ph meter
I just bought this ph meter from Bend in Bloom, one of Bend’s garden supply shops.
I am really excited to test the ph of the compost and castings in the Red Wiggler bin!
More later!!!
Neighborhood Collection Bin
My neighborhood is cool, especially my block. I live about a mile from downtown which is an easy walk to restaurants, shops and the beautiful Deschutes River. We are on a busy street, but looking at this picture you really couldn’t tell. That’s because this is the back alley. A place where the kids ride their bikes, scooters and skateboards, and the parents can let them without worrying about traffic. This alley has hosted many parties and gatherings in the warmer months and sled and snowboard races during the winter months.
I also have some really sweet neighbors. Yeah, they are sugar and spice and everything nice, well some of them (just being honest here), but what I mean is… they are sweet…. as in “cool”. Most of them know I am the Wonder Worman and have hoards of Red Wigglers on the side of the house. They tell me they don’t mind! Some actually think it’s pretty cool and some, well…. are a little “grossed out.”
Some have their own compost piles and others bring their food scraps to this blue bin located by the alley. They are helping to keep my sidekicks happy and healthy. I am thankful for their waste and am happy to see them do what is right for our planet!
I think this type of Neighborhood Drop Off Waste Collection Bin (I just made that up as I am typing this. LOL!) could work in many neighborhoods. If you have a worm bin and have neighbors who are not into composting, you could start a collection bin. Give it a try! Then after a year of feeding the wigglers, you could share the castings and beautify your flower beds in the neighborhood.
Just a thought!
Happy Wormin’
Leaves for Lavabelles
Yesterday, Little a and I raked the front yard so she could do the anual dive into a crunchy pile of leaves. I am pretty sure these are Maple leaves. The colors were beautiful last week when they were still on the trees. After being on the ground for a week, you can see they are turing colors. The once vibrant reds are now various shades of brown. The colors are still pretty cool!!I remember diving into piles of leaves when I was Little a’s age. I always thought it would be like jumping on a mattress and so did she. After the first landing, she was done! It ain’t what it used to be!
So, what’s next for this pile? Well it was bagged and sent off to winterize the first worm bin of the season.
Lavabelles is shutting down their composting operation for the season. Fall and winter are not very busy, and we decided to pick it back up in May when they have more vacation renters.As you can see, these leaves make a terrific 3inch layer of insulation and will also provide a feast for the Red Wigglers over the next few months. About one inch of leaves were placed underneath the newspaper blanket and the rest were placed on top. I will feed the worms during the winter, especially the rotting pumpkins after Halloween.
Party Plate Update
About 3 weeks ago, I was given a bin full of compostable cups and plates from a friend who hosted a pretty big party! I posted a blog and wanted to update the worms’ progress with some photos!
Progress is pretty slow, and I think it’s because I put the plates on the top of the bedding. I decided to replace the “newspaper” blanket with the wet party plates.I do notice some worm casting on top of the plates so they are making their way to the top. The plates are still moist and rather flimsy so they are breaking down.
When I pulled the plates away, I was happy to see the worms feasting on the scraps. This is a good sign.
The plates are not deterring them from doing their good deeds!!
I will continue to update their progress!! So if you have compostable cups and plates, feed them to your red wigglers! Maybe tear some up and mix them in the bedding.
Happy worming!!!
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!
