Worm Update

The worm bin seems to be working away pretty well.  I've gotten into a routine of putting whatever's in the little crock through the food processor every weekend.  Some things get processed better than others.  Then I dump it onto the worm bin with a few handfuls of shredded newspaper.

It is starting to look like compost, but with half- digested chunks of food.  I had a period with a lot of fruit flies, but that seems to have abated.  The book says I just need to cover it with paper and coir so they can't lay eggs at the surface.  It also says if I washed my produce in the first place, I wouldn't have the fruit fly eggs in the first place.

I believe I could "harvest" the original first tray.  I think the lower third of the top tray is pretty much finished, so the bottom one must be.  But, if I do that, and go through all that mess, what am I going to do with the finished stuff, other than feel all proud of myself?  Put pictures of it on Instagram?  #wormlife

The book says the worm casting can be stored for up to 3 years, if I dry it out a little first, and if I don't store it in an air tight container.  If I don't do those things, it will get gross and stink like hell.

Or, I could just leave it where it is.  I am going to need to add another tray soon, which means I need to take that shelf out of the cabinet.  I guess I should put in a ton of coir and some of the mineral stuff, and maybe even some perlite.  With enough of that other stuff, the top shelf should be ok for a week and not get too gross.

The earliest I can use this worm casting is probably when I plant my peas, March 15th.  So that's another 7 weeks from now.  It's possible the 2nd tray I have going right now could even be ready by then.  I think I will actually buy a compost sieve, so I can easily get out any unfinished stuff, and of course try to save any worms.  I'm pretty worried about this step.  I cannot bring myself to touch the worms.

I just added the third tray, and it's sitting all the way on the top.  The second tray is deep, deep in the first tray, so there's only an inch or two of worm castings in that tray...  Did I put that tray on way too early, or does it just continue to break down so much that it reduces in size by a third?  I guess either way it's fine.