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A Farm of My Own:  Worms under you sink?  |
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bboopster
True Blue Farmgirl
1140 Posts
Betty Jo
West Bend
Wisconsin
USA
1140 Posts |
 Posted - Mar 21 2009 : 5:43:55 PM
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Hi, Do you or anyone you know compost under their/your kitchen sink? My DH and I don't create a lot of compostables but I sure do hate throwing out the tea bags, veggie scraps, and coffee grounds. We do have a semi heated garage that could host a small worm compost bin. Any suggestions on the type of equipment I might need? This needs to be super simple and semi attractive or the idea will never fly. Thanks for any insight you can give me.
http://www.bboopster.blogspot.com
Nana to 1 with 3 on the way.
3 Blue Star Mother and Proud of it!
Pray for our troops to come home safe and soon.
Enjoying the road to the simple life :>) |
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StarMeadow
True Blue Farmgirl
940 Posts
T
MI
940 Posts |
Posted - Mar 22 2009 : 05:35:35 AM
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| I used to. Years ago I played around with worm bins. I've been wanting to again. I'm starting a compost pile out back but I want to have worms under my sink again. It may be a little warm for them because I have a heat duct right by the sink area. It was a big science experiment for my resource room science group. We had 4 big bins in the biology lab, two in the classroom and one at home. My classroom worms didn't fare so well but the bio lab worms did. I think my students did too much "peeking" while the bins were in the classroom. In the lab, they were out of the way so students didn't have so much access. I found I had too much veggie waste at home for just my worms and no place else to put it. This summer, it will be the big compost heap and a little taste for the wormies under the sink! Check out Worms Eat My Garbage, if you can still find it. Try http://www.wormwoman.com/acatalog/index.html Mary has passed but her wormie legacy lives on! |
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City Chick
True Blue Farmgirl
1402 Posts
Deb
Chattanooga
TN
USA
1402 Posts |
Posted - Mar 22 2009 : 05:50:57 AM
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My worm bin is too big to fit under my sink.  It's in my dining room. I used a rubbermaid tote. No one has any idea what it is when they come over. They just assume it's a tote that's on it's way somewhere. I've been debating purchasing the actual worm bin. Saving up for it.
Not much equipment is needed I just used an older tote lid for the bottom to catch any liquid that might leak. Drilled holes in the tote for air. I put a screen on the top then put the lid back on. I shred newspaper and my old mail for bedding.
My library had Worms Eat My Garbage.
http://www.xanga.com/My_Pondering_Place |
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NatureNymph
True Blue Farmgirl
73 Posts
Tracy
Barrie
Ontario
Canada
73 Posts |
Posted - Mar 22 2009 : 10:13:07 AM
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Check out this link....
http://www.howtohomestead.org/?page_id=182
It's a short video on setting up vermi-composting. All you need is worms, shredded carbon (newspapers, egg cartons, toilet paper rolls), dampen the carbon materials with water, crush up some egg shells and add some food scraps. The small you can make the scraps the better.
They multiply pretty fast. We got our first worms last week (it's on my blog), from a woman here who has a red-wiggler business...here's her link...
http://www.cathyscomposters.com/
If you check out her products page, she has a three tiered bin... you add food the the first level and the worms, then as they are eating away you add scraps to the second level. They will migrate up to the seond level. Then you start filling the third level. By the time they migrate to the third level you will have the first level ready to add to your garden... I love it and can't wait to get one of my own.
Good luck!
Tracy
"Everybody likes to go their own way--to choose their own time and manner of devotion." Jane Austen, Mansfield Park
http://blessewefarm.blogspot.com/ |
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rhondacate
True Blue Farmgirl
234 Posts
Rhonda
Janesville
CA
USA
234 Posts |
Posted - Mar 22 2009 : 10:44:13 AM
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I used a rubbermaid tote for my worm bin as well. Drilled holes in it, and another one underneath it with bricks to hold up the one on top. I would love to do it again.
