Vermicomposting: Feeding Process

This morning I fed the worms for the second time. I found the quadrants I divided my bin into were too big so I am using them only as a guideline. I fed the worms just next to the first spot I buried their food. This way I won't be digging into the last feeding's food scraps. If I feed about 2 or 3 times per week, it should be about a month before I have to bury in the same spot again. Below is a better documentation of the process of feeding the worms:

Dig a gully in the bedding about 3 inches deep.

Pour in some food scraps (not too much).

Cover the food scraps with the bedding and leave the worms to do their magic.

Vermicomposting Update: They're eating!

This morning I checked in on the worms to see if they were eating the first pile of food scraps I gave them. I gently lifted the top layer of bedding in the quadrant I placed the food and was extremely happy to see the worms were concentrated in that area! So it's definitely working. The worms are eating so they must be happy. The moistness of the bedding remains good. I will likely add some more food scraps either tonight or tomorrow, small amounts at a time as I don't want to overfeed. If I am under feeding with food scraps, they can always eat their bedding.

Lift Off: Balcony Garden

Today we planted many of the seeds for this summer's balcony garden. Our focus is mostly on leafy greens and other vegetables. Grow your own food!
Here's what we planted:

--2 planters of Marigolds that will hang on balcony rail (those are marigold seeds in my hand ^)
Drought & heat tolerant plant, which is good.
--1 planter of mixed Morning Glories (blues, purples, & pinks). Will climb up trellis.
--1 planter of mixed Salad Greens & Romaine lettuce (already outside since like cool weather)
--1 pot of Spinach
--1 pot of Mesclun mix
--1 pot of Garlic Chives
--1 pot of mixed herbs
--1 pot of Spring peas (already outside)
--1 Pomodoro tomato plant
--1 Sweet Cherry tomato plant

Everything but the leafy greens and peas will remain indoors to sprout and grow. They will move outside onto the balcony in May, past the risk of frost. The peas, and tomato plants will need to be transplanted once they're hardy seedlings, as they were planted in small pots. All others are in containers they can remain in.
We will also be planting Scarlet Runner pole beans outside in May. Another trellis will go up for them. I'd like to cover as much of the walls and ceiling of the balcony as possible with climbing plants. Pictures of sprouts and seedlings to come!

Vermicomposting Bin Part 3: Feeding for the 1st Time

24 hours after we first introduced the worms into their new home I gave them some of our saved food scraps. I read it is best to feed smaller amounts during the first few weeks so that is what I am doing. I divided the bin into quadrants and will feed in a different one each time I feed. This will make sure the worms move through the entire bin. I buried the food scraps under several inches of the bedding, and also decided to add some more soil to the bin. So far, it does not smell bad and I am hoping the worms are happy in their environment but it's hard to tell. I need to do some more research on if moldy things are okay to put in the bin, as much of the food scraps I'm saving has mold growing on it. Hopefully this is just a natural part of the decomposition process in general.
Right now the bin is indoors as I am waiting for the temperature lows to be no less than 4 degrees Celsius outside, at which point I will move the bin onto my balcony. It was sitting under my desk by the window but I noticed when I opened it up to check if the worms had moved towards the food scraps I placed, that the bin was quite hot from the sun shining in, and although the bin is opaque, it was still shining through the plastic. I moved the bin to a cooler and more shady spot beside the couch to avoid the hot afternoon sun.
More of my vermicomposting process to come!

Vermicomposting Part 2: Preparing the Bedding & Introducing the Worms

The worms arrived today! I fetched them on my bicycle from the Grassroots store on Danforth Ave. Here's what they came in:



Several days before the worms arrived, we started to prepare their bedding by shredding newspaper into strips to nearly fill the bin.

We mixed in some hay with the newspaper and then moistened the whole bedding mixture.

After sitting for a few days while we waited for the worms to arrive, this mixture already began to decompose. We found the bedding material had shrank down and dried out a bit, so we wet it down, added more strips of newspaper and wrung it out well, allowing the excess water to drain out the bottom. The moistness of the bedding should be that of a well wrung-out sponge.

Once the worms came in we crushed up egg shells we had saved and mixed them in with some soil which we added to the bedding mix.


I then mixed the bedding material well with my hands.

Finally, it was time to add the key component, the red wriggler worms! We emptied them into the bin and watched and listened to them slowly penetrate down into the bedding.

Click to enlarge

I will let the worms settle into their new home for at least 24 hrs and then begin feeding them with my food waste. We have already been saving food scraps for our worms.


Larger food scraps such as banana peels and melon rinds should be chopped up into smaller bits, to help the worms break them down faster. I purchased a cheap knife and cutting board designated for this purpose.

This is an exciting venture and I look forward to observing the vermicomposting process unfold.

Breakdown of my Costs & Materials:

-plastic storage bin: around $5.99
-aluminum catch tray: $1.49
-screen: $2.99 (still have lots left on the roll for other projects)
-wooden legs and slats: free
-newspaper: free (subscription I had for free)
-timothy hay: $9.99 (still have loads left, can be used as bedding if needed in future)
-soil: free (remnants from bag from last year)
-eggshells: free
-worms: $61.02
Total cost with tax: $84.14

To me, this is worth it. Not only is this a neat hobby for me but it makes me feel great knowing I am keeping food waste out of the garbage while producing my own rich plant fertilizer. Also, it was fun designing and building the bin.

To come: Feeding the worms for the first time and documenting the vermicomposting process!

Broccoli & Cheese Soup

Asked to make broccoli & cheese soup on the weekend, here's what I came up with:

2 cups of vegetable broth
1 cup of soy milk (or cow's milk)
1 1/2 cups grated old cheddar cheese
1/3 cup of feta cheese (optional but makes soup really good!)
salt & pepper to taste
garlic powder, onion salt, celery salt, and paprika to taste
1 medium sized broccoli, chopped into bite size pieces
1 tsp cornstarch (optional, used to thicken broth)

Heat the broth and soy milk, then add the cheese. Stir and let it melt in. Season with spices. Taste as you go. Add the cornstarch. Once cheese is melted in and broth appears smooth, add in the broccoli. Heat just until broccoli is tender, then serve.

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