red wigglers | Crazy About Compost

Bottomless pit composter?… or just a lot of grubs?

I thought i was overdue on starting my second trash can composter... the first one has had a bottomless pit for the last few months. I was certain it would have been at capacity awhile ago, but then I took a closer look. Not only were there a ton of red wigglers in there breaking it down, but also gobs and gobs of grubs- excellent! They've been a huge help for sure- the pile has been steadily cooking along at a mellow 80 to 90 degrees since its inception, which wouldn't be hot enough to break down the contents so swiftly. Once the temperature drops a bit more, I'm going to try transferring as many of the worms over to the big pile as I can...hoping that it's thick enough…

An indicator of a working compost pile… worms!

Looks like the trash can composter is doing well- red wigglers are reproducing here, meaning the environment is hospitable for them. I water mine once a week (half a watering can) after I add my food scraps and cover with leaves. A dry compost pile has a hard time working- keep it damp and you'll keep it moving... and keep the worms around, too.

Collecting Worm Castings…and the Other Stuff, Too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xg0h4-vLz0Q Emptying the Worm Inn vermicomposting system is a breeze- check out the gorgeous castings! I don't miss my old worm bin at all. The contaminants are pretty funny, too- a few fruit labels, a shredded envelope window, and some uncrushed eggshells didn't make it. Sifting out the extras is easy when using a basket with 1/4" to 1/2" spacing. Are you getting the results you'd like with your worm bin or outdoor composting system?