Dinner for the family and of course, the red wigglers!!!

Tonight, as a request from the family, I made a favorite dish.

Sausage, peppers, onions and garlic on a loaf of fresh bread with melted cheddar cheese is a very filling, non diet type meal, but oh man is it tasty!

While I was washing the peppers, I thought about writing this blog to show the scraps that would be fed to the worms.
As I am typing this, I have to avoid looking at the picture because I am so full and the sight of the sausage is making my stomach turn. I am not much of a sausage eater and decided a few recipes ago to change from pork to turkey. In this dish, you really can’t taste the difference. I think the veggies mask the flavor.
So after all of the slicing and dicing, this is what is left for the red wigglers. There is the onion’s top and bottom and a bit of its outer layer. Although many vermicomposters say to avoid onions, I have found that maybe one onion a week is not so bad.
There is also the center and top stem of the peppers. When it’s time for me to dump them into the worm bin, I will make sure to get rid of the seeds. Not that the seeds will harm the worms, they won’t eat them and will be left behind in the compost.
I thought it would be cool to share the final, yummy dish. The picture looks odd to me!! Not too appealing, maybe because I ate so much of it and I am full!!
On a side note, not worm related, I grew up eating this awesome sandwich at Italian Feasts on Long Island many, many years ago. So many memories come rushing back each time I start cooking!
Till next time, Happy Wormin’

Shredded Newspaper

Composting with Red Wigglers requires bedding material. There needs to be a mixture of green and brown waste. The green waste would be considered the veggie and fruits scraps and the brown waste would be the shredded newspaper/peat moss combination. In the past, I have been using a 50/50 combination for the bedding. This season I’ve changed the ratio to 75% newspaper and 25% peat moss. I want to mix it up a bit.

Making sure I do not have a lot of colored paper or the slick advertisements, I start the shredding process. Some vermicomposters like to use a paper shredder. I prefer to use my hands. Shredding the paper is very relaxing. I find myself day dreaming and traveling off to some tropical island. Any way! I wanted to share my new bedding material with you. I will keep you updated on the process and report if I made any changes.
Happy wormin’

Layering with newspaper

After browsing through my worm photos, I found this shot of me with my Super Composting Red Wigglers!

Boy, I have missed them during these cold winter days. I am feeding them, but not moving the bedding around too much as to not blast them with cold air. I am also not selling them until the weather warms up, probably March? I will keep the worm community posted!
Any way, back to the “Layering”. Sorry, I got off topic. A common thing lately! Geez… So, when I feed the worms the various, yummy kitchen scraps from the day/week, I throw the waste on the top of the bedding then sprinkle a little bedding on top. Then I finally cover the bedding/waste mixture with wet newspaper.
The newspaper blanket, I believe, blocks out the light so the worms with come to the top to feed. Knowing that red wigglers are surface dwellers, I think this helps them feel more comfortable. When they are relaxed and less stressed, I think they will eat more and will have less indigestion.
I love these red wigglers and what they do for the planet! So I want to give them the best eating experience. LOL!!!

Let the Feasting Begin!


I came home this afternoon to find my pumpkin collection bucket full of nasty, rotting pumpkins. My red wigglers will be feasting for a while, especially on something they enjoy.

During my 5+ years of vermicomposting, I have found that they love pumpkins. In the past, I have halved and quartered pumpkins and tossed them into the worm bins. After a day or so, I checked on them and lifted a piece of the pumpkin and to my surprise, I found a cluster of red wigglers underneath! Way cool!!!
If you have a worm bin and pumpkins left, go ahead and feed them to your worms!

Thanks to all of my friends for supplying these nasty, rotting pumpkins!

Pumpkins=Happy Red Wigglers


Calling all Halloween Jack-O-Lantern and rotting pumpkin owners!

When you are tempted to toss your icky pumpkins into the trash can, don’t! STOP and think about other options.

1. toss them into the corner of your backyard.
2. toss them into your compost pile.
3. toss them into your worm bin!!!
and if these options don’t work for you, GIVE THEM TO THE WONDER WORMAN!!! (if you are local)

Pumpkins are 100% biodegradable. When added to your compost pile, you will have rich fertilizer for the spring! A huge bonus, if you have a worm bin, the worms will have a Halloween treat too! They love, love, love pumpkins! I can’t stress that enough!

REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF USABLE WASTE THAT CLOGS OUR LANDFILLS!!!!