by Wonder Worman | Nov 9, 2010 | Less in the Landfill, Red Wiggler World
I am pumped and ready to put the SunChips bag to the challenge. I am not too concerned with the amount of time it will take for the bag to be completely composted. I am more focused on the hope that it will just break down into usable compost.
As an avid composter for about 6 years, I know all of the right conditions need to be present for the optimum breakdown to occur, adding the right amount of brown and green waste and also reaching the right temperature. These conditions, I believe only happen in a controlled environment. The Sunchips bags were tested in a facility which maintained the composting temperature at 130 degrees Fahrenheit. The bags broke down in about 12-16 weeks. Realizing a home composter would not have access to those conditions, the SunChips testers mimicked a home composting bin and added browns and green waste to the SunChips bags. The bags broke down in about 13 weeks. They also conducted an Industrial Composting Standards test which is way beyond my backyard so I am not going to discuss all that they did…….
Basically, they passed a rigorous test protocol conducted by Cedar Grove in Seattle, Washington.
So, I am going to try two different composting methods, maybe even 3, depending on SunChip cravings!
1) Red Wiggler composting Bin
2) Backyard compost pile
3) Compost tumbler
All of these are already set up with brown and green waste. Temperatures will vary among the three.
I am thrilled SunShips created this compostable bag and am excited to see the results.
Happy Wormin’
by Wonder Worman | Nov 5, 2010 | Red Wiggler World
The “Feed the Wigglers” campaign has officially come to a close! It was so cool to look outside at different times during the day and see groups of pumpkins left on the lawn.
I’m not too sure if the sign on the corner of Awbrey Rd and Portland Ave actually brought people to the drop site. I have a feeling it just made people wonder, but that’s cool, too!
Thanks to all of my friends and readers who dropped off their carved creations. My Red Wigglers are set for quite some time.
I think…(this is an estimate)… there were about 35 pumpkins dropped at the house. I am not certain because my kids were infatuated with grabbing something hard, like a baseball bat, and whacking the heck out of the pumpkins the minute they got home from school! The guts and rinds went a-flying.
Their madness was actually much appreciated. They saved me an hour of smashing them myself. It was fun to see them get their wackiness out!
I wasn’t too concerned about the size of the pieces, knowing the wigglers would devour any piece they were given.
On a side note, I am so distracted and can’t concentrate! My newly adopted fury sidekick, Bob, is having some troubles. I think I will put up at post about him soon! Maybe writing about him will help me get my mind focused a bit!
Any way…..Happy Wormin’ and thanks!
by Wonder Worman | Nov 1, 2010 | Red Wiggler World
The dop off has begun! Please donate your Halloween pumpkin to “Feed the Wigglers” campaign!
This is our second year collecting pumpkins from local friends and businesses! I have already picked up 5 really wicked pumpkins from Mother’s Juice Cafe. Thanks so much for your donation. My Red Wigglers are very thankful for their delicious treat! Leave me a comment and I’ll give you directions!
by Wonder Worman | Oct 31, 2010 | Red Wiggler World
BOO! Happy Halloween!
Have I told you lately how Red Wigglers love pumpkins? Give them a delicious post Halloween treat tomorrow. There’s no need to slice and dice. You can quarter the pumpkin or put it in whole. You’ll be amazed at how quickly they will devour it. They’ll stop feasting on the scraps in the bin and migrate to the pumpkin.
If you don’t have a worm bin or compost pile and you live in Bend, give them to me. My Red Wigglers would be delighted. Leave me a comment and we can set something up!
by Wonder Worman | Oct 28, 2010 | Red Wiggler World
Have you ever wondered what the “p” and the “H” in pH stand for? Well, I’ll give ya a little science lesson, rather a brief science lesson. The “p” represents potential, and the “H”is for Hydrogen. Basically, in Wonder Worman terms it is a scale used to determine the amount of Hydrogen ions in the substance you are testing. The lower the Hydrogen ions… the substance is more acidic and the higher the Hydrogen ions… the substance is more basic. The ph scale ranges from 0-14. The lower the number = more acidic the higher the number = more basic. If you come up with lucky 7, you have a balanced amount of hydrogens. The substance you are testing is neutral which, by the way, is the ideal environment for Red Wigglers.
I am sure a lot of you remember using the ph strips in Science class! They would turn a really cool shade of blue or red, and then you would check the scale on the canister. Oooh, I loved doing that stuff, and I still do. Instead, I am now using this digital meter called “rapitest” the name reminds me of a home pregnancy test and the probe reminds me of a thermometer among other things, but I won’t go there.
Over the weekend, I tested the pH of one of the bins. I like the fact that I don’t have to compare colors, and I am given a number because lately I have been second, maybe third or even fourth guessing every decision I am making. Looking at “shades” of colors would have be wondering, “Is it a true red? or Is it pink?” My head would be going round and round and round and round.
So here’s what you do….
1) Turn the meter on! See the pretty turquoise button or is it green, or aqua? lol….. It always defaults to 7.0.
2) Put the meter in whatever you are testing and twist it around
3) After about 5 -10 seconds, it should flash and register the reading.
Basically, it’s really simple to operate!
These are Wonder Worman directions. It comes with more elaborate ones.
Well after testing, the bin registered a pH of 6.5! Pretty good. I am going to keep on feeding ’em what I’ve kept on feeding ’em!
Happy Wormin’! Just in case you want to check your pH, click on the handy link below or check your local garden store!
by Wonder Worman | Oct 21, 2010 | Red Wiggler World, Worman Cooks
Holy Moly! I chowed this delicious acorn squash in, uh…., under a minute. More like 20 seconds, seriously. I had this amazingly tasty veggie all to myself. The kids were at school, and my hubby is on a mini vacay! Glad they weren’t here to witness my slurping and totally awful manners!
This super veggie is loaded with bazillion amounts of Vitamin A which is super awesome for your skin. Today, I cooked it in the oven at 400 with about a cup of water in the dish. After 30 min, it was soft and ready to be inhaled. Before the feast, I doused it with 2 teaspoons of brown sugar. In the past, I have added butter and some maple syrup. Today, I skipped out on that stuff. It would have taken too much time to get all that out, and I was starving.
So now these scraps will be on their way to the wiggler bins. Just giving them a tidbit, a little teaser because in the next few weeks, they will be enjoying huge amounts of pumpkins and gords!
