Vermicomposting Part Two
My composting worms have arrived! I decided to order my worms from Red Worm Fertilizing Products up in Escondido and I was planning on having them shipped, which seemed a little stressful for the worms. A few hours after placing my order, the owner, Daniel Rojas, called me up to let me know that his day job is located just off of Mira Mesa Blvd., and therefore close to my shipping address. He was nice enough to offer to bring the worms down and give me some starter soil in lieu of the shipping charges. I picked the worms up this past Monday and installed them in my bin.
Before putting the soil in the bin, I added a layer of ripped up paper bedding and sprinkled some water on it. I also enlarged the holes at the bottom of the bin to make sure that liquid could escape. I then put in the soil and added the worms. After just a few moments almost all of the worms had quickly scampered under the surface. Daniel told me to wait about a week before adding new organic material to the system, so I have a few days left before starting the composting process in earnest. In the interim, I have been accumulating veggie clippings and other compostable material in a bag under the sink. (Quick note: I have heard from several sources that one should be careful not to add citrus or meat products to the compost.)
I’ve attached a picture of the worms just after they were deposited in the bin. Pretty cute stuff.
