Worm Bin

I have a few new pets.

Make that 1000 new pets.

Plus a few more.

It all started a few years ago when I finally got the garden of my dreams. OK, maybe not THE garden, because that would involve a longer growing season, less wind and violent storms and, well...water, but really...it's pretty dreamy just the way it is. Now, I'm always looking for ways to improve my soil and I couldn't resist the suggestion in one of my very favorite books, "Organic Farming, Everything you Need to Know" by Peter V. Fossel. He suggests starting a worm bin.

Start by drilling holes in the top and bottom of  a plastic 10 gallon tub, and covering it with a screen attached with adhesive calk. The holes in the top are for aeration, the screen is to keep the flys out. The holes in the bottom are for drainage, so you just want a few on one end, and the screen is used to keep the worms in

Next fill it with rotten hay, soaked shredded cardboard, straw...basic compost material, and add about 500 red wigglers. Set it on a shelf about 12" off the ground (in a shed or barn or something). Set it up so that the drainage holes are all over a funnel leading down to an old milk jug. I found an old board with holes in it almost the exact size as my funnels. Every so often add some more kitchen scraps, keep it damp, and the result should be worm tea. It's supposed to work wonders for new transplants.

So, I ordered my red wigglers, and drilled some holes and set it up in the barn. I already have some lovely dark liquid leaking out into my milk jugs, and just today when I went to feed my pets, I noticed a tiny little baby worm; they should double in number every three months and so you can expand your operation or just add the extra worms to your compost pile, lawn, or garden. They don't like to be too crowded, so you do need to do something with the offspring.