top.
I’ve never heard complaints about the smell (I do make sure there’s plenty of leaves or other carbon sources) and I don’t have to flip it. It is a bit of a hassle in the winter but 1-2 trips a week out to the compost bin beats living with stinky trash. The compost bin method gives the worms plenty of room to multiply and I’ve actually been able to give a quart or two of worms out to other people.
Add comment August 16th, 2008
