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worm farm  

post #1 of 12
6/8/08 at 11:11pm
Thread Starter 
Hello!
DH and I are really trying to live more green...but we are still very "green" at being green and need some help.
I watch the TV show Wasted, and on two episodes they have suggested worm farms as a means of decreasing organic garbage. Does anyone on here have one? Are they hard to care for? I have to be honest, I am a little squeemish about touching the worms, but am willing to tough it out if it will be worthwhile. How big of a farm would I need to manage the organic waste of two adults??
Also, we do not garden (we both work a ton of hours), so what else could we do with the compost?
Thanks
post #2 of 12
6/9/08 at 9:03am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ians_mommy View Post
Hello!
DH and I are really trying to live more green...but we are still very "green" at being green and need some help.
I watch the TV show Wasted, and on two episodes they have suggested worm farms as a means of decreasing organic garbage. Does anyone on here have one? Are they hard to care for? I have to be honest, I am a little squeemish about touching the worms, but am willing to tough it out if it will be worthwhile. How big of a farm would I need to manage the organic waste of two adults??
Also, we do not garden (we both work a ton of hours), so what else could we do with the compost?
Thanks
:
oh by the way, no need to be squeamish about worms, they're actually not bad to touch ...really
post #3 of 12
6/9/08 at 9:12am
This is our favorite kid-friendly link about worm composting: http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/worms/ , the Adventures of Squirmin' Herman.

Personally, we have dabbled in the worms for fun, but find that our family produces too much compost for the amount of worms we've had in the past. A large outdoor compost pile suits us better. You don't have to do anything with the compost. I mean you could give it away to someone who does garden or just toss it under a bush and the bush will thank you very much.

hth
post #4 of 12
6/9/08 at 10:29am
A worm bin with 2-square feet of surface area will compost 10.5 pounds of food scraps a week- about the amount a family of 3-4 would put out. This website has a good explanation- http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/bse/442-005/442-005.html#L5

They're really easy to care for.
post #5 of 12
6/9/08 at 1:50pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks!
post #6 of 12
6/12/08 at 7:33am
This is the kind of worm composter we have and I love it. I love watching what I stick into it turn into rich black compost and know that I am not making trash, I am making earth.

My girls love it. We call it the worm trash can.

http://www.composters.com/vermicultu...tower_49_4.php

I bet if you checked you could find a gardener near you who would love to take your worm castings off your hands.
post #7 of 12
6/13/08 at 12:11pm
what do you do with the worms in the winter? how cold is too cold?
post #8 of 12
6/13/08 at 4:11pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MeghansDad View Post
what do you do with the worms in the winter? how cold is too cold?
I am not sure - I live in Zone 3 - our long cold winters and rather hot (albeit short) summers make it impractical to keep them outside. I keep them in the basement in the unfinished portion - if you maintain them properly, there is no odor.
post #9 of 12
6/14/08 at 10:33am
I love my worm bin. It can get pretty gross sometimes, but it's all about keeping it balanced. Not too moist, the right level of greens and browns... I keep it in the unfinished basement, but I've read some people even keep them in the kitchen. That's a little too earthy for even me, but point being, they just aren't a big deal.

That being said, if you don't have a need for compost, you might be better off just starting a small pile in the corner of your lot. Why spend money on worms if you don't need them?

OR, , maybe consider gardening?
post #10 of 12
6/14/08 at 1:17pm
Even if you don't garden you can use worm castings inside for potted houseplants or as a soil conditioner for your grass. Just sprinkle it outside in your yard.
post #11 of 12
6/14/08 at 1:50pm
so, i have a rubbermaid bin with holes in it that i use for a compost. can i add worms directly to this. a lot of the food isn't yet broken down. would it be too much for them?
post #12 of 12
6/14/08 at 8:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Barbee View Post
so, i have a rubbermaid bin with holes in it that i use for a compost. can i add worms directly to this. a lot of the food isn't yet broken down. would it be too much for them?

Here is a good tut on making your own - I know a lot of people do it this way but I like convenience. I just saw a tut for using nursery flats - back in the day when my brother was a grower - I could have done one of those!

There is also an excellent book for people who do it this style called Worms Eat My Garbage
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