Red Wiggler Worms

The following interview is the second and final part of an interview I conducted with Gary Turner, an experienced worm composter.  If you missed part one,  I highly recommend beginning with it.  This is the continuation of our conversation.  We were just getting into the environmental aspects of vermicomposting.

In addition to being more environmentally-responsible, what are other advantages your family can gain by composting with worms?
Our main advantage is in the garden.  We use no fertilizers or pesticides.  The high nitrogen content of worm castings helps make the plants grow strong, grow fast, produce well, and resist bugs.

How often do the worms multiply?
From what I’ve read, every redworm, having both male and female functions, starts producing cocoons in about 10 weeks.  Most cocoons have about 10 eggs and the eggs take 3 weeks to hatch.  Each redworm can then produce another cocoon in about a couple of months.  The math quickly gets complicated, but you can see why I tell my kids, “I’ve got a million in worms!”

If your worm population gets too large, what are your options?  Can you use them as bait when fishing?
I rarely have too many worms.  Despite the fact that red wigglers are small, we find some large ones in our piles and do use them for fishing.  They are a good source of protein for chickens and ducks.  My ducks love to root around in a pan and dig them out.  Many people let them loose in their garden to enrich the soil.  The downside of that is that it can attract moles or gophers to your garden.  But worms in potted plants are great for fertilizing the plant.

What kinds of containers do you use for your worms?  What is your favorite and why?
You can buy various types of marketed bins on-line or in gardening stores.  But I use discarded “coolers” from yard sales or that I have found by the side of the road for my small bins.  The large bins can be regular composting bins (usually 4 ft. by 4 ft. by 4 ft.) that can be purchased or home-made.  The large bins are my favorite because they can produce 300 to 600 gallons of worm castings a year.  You can also buy inexpensive plastic bins and drill a few small holes to allow excess moisture to escape.  Since worms despise light, in general they will not come out.

What material (food, dirt, paper, etc.) have you found that really works well?  Is there something that the worms really love to eat?
Don’t put soil into the bins.  Make the beds out of shredded paper or leaves (preferably chopped leaves).  Put the food in the middle of the bed.  I have used a blender to chop the food up so worms can eat it sooner.  Worms love fruit!  I put a rotten pear in a pile years ago, and while turning the pile a few weeks later, found the pear completely full of worms.  I have seen the same results with other fruit.  A little fine sand sprinkled in the pile helps them digest foodstuff.  Avoid meat and dairy as this attracts other pests into the pile (plus often smells as it is decomposing).  Give meat and dairy to the dogs in the neighborhood.

If you are not supposed to feed them meat or dairy, are eggs shells acceptable?
Yes.  Thoroughly crush the shells for them to swallow.  The shells, like a chicken’s gizzard, help the worms grind and digest their food.  Then the shells come out in the castings and add calcium to the soil.

Why do you think most people are unaware of worm composting and its benefits?
When I ask folks, “Wanna see my worms?” they give me a pretty big double-take.  Some finally say, “Well, I suppose so.”  However, I’m becoming a worm evangelist.  I hope to convert a few more people this year and baptize them with the spirit.  If you want to be converted, feel free to contact me.

Well, there you have it.  If you have the spirit, you can e-mail Gary at turnertrainer@aol.com.  I want to give a special thank you to Gary for agreeing to do this interview with me.  Not only does he have many years of experience, but he is also a plethora of information on the subject.  I hope that ya’ll enjoyed the two part interview.  Feel free to contact me as well with questions and/or comments.  Happy composting!

Gary Turner

Gary Turner and his wife, Kathy, live in Anderson, Texas.  They manage their many responsibilities including taking care of their place.  The Turners raise rabbits, ducks, and big, beautiful vegetables in an organic garden.   I cannot say enough good things about this family.  They work tirelessly to spread God’s word in Vacation Bible School, adult and children’s Sunday school classes, and mission trips.  The Turners recently returned from Belize.

While conversing with Gary, one thing becomes apparent which makes him unique from most people.  This man has a passion for worms.  I know this might sound weird, but hang in there.  Worm composting is fun and interesting.  Learn to reduce the amount of household waste taken to landfills and increase your soil quality all at the same time.  Below is part one of the interview I had with Gary Turner about his passion: worm composting.

First of all, Gary, I want to thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to have this interview.  Let’s begin.  What is vermicomposting?
This is a fancy word for using earthworms to convert waste into nutrient-rich humus. Basically, it’s a process of creating a bed that worms can live in, of feeding the worms, and of harvesting their black castings for gardening purposes.

How long have you been composting with worms?
My dad did when I was a kid.  He used 5 gallon buckets.  I began in 1994 in Pennsylvania when my wife, Kathy, and I had so many leaves we didn’t know what to do with all of them.  After moving back to Texas in 2001, I started my bins here.

How did you get started in vermicomposting?
A big help was attending a seminar at Texas A&M in 2002.  Several people there, including Dr. Joe Novak, are leaders in natural gardening.  I learned more about what can be done to protect worms down in this long, hot Texas summer.  I’d like to help other people get started and they can email me at turnertrainer@aol.com with questions or requests.

What advice can you give to people just starting out with their worm farms?
Jump into information with both feet.  See your County Extension Agent or local Master Gardener club for information.  Find someone who raises worms and see how they do it in your area.  Buy a book on it.  My son Jason gave me Worms Eat My Garbage by Mary Appelhof many years ago for Christmas.  I’ve eagerly read it three times and refer to it often.

What  is an absolute no-no?
I’ve put ground citrus peels in the bins and poison bait to drive away fire ants.  These have not killed the worms, yet eliminated the ants.  However, do NOT put plastics, rubber, glass, or non-biodegradable material in the bin.  It will make your bin a mess.  Also, do not put dog or cat feces in the bin.  The worms cannot eliminate the toxins in the feces and they can later contaminate humans.

What kind of worms are best to use and why?
I’ve had the best results with the red wigglers (Eisenia fetida).  They eat a large amount of decaying leaves (even our tough oak leaves) and multiply quickly.  With good care I think they can double in population every month.

Can anyone raise worms regardless of where they live?
I think so.  I’m amazed, despite the heat in Cuba, about the amount of worm composting done on such a big scale there.  Also, many Canadians are very active, despite the cold of winter, in raising worms on a huge scale.  I also know people in small apartments who find the space, under beds, on window sills, or elsewhere to compose their scraps.

Today Americans are trying to live more green.  How does worm composting fit into this desire?
Recycling helps us live more green.  A part of recycling is composting.  I feel that worm composting is much more effective than traditional composting.  In nature there is no waste, but a continuous process of using the energy that is created in another form.  As human beings, we need to use that which is available to create another form.

How does vermicomposting impact the environment?
Approximately 60% of what goes to garbage dumps is bio-degradable.  This includes kitchen scraps, lawn clippings, leaves, paper, and cardboard.  Worms can effectively change these to nitrogen-rich castings, although the paper and cardboard needs to be shredded.

I think this is a good place to stop for today.  Tomorrow I will post part two of my interview with Gary Turner and allow time for this information to sink in.  Look in your kitchen trash can today and see all the items you are throwing away that could be enriching your yard and garden instead.  Look at all the trash that could be eaten and turned into rich soil instead of sitting in a landfill.  I don’t know about you, but the amount amazed me before I started composting with worms.

To continue to “Worm Composting Interview, Part Two,” click here.