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Why would you invite 1,000 wriggling redworms into your home? Because they not only can consume close to their own weight in kitchen waste every day but also will provide you with free plant food and compost. Here's what you need to know to get started with worm wrangling: First, note that nightcrawlers -- the most common kind of worm in your garden -- aren't suitable for home composting because they don't do well in shallow containers. Redworms, though, which are available by mail order, will thrive under the right conditions, and you can get a pound of 'em for about $20. To begin, you need to construct (or buy) a suitable bin. Either a plastic or wood container will work. It should be between eight and twelve inches deep, and you should allow at least one square foot of surface area for every pound of worms. Because worms need oxygen, you'll need to drill some 1/4 to 1/2-inch holes in the bottom of the container. These will also let excess liquid (which makes an excellent house plant food) drain out, so you'll want to elevate the container on some blocks and place a tray or pan underneath to catch the runoff. Finally, add some tight mesh screen to the bottom of the container so that your worms don't take it upon themselves to evacuate. A cover on top will help conserve moisture (and worms). Tear some (non-color) newspaper pages or pieces of corrugated cardboard into strips and place them in the bin as a bedding for the worms. Worms like things damp, so you'll need to moisten the bedding to the point where it's wet but not soggy -- about like a damp sponge. The container should be about 3/4 full of bedding. Now it's time to introduce the worms to their new abode. It's a good idea to give them a day or so to get used to their new environment before you put them to work. Redworms will tolerate temperatures between 55 and 77 degrees. If the bedding gets higher than 84 degrees, the worms may die. When you're ready to add feed the worms with your kitchen waste, lay it on top of the bedding and then cover it with some more wet paper. Suitable worm food includes fruit and vegetable peels, ground-up egg shells, tea bags, and coffee grounds (but be sparing with these last two -- they can make the bin too acidic). Never compost meats or dairy products, and avoid very oily or salty foods. Eventually, as the worms break down and digest your offerings, they will fill the bin with castings (worm poop), which you'll need to remove. The easiest way is to expose the top of the container to light -- the worms will head south and you can scoop up the castings and use them in your garden as a soil conditioner. The most common problem with worm bins is unwanted odors. This might be the result of insufficient oxygen (check those air holes) or more food than the little guys can handle (hold off on feeding for a while). If worms are constantly trying to crawl out of the bin, it's not because of a population explosion -- worms will naturally stop breeding before things get too crowded. More likely, the pH of the bin is too acidic. Cut back on the citrus peels and coffee grounds.
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