It's a worm's life

For several months, Ryan and I have been talking about starting to compost. Part of it is an attempt to be green - we hate to throw all our food scraps away. Part of it is practicality - we have lots of gardening that could use healthy compost.

But, like many things - it took a while to pull the trigger. I didn't want a big fugly pile in the yard, I didn't want it to stink... the list went on and on. This is essentially why we chose to vermi-compost. 

That is, we are using worms to eat all our food scraps.

Are you grossed out yet?

I pretty much followed the instructions of Small Notebook  and a composting class I attended locally. However, I don't have the space to keep it in the house (yes - you can keep it in the house). So, we got a bigger set of tubs and set it outside on the deck.

Here's the photo documentation of how we did it.

You'll need 2 dark-colored tubs of your choosing (worms don't like the light), a drill and worms.

1. Get out your secret weapon (in my case, my husband). Drill holes in the bottom of one tub.

2. Rest the tub with holes in another tub without holes (to catch any seepage). Drill holes at the top for air.
3. Then, fill 'er up. I started with a layer of shredded cardboard.
Then a little bit of peat moss (recommended at the class) and some shredded newspaper (not the glossy sections). I wet down the newspaper after it was in the bin (not pictured). The worms need moisture, so make sure you soak the paper or add it.Then some food. At first, I added some shredded lettuce that was past it's prime and some other odds and ends. You can add almost everything that grows in the ground. I was told to avoid onions, bread and other carbs, egg shells (unless they are crushed) and any meat or dairy.

Then I put the worms in there. They aren't just any worms - they are red compost worms. I purchased them from a local place that sells them. You can also order them online. They don't like the light.
Since this didn't come close to filling it up, we just keep our scraps in this little compost bin that I scored at Salvation Army. Then, we add it to the bin about once a week. When we add food, we also add a layer of wet newspaper or paper to neutralize it. This keeps it from smelling. Sometimes I wet it down if it's dried out. If any liquid seeps out the bottom, I add it to my plants (compost tea).

The worms have definitely been doing their jobs. They are working their little hearts out. I should leave them alone, but I like to check them out every once and awhile.

It's pretty non-conspicuous.It's so simple, I can't believe we didn't start sooner. We have definitely been able to save a lot of scraps that would have gone in the garbage. Plus, we are making great fertilizer for our plants - sans chemicals.

What do you think? Could you HANDLE the worms?