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Monday, February 14, 2011

Vermicomposting In Your House or Apartment

Today's post is a Wesley Project.  He is my 6 year old son. He is home schooled and loves anything garden and bug related so this is his big project this year.


He was watching homesteading videos with hubby. They saw that someone was vermicomposting in their tiny apartment in the kitchen. Wesley started out with a $5 tote from the dollar store. He took it to Papaw's house and had Papaw drill tiny holes on all sides including the bottom.  He then took shredded newspaper and dampened it. Fluffed it up and put it on the bottom of the tote. He then put vegetable scrapes (No Onion as this is in the house) and a cup of Red wiggler worms from a bait shop. He then topped it with dried shredded news paper and leaves. He adds worms to this when he finds them in the yard.


 Here are a few worms and some of the compost.


There is a red wiggler worn on top of the potato peels.


He adds vegetable scrapes, tea bags and egg shells. No meat, grease, or plastics. If you do not put onions or garlic in there it has no smell in the house. He keeps it in our dining room (where the wood heater is). He does not let it get to hot or to cold. It he thinks he needs water added to it he will mist it with a spray bottle. He has only had to do that once.

The video they watched suggested that you start a pile on one side under the dry shredded newspaper and when they were about thru  make a pile on the other side. It takes about a month for the worms to move over. Wesley has a theory too. He says just let them go and when you want some dirt pick the worms out and put them back. This gives them more room and they seem to be doing really well and multiplying this way.

2 comments:

Small Footprints said...

I learned something new ... I didn't know that keeping onions & garlic out of the heap would keep the smell out. I like Wesley's theory and the idea of letting the little guys just wander wherever they will.

Wow ... you all are the super-stars of green families! :-)

chow and chatter said...

thats cool bet you will get some great compost