Worm Farms and Rain

Who knew, two essential things for a healthy garden don't mix that well. At least, not when a good winter storm floods your artificial worm raising habitat/compost bin. My wife Sarah and I began vermicomposting (raising worms) this summer because we thought it would be a good way to reduce the amount of trash we put in San Diego's landfill and create some good soil for our garden. Little did we know how much we didn't actually know about worms.

First off, you can't just dig some up and throw them in your compost bin. Your average Earthworm from the ground reproduces slowly and doesn't eat a lot. You need red worms, a special type that are found around stables because of their affinity to horse poop. They eat a lot (necessary if you are a composting zealot) and reproduce quickly and abundantly. Which would lead one to believe that worms like it hot, they don't. We killed a fair share because our bin was in too much sun and had to start over.

Second, worms like it moist. Too little, and you get the worm on the sidewalk effect after a hot summers day. Too much, and you get what just happened to me. Contrary to the popular belief brought on by fishing, worms do not breath underwater. They will die.

After these subtle nuances are achieved you can expect your trash to compost at 3x the rate of a normal bin with the added bonus of worm castings (worm poop) in your final product. If you are just starting the art of compost, don't go get worms right away. These little guys don't actually eat your trash, but the microbial muck that forms when it starts to decompose, so get the compost going first or there will be nothing for them to eat, resulting in a yet another way to cause massive worm die-off.

You can get these worms at City Farmers Nursery in City Heights in a ready to go 3 lb. bag, or fill up a chinese takeout box full of worms in the back for $2 a pop. Or you can come over to our house and we will fill you up a tupperware for free (you must provide your own tupperware though).