Let Me Explain #4 and #5

Yeah, so I said that next up would be a follow-up to the feeding of Chuck's grape husks and stems. Other things need to be addressed though, and since this is my blog, I can cry if I want to do what I want.

Worm Bin #5

Worm bins Number 4 and 5 are experimental worm bins. I started them when sorting worm poop from finished worm bins, right around mid-to-late August. I realize that might need some explanation but let's gloss over that for the time being. I'm still warming you up for starting a worm bin; no need to talk about how to "finish" one at this point.

Rather than starting these bins with a fresh 1-lb package of worms or by stacking a second story on a single-story bin, I simply had a couple worm bins prepared and threw some worms into each of them. Guessing, #4 and #5 started with about 100 immature worms each. I wanted to see if I could "grow" a decent worm population with a small handful of immature worms.

Let's take a look at #5 from early September.


Opening the lid, it's evident that there is a slight quantity plant growth. That's good for me. The more plant growth there is, the less room I have for feeding the worms garbage from my fridge as they have chow built-in.

Taking a closer look, I see there is a worm eating its way through some paper. All of that weird brown miniscule fluffy stuff is digested paper. That pink-brown thing right there left of center is the tail-end of the worm that's been doing the work.


Man, I love worms! They are so hearty and diligent in their work.

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Earlier today, I spoke with my Outskirts-of-Chicago friend. Back when I first started this gig, she thought I was clinically insane.  However she regularly asked about my worms, likely for fun conversation fodder when conversing with her mother. One day I sent Outskirts a gallon of the worm poop. That week, Outskirts was asking for more. I told her to grow her own.

Sure enough, she wanted to know how to get started. Girl was SERIOUS. I gave her a verbal Build A Plastic Worm Bin. Meanwhile I ordered some worms from Flowerfield Enterprises to be shipped to her direct. I think that was back in May.

Here it is, November, and she's talking about her worm bin like a pro.  Sure she had questions when she first started, but they weren't anything extraordinary. Today Outskirts said she'd checked on the worms and they were at the top of the bin. Straight away, she recognized that the bin was too moist. Checking the catch bin and seeing that liquid had accumulated, which confirmed her original thought, she went ahead to clean up the bin -- without having to consult me. When she told me about her worm situation, it wasn't for assurance or recommendation, but a simple matter of "oh, this is what happened" sort of thing.

IT'S THAT EASY! 

Once Outskirts-of-Chicago got a hang of it and didn't second-guess herself, she learned her worms and their habits.  I am wondering why she doesn't have a second story on her bin yet (we'd talked previously and it seemed evident it was time to transition worms to a new bin so poop can be processed), but still, girl knows her worms. I think she might be in that position I was in when my first bin was "done". She'll get into that soon enough.