8 weeks of clean living

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.

In order to start vermicomposting, I need a worm bin. The Solana Center up in Encinitas sells worm bins preassembled, but they are a little pricey at around $80. I decided to go ahead and build my own as per the instructions on this site.

I went down to Sears and picked up an 18 gallon plastic storage bin in Christmas colors for $2.50 on sale from $5 (I guess they are clearing out their Christmas storage bin inventory). Once I got home, I used a nail to punch some holes in the bottom of the container. These holes allow any liquid that accumulates in the worm bin to seep out. To collect this seepage I placed the bin on top of its plastic lid and replaced the lid with a piece of cardboard from an old box. The cardboard will serve as a cover and allow a little bit more ventilation than the plastic top would have. I’ve put some pictures of this process at the bottom of the post.

Next step: acquiring worms. I’ve already struck out at one nursery, but I’ve found a place in Escondido that will ship worms (you can buy them online). I’m a little anxious about having worms shipped, but if I don’t find another source after looking around little bit more I guess I’ll give it a shot.