Waiting for the Earth to Move
Sorting for Worms
A good friend dropped off a cooler of red wiggler worms in almost completely composted dirt. Our friend, Gary Turner, is who I consider an expert in the field of vermicomposting. I had called him to ask for some more worms. We are going to start a compost bin outdoors. Unfortunately the one we had in my kitchen did not get enough air and/or got too wet. The combination sadly killed our worms.
Since you learn from your mistakes, we are going to try an outdoor bin with plenty of drainage holes. We will also drill some holes to allow air inside the bin. So Gary brought us the worms we need to begin.
He delivered them to our home and requested the return of his cooler and worm dirt. The name for the dirt is actually castings. It is worm poop. He will then add this extremely dark and fertile soil to his garden. Let me tell you, the size of his vegetables are huge. They attest to the magic of worm castings. No synthetic fertilizer needed.
My husband set to work finding a tub in which to put the castings. While he found one, I found a plastic sieve in which to help separate the worms from the dirt. Everyone wanted to help which with a one and a two year old can be interesting.
We all had our own methods. I used the sieve. I would put a handful of dirt in it and shake it until I saw a worm move. I would then remove it and place it gently into our bin. My husband, Lane, sorted the worms on the palm of his hand. He would pick up a small handful of dirt and simply sort by knocking the dirt out of his hand into the tub. Kyla, my daughter, stared into the cooler looking for any worms moving. My other two boys employed a combination of both Kyla and Lane’s techniques.
Red Wiggler Worms
Any of the methods worked. Regardless which method we used, they all required waiting for the earth to move. The worms are hard to see especially the baby ones. Only once they move, do they make their presence known. We are excited about our new outdoor worm bin. We are hopeful that the worms do better for us outside because we really enjoy vermicomposting.
Some of the advantages are reducing your garbage waste, speeding up the time it takes traditional compost to break down, and receiving the benefits of using the fertile castings in your lawn and garden. The latter requires separating the worms from their castings. We now know the secret: wait for the earth to move.
I am going to write an article in the up-coming weeks to give directions about building an outdoor worm bin. In addition, Gary Turner has graciously consented to do an interview with me about vermicomposting. If you have any questions about what it is and how you do it, stay tuned.
