#indoorcomposting

[zerowastehomestead]

Wormy Wednesday: A Very Wormy Update

So the worms and I got off to a bit of a rough start but I think I'm finally getting a handle on this vermicomposting thing.

After a month or so of noticing our worms weren't exactly thriving -- their numbers were, if anything, going down, not up, they looked low energy, not processing abundant foodscraps rapidly and yet rather thin -- I've made some changes. This morning when I went to check on them, I found a distinctly happy looking squirming mass which had eaten quite a bit! Their color seems better, their bodies fatter, they're more active and I also see some eggs so *fingers crossed* maybe they're starting to like me.

Here's what I've learned:

1. I was keeping them in our rather cool basement (55 degrees), which is at the low end of their acceptable temperature range according to the internet. I've since brought them upstairs (65 degrees) and they seem more active and productive. The worm bin is quite nearly odorless so I no longer feel my initial desire to banish it to the depths of the basement. Other vermin (like fruitflies) have not been a problem with the bin as I always bury foodscraps which helps to deter other critters. Also keeping the bin near the kitchen means it's so much more handy to use and I check it with greater regularity.

2. I was initially using shredded paper as their substrate but I found it did not regulate moisture levels well (dried out too fast) and became very dense as it degraded which reduced air circulation in the bin. I've since added wood shavings and mixed them all around and the substrate seems fluffier (better air flow) with an increased ability to maintain moisture levels.

3. I (stupidly) fed the worms one or two non-organic servings of foodscraps until I remembered exactly what pesticide is supposed to do (duh). I suspect this faux pas on my part caused the initial decline in worm population but now they are on a strictly organic diet. We eat mostly organic anyway so this hasn't been a huge change for us, but it definitely was a clear reminder of why we chose to eat organic in the first place.

So it's been a learning process but I do like these little squirming beasties and find them absolutely fascinating. They're due for a compost harvest soon so I've started feeding them only on one side of their bin which I will continue to do for the next two weeks or so. This will encourage all the worms to go to one side of the bin so I can remove the compost from the opposite side. Stay tuned for a compost harvest tutorial!

[unclelanny]

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My pet worms. 🪱💩 #vermicompost #vermicomposting #compost #indoorcomposting #zerowastelifestyle #zerowaste #unique #worm #worms #wormcastings #wormfarm #veganlife #vegan #interestingthings #veganlifestyle #petworm #redwiggler #sustainability #organic #vermiculture #permaculture #livingsoil #urbangarden #urbanagriculture (at Montreal, Quebec) https://www.instagram.com/p/CYUAAUhIWTD/?utm_medium=tumblr

[zerowastehomestead]

Natural Pet Food - Part Deux: The veggie edition

I was so excited about making raw food for our kitties that I started exploring options for getting our other pets off of pelleted food as well.  What pets you ask?  Why our little rabbits are on the docket today (though a lot of it applies to our red footed tortoise Harriet and our green cheeked conure Jasper.)   Now I’m not a veterinarian and I definitely encourage you to explore the exact diets each of your animals need and what foods they cannot tolerate, but you’re doing that already I’m sure. Inspired by websites like this one discussing natural rabbit diets, I switched our bunns to a natural diet of unlimited timothy hay (alfalfa hay isn’t great for them so make sure you get timothy), and a mix of vegetable chop made out of assorted fruits and vegetables I happen to have on hand or that are on sale at our local grocery store.  Your goal is to aim for at least 3 different types of leafy greens per day, at a quantity of at least 2 cups per rabbit, a cup in the morning and a cup at night.  You’ll also want to take care to feed calcium rich greens in moderation (like spinach, swiss chard, etc) in order to avoid issues like kidney stones. 

For this first batch I chopped up some celery, carrots and romaine lettuce.  The rabbits went crazy.  I supplement this with whatever food scraps I have after making meals as these guys are champion composters. (I only chopped this up because I also intended to feed it to our smaller mouthed critters, the tortoise and the conure.  If you just have rabbits, no need to chop.)

Beatrice & Dante, our mini rex bunnies, are going absolutely mad about their new diet they love it so much! This chop also has been getting shared between our tortoise and conure as they both benefit immensely from fresh vegetables and fruit.  Our conure’s diet is supplemented with a multi-vitamin and quality seed mix and our red food tortoise gets a small quantity of protein once a week (like hardboiled egg or unseasoned chicken meat) and an occasional addition of calcium supplement.  However, the majority of all of their food will be made out of fresh chop and I feel so happy to be moving them all towards a more natural diet. ** Certain veggies and fruits are not great for some animals.  Onions, garlic, scallions, potatoes, avocados, chocolate, fruit seeds and pits (to name some) should not be fed to rabbits, tortoises or conures.  Be sure to do your research before introducing new foods to your fur (or feathered or scaled) babies.**

[zerowastehomestead]

Wormy Update

So it’s been a couple of weeks since the squiggs arrived and I figured we’re due for an update!

Thus far, I’ve been averaging two feedings a week, plus two to three mistings to maintain optimal moisture leaves.  The Squigglets seem happy in general and have produced a nice amount of vermicompost as pictured.  They are a bit slower at processing food scraps than I’d initially thought they’d be, so I am still partially relying on outdoor compost bins to process the rest of our house’s food scraps.  I’m beginning to suspect that this may be due to the fact that we are a predominately vegetarian household and so our veggie scrap output might be a little on the higher end.  I may order a 1000 or so more worms at some point (we currently have 2000 for a two person household).  

I am, overall, very pleased with the squigglers and, though they can be a little bit disturbing at first (I’ll admit it!) they are rather fascinating to watch.  They seem to have their food preferences... love past-prime bananas (I suspect due to their moisture content and ease of digestion?) but weren’t large fans of potato and squash peelings.  Curious.

I would highly recommend vermicomposting as a children’s activity in particular, either at home or as a classroom activity for elementary to middle school-aged students.  Between teaching about the interconnectedness of the food cycle, to providing ready inspiration for predictions of wormy predilections, they’ve much to offer!

Stay tuned for the occasional wormy update as they continue to impress me.  They’re dining on mushroom stems tonight!

“My whole life has been spent waiting for an epiphany, a manifestation of God’s presence, the kind of transcendent, magical experience that let’s you see your place in the big picture. And that is what I had with my first compost heap.”

— Bette Midler