My first purchase in my new spot--before a desk, a table, a bed--was a worm composter. I made a few phone calls and searched the web--debated between a Worm Factory, Can O'Worms and the Wriggly Ranch. I noticed that StopWaste.Org subsidized Wriggly Ranches for Alameda County residents and for a brief, fleeting moment thought about borrowing an address; but just for a moment, then I went ahead and paid full price, but I wanted to go pick the worm bin out in person.
I went to Cole's Hardware in the Mission and bought the only one they had in stock, a large "Can O' Worms"--a black 5 tiered durable plastic worm-o-rama. Since they didn't sell worms, I then went to see Cosmo the worm man.
Cosmo used to be a worm farmer, but since the amputation of his leg, due to diabetes and an unfortunate toenail-clipping incident, he is now a worm "jobber"--he jobs out the worms, as he explained it. Essentially, he was a worm broker. He taught me a thing or two about my new pets. Cosmo claims he started the worm business 40 years ago and was way ahead of the worm compost trend. He wasn't the only champion of worms to go unheard.
The last book written by Charles Darwin's was a humble volume on earthworms titled "The Formation of Vegetable Mould Through the Actions of Worms With Observations on their Habits." Darwin made close notes on the earthworm's physiology, habits, and even eating preferences. (It seems, Darwin learned, that the earthworm is a super-taster, preferring the subtle flavors of cabbage, turnips, celery, and carrots over more robust mint, sage, thyme and Artemesia.) But on worms, his overall argument, one generally accepted now, without the controversy of his other big theories, was that earthworms are excellent for growing vegetation. Taken to a larger, more general conclusion, worms form our landscape. What he referred to as "vegetable mould" was actually a breaking down of soil and leaves into fertile topsoil--so the earthworm, those eyeless, boneless, skinless wonders that I thought, until this summer, to my horror that if you cut them in half, two grew and so had callously shoveled, not trying to bifurcate them, but not trying not to either--were in fact great architects of our landscape. (Note: This is why I like having a blog. I can have sentences like the former one.)
Despite this book by Darwin the contribution of earthworms was virtually ignored for decades. Due to careful observation of worms in captivity, Darwin really was the first worm composter. The way in which worms break down organic matter like leaves and even stones in fields is the same way they turn your table scraps into castings, which are a rich fertilizer. Worms continually pass soil through their intestinal canals,(in fact, they kind of resemble an intestine) keep anything they can use for food, and then "cast" the rest. So vegetable mould, or topsoil, could pass many times through the worms intestinal track, becoming castings.
Cosmo with my check for $45.00 for 2000 worms, including shipping.
I told Cosmo that I wanted to pick out and name my worms.
"You can't, you need about 2000 to start," he said.
I decided to name mine after my father, William, but there was already a 1, 2, & 3 in the family, so these would be 4th-2000th, or collectively, I call them Willi.
Cosmo explained to me that red worms are surface worms, and found under deer dung in the wild. Earthworms are not used in compost bins, as they burrow too deep. Cosmo started out as a rabbit farmer in Oregon, and found that red worms loved rabbit dung. Apparently a combination of rabbit dung with some red worms then layered onto marijuana plants made for some righteous crops.
"I was preaching about worm castings 30 years ago," he said. "Before anyone was doing it. On the worm farm, they would trench long rows, and layer them with food scraps and manure. When these dried a bit, they'd add the worms after the sun went down. Remember, the worms have no bones, no skin to protect them from acid in the food, so I always dried stuff first."
In just a few days, there would be a worm explosion. The manure, vegetables, all quickly turned to castings. In his book "Dirt, The Ecstatic Skin of the Earth" William Bryant Logan wrote "Scientists estimate that worm castings contain five times more nitrogen, seven times more available phosphorus, eleven times more potash, and forty percent more humus than usually is to be found in the top six inches of soil." And, according to my instruction manual, the pH is neutral (7), so it's suitable for all plants.
The process of worm composting seems simple, but things can go really wrong. My friend Rene's roommate put her worm composter in the laundry room, and thinks that they perhaps got too warm during a drying cycle and escaped their box. Rene, not a gardener, was a little freaked out when she entered the room and saw the thousands of escapees. Another person used a plastic container with no ventilation and smothered her redworms.
But the directions seemed simple enough.
1. First, I soaked the bedding block that came with the composter in a bucket of water, and lined the second tray (first working tray), with the wet, mealy stuff. The first tray doesn't get worms, compost, newspaper, etc. as there's a drain in the bottom for liquid fertilizer.
2. At this point, I opened the bag of worms, then put my gloves on and unpacked the 2000 worms into the bed.
3. They smelled strangely nice--like a forest hums, but seemed a little lethargic. Going through the mail must have been a shock to their system.
4. I added the second working tray and put in a few handfuls of food scraps. The directions state not to overfeed. This means no more than one inch of food over half the surface area of the working tray. They like a mix of fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grinds, tea, crushed egg shells and even human hair. No meat or fish!
5. Layer damp--not wet, over the food scraps and replace the lid.
6. Store in them in a dry, temperate place. 70 degrees is ideal.