Free, Free - Set Them Free

Well folks - I am sad to report - I am not a worm composter.  I decided today that it was time to set my poor little wormies free.  Worm composting was harder than I thought it would be and lately I have been neglecting my little worm friends so I thought it only fair to set them free.

A couple of weeks ago I had been doing some outdoor rearranging that resulted in moving things that had LOTS of big healthy happy worms under them.  I made them a fabulous pile of fresh dirt and relocated all of them there.  I decided to add my inside worms to that pile as well so this afternoon I took the composter trays other there and did the official dump.  I made sure to add a large helping of greens for them to much on and paper as well and now my wormies are outside getting to know their new friends.

I hope they will be happy and healthy worms outside and that they have a better time in the wild than they did in my laundry room.  Strangely - I am kinda sad I don't have indoor worms any longer but I am happy that they will be happier outdoors.  I know they will be helping my tomatoes grow over the summer...

Live long and prosper sweet worms....

Worms are Hard

Worm composting has been more challenging than I anticipated...

There was something wrong with the environment in the worm composter - causing several issues:

1. Many of the worms were all wound up together in a giant worm stressball
2. The worms who were not a part of said stressball were finding ways out of the environment they did not like - this resulted in worms in the stand of the composter and worms who were out of the composter on the floor.  They don't last for long on the floor and dry up which makes me sad.
3. They were stressed so they were not eating - this also makes me sad.

So - after tweaking, adding, taking out, etc - in desperation I set up a second tray which I stacked on the unhappy tray.  Whatever the second tray has the first does not because all of the worms have moved up one level and they seem happy and healthy and less stressed.  I have no idea what the issue was in the lower tray. I will give it a few more days for the worm migration to end and then remove the bottom tray completely.

I think we are on the right track - at least I hope.  The thought of unhappy worms is more than I can take... :)

Worm Update - They Have Arrived

I am relieved to report that my worms have arrived safely.  I was quite concerned that they would show up as a giant worm icicle given this crappy polar vortex weather.  They were just fine though - and they don't seem particularly stressed.  The literature provided indicated that they could be all tangled up in a giant ball of stressed out worminess - but they were active and seemed okay - with as much as I know about worm behavior.

I am happy that the half frozen earthworm I found yesterday on my way to the mailbox who was brought inside and given a warm bath and then put in the composter (yes, I know - its a sickness) has some worm friends to help him munch on all his worm snacks.  Supposedly these guys can eat 1/2 their body weight each day.  I have 1 pound + one driveway worm so that would mean they can gobble up 1/2 a pound of grub each day.  We will see.  I have set out quite the smorgasbord of paper, banana peels, celery, bread crusts - its an exciting worm buffet that has been waiting for some eaters....

Here is what they came in and what they look like.  If you have worm related heebie jeebies - look away now:

Composting

One of my new years resolutions for 2014 was to start recycling and composting.  I have done the basic recycling in the past but I wanted to get more serious this year.  So, I ordered one of these:

And I ordered some of these:

I am very excited about this new project.  First, it allows me to use our kitchen scraps that typically go to waste to feed the worms.  Second - all the shredding I do will now be put to good use and not just go into the recycle pile.  And third - its like getting 1000 new little critters to add to my zoo.  I love worms - I am the crazy person who stops on a walk to pick up a worm on the sidewalk and move it to safety.  I can't wait to report back on progress and show you my new little wriggly friends.