BY ZACHARY URBAN
I have a confession to make. This is something my wife would rather me not share. I told her it’s not right that I should keep this secret any longer. I told her it is important for my neighbors to know about this secret.
My big secret is... I have worms. Yes worms. I have thousands of them, I care for each of them diligently, feed them, water them and keep in a nice warm box. I keep them hidden in our garage during the winter, in the summer time they hang out on the side of our house. I have a worm composting bin that produces worm casting which I use to feed my garden with a nutrient rich mixture with the texture of coffee grinds and the nutrients power comparable to the best fertilizers on the market today. I purchased my worms several years ago on the Internet.
Yes they have websites for worms with pictures and everything. I choose to go with www.MooreBait.com. It is run by a guy out on the eastern plains in Eckley, Colorado. Another good website is www.CoWormMan.org. This website is run by Colorado’s foremost expert on worm composting.
The day the worms came in the mail I was just a little excited. I bought just one pound at the cost of approximately $20. I placed them into an old Rubbermaid tub that my wife let me have for this purpose. I drilled holes into the sides of the tub to allow for proper air flow. I also cut several holes in the bottom of the bin to allow the drainage of water. I filled the bin with several layers of wadded up newspaper, some shredded political mailers (including some of my own city council campaign postcards). I threw in some table scraps, including egg shells, banana peels, some leaves from the yard and a little llama manure. The llama manure is a bit of a secret ingredient, so don’t tell anyone.
Today I have approximately five to seven pounds of worms. They are voracious eaters if the conditions are right. This past fall, theses worms ate a normal sized pumpkin in approximately 2 months. I have used the worm castings produced from this bin for soil in our house plants, to feed my giant pumpkins, to grow Hops and the grape vines I have recently planted. The benefit of having a worm bin is two fold, first you are able to reduce the amount of waste you place in a landfill by diverting it into a worm bin, and the most important benefit is a plentiful and rich source of soil and nutrients for all your gardening and growing desires.
It is important to note that the properly managed worm bin produces no odor or other smell. The most important part of managing a worm bin is to keep it free of the following forbidden items. Do not feed worms: Meats, Bones, Oils and Fats, Vinegar, pet waste, or green grass clippings. Do feed worms: Fruit and Vegetable Scraps, Tea Bags, Coffee Filters, Coffee Grounds, