worms in action with a watermelon!
Backyard Compost Pile
My backyard compost pile has been going for about a year. I started throwing yard debris, including grass clippings into a small section of my yard. Many of my clients have free standing piles and have had much success with adding Red Wigglers so I decided to give it a try. The pile was dry so I made sure to get it very wet so the wigglers would thrive.
My neighbors often supply the wigglers with a lot of food waste. Last week, I added about 2 cups of the waste to the pile. Adding the food made me a bit nervous. I didn’t want the pile to attract flies. So far things seem to be quiet in the corner.
I will wander out there this afternoon and check on the progress of the food waste. I am hoping to find the worms having a feast. If all goes well this week, I will continue to add food scraps to the pile. Wish me luck!
Biodegradable Plates and Corn Cups into compost bin
I am trying something new in a worm bin today, adding biodegradable plates and corn based plastic cups. Some blogs and sites claim that it will take about 180 days to decompose. Some also say the corn based plastic cups will not be eaten by the worms and will just break down without them. I am not completely sure if the worms will speed up the process. Knowing that they speed up composting, I think they will do the same with this stuff.
The plates will probably be o.k. for the worms, and I will make sure they are moist before I put them in the bin. The cups, on the other hand, make me nervous. I don’t trust the plastic. Even if they are corn based, they are still plastic.
I need to record the events! I tend to be a slacker!
Watermelons, Bowling and Worms
Play Outdoors is a cute kids store in Bend! They were having an outdoor party for kids a few weeks ago. Carlos saw an ad in our local paper and suggested I collect their damaged watermelons after “Watermelon Bowling”! After calling the store and getting the O.K. to pick up the watermelons, I thought…”Cool! My Red Wigglers are gonna be sooo stoked! They love watermelons!
Ana is ready to strike!
Gavin and Max are cheering her on!
Gavin, my nephew, is visiting over the summer. He could NOT wait to get his hands on a watermelon.
I love his expression!
This is actually Gavin’s carnage! He asked if there were any rules and got the response he wanted!
“No Rules!!!! Except to have FUN!!!!
He was the first kid to smash a watermelon!
Gavin set the stage for complete wreckage!
After a week of feasting, all of these are gone!!!!!
Way, way cool! Yo! (just got back from NYC)
Lavabelles Worm Service
I have been tweeting and facebooking about my newest worm adventure. Lavabelles has joined the “Wormability” movement!
Lavabelles is a really neat business. They have renovated 8 homes built in the 1940’s, I believe. I need to get the exact information from Cara, the head honcho. Each home is fully furnished with modern and turn of the century pieces. They can be rented for a night or as long as a month!
I was very excited when Cara wanted to expand her recycling efforts to include vermicomposting! Since this was my first gig with providing a worm service, I wanted to take my time researching to make sure this would be successful. With my camera in hand, I took photos of the property to find the best place for the worm bin and outside food scrap container. By the way, Carlos, my really talented, creative, designer husband, came along! He has an eye for this type of thing! Anyway, we found the spots, and then I was off to the stores to find the best containers. After a few hours, I found one for the kitchen and one for the outside.
This is what I found! This super cool stuff is on the kitchen counter in the “Flo” house. The container is for the preconsumed kitchen waste. Carlos created the “How to do the Red Wiggler” info poster which explains what the worms love and and hate to eat. There is also a condensed version on the counter, too.
Kudos to Carlos! Once again, he bangs things out and they look SWEEEEEET! Check out the stickers on the container.
After filling up the indoor container with food for the worms, it will be brought outside.
This is the outdoor food collection bin. I will be there every Monday to empty and sort the food for the worms. The renter does not have to worry about feeding the worms.
The last step of the composting process and my favorite, The Worm Bin. Not sure if you can see the combo lock there to the left of my logo. I assembled that nifty piece all by myself! It took me a few days and trips back to the house to ask Carlos how to work the drill, change the battery pack, and attach and detach all of the bits. Eventually, I was able to drill that sucker on!
I will be here once a week checking on my babies and making sure this operation runs smoothly! I am so excited to be doing what I love!!! There truly is nothing like it!
More to come.
Happy Worming.
The sun is finally making an appearance! I missed you!
