Out of Sequence: Pre-Worm Discussion

Again with the Out-of-Chronological Order! I found that I had written this somewhere else and emailed it to myself to post later...

On Monday (09 April 2007), my coworker Amie brought me her old Can O' Worms vermicomposter! I am so excited to learn to use this thing! I have already started saving vegetable scraps from my veggie trimmings and cooking. They are in a plastic Safeway bag for the time being. I am somewhat concerned about the alliums (onions, garlic, etc.) making strong odors, but we'll see what happens. Everything vegetable-related, as well as eggshells, is fair game. No dairy or meat products are recommended for addition; I think it's more that it attracts rats than that it is harmful. It also will smell awful when rotting (mmm rotting flesh).

Last night I had rehearsal with the Jazz Police, so when I got home after rehearsal, I finally unloaded the composter out of the trunk of my car, along with my horn and other assorted stuff that needed to be extricated. So then I put the composter outside, and just shoved the plastic bag in it for the time being. Amie recommended setting it on bricks, since it is missing a leg, and she said it isn't super stable on the legs, anyway.

I am going to score one of the free weekly newspapers and tear it up in preparation for the worms. I am going tomorrow after work to Seattle Tilth (on Sunnyside Ave. in the Wallingford area), to go buy 8 oz of worms in a "to-go" container (a direct quote from the lady on the phone) for $15. And no shipping, which is the best part! (Which means no questions from the concierge, either...an issue I won't be able to skirt when my pole is delivered..."Oh, it's a gift"...)

Anyway, I am also planning to shuttle a Tupperware container back and forth to work to hold my food scraps and those of a few coworkers. I figure my group can participate if they so choose. As long as they remember to remove the stickers from the fruit. :-) I might also start collecting coffee grounds from the pot here at work.

I've read an interesting article about vermicomposting for pet waste, as well. I think it's an excellent idea, if a little more smelly than normal food composting, but they also recommend using it on ornamentals due to possible pathogen contamination. Something I would do, unless I cooked for my dog and trusted what was going into the animal in the first place. Of course, a word of caution from the author was that if you de-worm your animal, this medicine might well kill the redworms as well.

Incidentally, redworms are used for fishing, too...

I am also going to try my hand at sifting the compost at the P-Patch. Hopefully today I will have time to go and start my weeding there... I think I should buy some kneepads. The beds are raised, so I can at least sit on the edges while making the rounds. And my friend Tori has plenty of seedlings for me to experiment with. She has basically peas, tomatoes, carrots, and some cilantro, but I will bypass the cilantro, since I don't like it.

I also discovered an Edible Plant Sale at Meridian Park on May 5-6, 2007:

http://www.seattletilth.org/events/edible-plant-sale