One of the ways my family keeps our food waste down, is to
use our worm bin. We’ve had it for a few years now, and our new effort to
be more plant-based in our eating, our little worms have been busy, with plenty to
eat! I was going to write a blog post about how to set up your own worm
bin, but I learned of a group of great students at Woodcreek High that started
a vermicomposting program at their school and in the community. I thought,
who better to tell you about worms? So here are the Timberworms!
Vermicomposting with the Green Bandits!
Here at Woodcreek we’re working on a national
project/competition to help fight global warming. Our issue that we chose
was waste reduction. We decided to tackle this by starting a
vermicomposting program at our school, as well as elementary schools around the
Sacramento and Roseville area. There are many benefits
to vermicomposting instead of basic composting, but the main reason is the
speed in which the worms decompose the material. If the system is big
enough, one could get a large amount of usable compost or “worm poop” each
day.
The Worm Bin
Our worm bins are a
super easy design, they consist of two, Rubbermaid bins stacked on top of each
other. The reason we stack them is to increase air flow through the holes
we drill on the sides and bottom. Air flow allows oxygen to get into the
bin and help speed up the process and also reduce the smell. All of the
holes are covered by sheets of weed blocker cloth which works to block the
worms from escaping, and keeping unwanted things out. Once the bin starts
to “get cooking” the worms will begin to reproduce and you can start expanding
the system, to two separate worm containers which will help increase the
output. To start the worm bin, you shred newspaper to make bedding for
the worms to start in. Shred it at the most 1” in width, then fill the
bin about 2/3 the way with the shredded paper. Once that is done, spray
it until its damp but no water is puddled at the bottom. Then you can add
the organic waste but make sure to bury it in the paper to reduce the smell,
and then you’re ready for the worms!
Adding the Worms
Worms
can be very temperamental and get stressed quite easily, so it’s important to
make their transition to their new home as smooth as possible. Once
you’ve added the food, let it rot for a little while, about a week is should be
enough time for them. Placement of the bin is also crucial, they like the
temperature to be around 70 degrees…who doesn’t?! Keep the bin in an area
with little sunlight, under a tree, in a garage, or on the side of the house
that rarely gets sun. If these conditions are met then the worms will be
happy in their new home.
Feeding
Do Feed
- Vegetable scraps
- Lettuce
- Soft fruits, melons
- Coffee grounds or filter
- Egg shells
- Napkins or paper towels
- Meat or fish
- Milk or dairy products
- Greasy foods
- Dog or cat feces
- Twigs or branches
- Citrus fruits
Benefits of Vermicomposting
The main benefit of composting is
to get the rich fertilizer that is produced. Added to the garden, it
allows plants to get more nutrients and be healthier and produce better fruits
and veggies. The many other reasons are even more powerful.
Composting reduces the amount of waste that goes to the landfills. This
is important because landfills produce a greenhouse gas called methane.
This gas gets trapped by our atmosphere and blocks heat from escaping as
well. This contributes to global warming. Also, when the compost is
added to the garden, it holds water better. Which allows the gardener to
use less water when watering the garden, now we’re saving water AND the
atmosphere! So please help support our efforts to reduce the effects of
global warming by purchasing your very own worm bin (worms included) from www.timberworms.com
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