Master Gardener Daryll Alt gives "How to Build a Worm Bin" Workshop

This Saturday Daryll Alt came down to the garden a lead a workshop on building a worm bin. We learned a lot about earth worms and red worms. Such as composting using a worm bin or box is a great way to recycle food wastes like coffee grounds, tea bags, vegetable debris, and rotting fruit and rinds. By letting worms eat our vegetable and fruit waste we will end up with great fertilizer, the worm castings.

Other facts learned - Worms come in all different sizes. Each worm has five pairs of hearts. A worm can grow a new head or tail if some of its segments are nipped off. Worms breath through their skin. They don't have teeth. They can't be too wet or too dry. Worms don't like fats of meat. They are vegetarian. Strict Vegetarians, maybe even vegans.


DO FEED THEM:
Vegetable scraps
Fruit rinds & peels
Coffee grounds & filters
Tea grounds & bags

Breads & other grains

DON’T FEED THEM:
Meat or fish
Dairy products (cheese, etc.)
Butter or cooking oils
Oily foods
Pet waste




The box that Daryll so graciously made for us to grow worms in is approximately a 2' x 4' wooden box. He saved the drilling of the holes for the kids to help out with when we installed it.




We decided to put the worm box out by the Children's Garden in the shade of the sunflower house. The temperature will hopefully be easier to maintain. Red worms ideal temperature is between 55 - 77 degrees. Bedding temperatures in the high 80's can be fatal to our little red wiggly friends.


After putting the box in place we added "bedding". We started with crumpled and shredded paper. It was raining pretty hard so we didn't worry about wetting it down before putting it in the box.
The kids really seemed to enjoy this process. We did water it down just in case the rain wasn't sufficient. It is now a light and fluffy, soggy bed of paper.


To the paper bedding we added plant debris and old sunflower stems. Also fresh kale trimmings.

Then in went the worms!

Here is a close up of the worms. You still have to look closely to see them.

Finally we put a layer of straw on the top to hopefully warm up our little friends. As you can probably see we are still in the cold part of the year. But we have had a few sunny days and the promise of spring and warmer weather is lifting our spirits.


Here are a few links to worm bin plans and care of worms in worm boxes or bins.

http://www.co.whatcom.wa.us/publicworks/pdf/solidwaste/worm.pdf
http://extension.oregonstate.edu/news/story.php?S_No=35&storyType=garde
http://whatcom.wsu.edu/ag/compost/Redwormsedit.htm

Now all that is left is to make sure we take care of them. We will have to feed our worms slowly at first, and increase the rate after a few weeks. We will have to check the moisture and bedding to make sure they have plenty and hopefully in three to four months we will have that legendary "Black Gold".

Thank you so much Daryll!