~Rhonda
http://rmfo-blogs.com/rhonda |
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City Chick
True Blue Farmgirl
1402 Posts
Deb
Chattanooga
TN
USA
1402 Posts |
Posted - Mar 22 2009 : 1:33:34 PM
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There's a gal here in Chicago that does "worm parties". She'll come to your home and chat about setting up a compost bin. You just invite all your friends. I think it's a great idea.
http://www.xanga.com/My_Pondering_Place |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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City Chick
True Blue Farmgirl
1402 Posts
Deb
Chattanooga
TN
USA
1402 Posts |
Posted - Mar 23 2009 : 03:45:39 AM
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My husband was leery initially. But now that he realizes that there is no odor and that the compost will help our garden - he's on board.
http://www.xanga.com/My_Pondering_Place |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Mar 23 2009 : 06:34:19 AM
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That's good to know!
Rhonda mentioned using bricks to create space between the totes, I wonder if you could do a 4 tote system and have it be about the same as the tiered system you buy. Just use the bricks to create the space that a tier would give the worms, and drill holes for them to come through, and as they move up you would have your worm compost tier to work into your garden and the very bottom would be the worm tea bin.
Do you all think that would work?
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our blog: www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
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bboopster
True Blue Farmgirl
1140 Posts
Betty Jo
West Bend
Wisconsin
USA
1140 Posts |
Posted - Mar 24 2009 : 1:47:45 PM
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Thank you for all the info. My DH wasn't really on board when I talk him into a compost pile outside. Must of had a bad experience with one but once he saw how well it worked he was OK with it. I think I might more the worms to the garage (it's heated) until he's more open to the idea. I love the idea of a worm party!!!! I would love to have one but know of no one near by to invited. Most of those who I know think I'm a bit out there. You can be sure I will be looking up those web sites. Thank you again.  P.S. can't wait tell the grands are old enough to help me with them.
http://www.bboopster.blogspot.com
Nana to 1 with 3 on the way.
3 Blue Star Mother and Proud of it!
Pray for our troops to come home safe and soon.
Enjoying the road to the simple life :>) |
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happydaze
True Blue Farmgirl
136 Posts
lorraine
atlanta
ni
USA
136 Posts |
Posted - Apr 24 2009 : 11:45:15 AM
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| What a great idea! Grandson has a science project due soon, maybe he can get this going in time ...he's one of those last minute kinda guys! |
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Gardengal
Farmgirl in Training
19 Posts
Terra
Prosser
Wa
USA
19 Posts |
Posted - Apr 28 2009 : 08:34:14 AM
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Great info! I have been trying to figure out the best way to start composting my scraps...use to give them all to my chickens, until the neighbor dog :-( wiped them all out...Just the indoor rabbit now, and he is getting plenty! Thanks!
~Gardengal~
It's the little things...
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City Chick
True Blue Farmgirl
1402 Posts
Deb
Chattanooga
TN
USA
1402 Posts |
Posted - Apr 28 2009 : 08:49:48 AM
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The 2nd graders at school are doing composting. I'm going to ask if I can have the worms when they're done. I heard that they just dump them when the school year is done.
I'd love to start a 2nd bin.
http://www.xanga.com/My_Pondering_Place |
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MarciM
Farmgirl in Training
19 Posts
Marci
Moscow
ID
USA
19 Posts |
Posted - Apr 28 2009 : 09:56:16 AM
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| I have worms living under my sink! We have 2 rubbermaid totes one inside the other. TO make it easier,we just switch the sides where we put our compost so we don't have multiple tiers of soil/waste/worms. Seems to work well. We have noticed that it's much faster if you cut the scraps into small pieces and keep out the onion paper skins and such. We're looking forward to sprinkling our garden with the castings soon! We are looking at also building a wooden box outback to house our worms. Nothing fancy, just a wood frame about 2 feet tall with a hinged lid. It will live under a tree where it won't get too hot. You should try it out!! |
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A Farm of My Own: Worms under you sink? |
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Worms under you sink?
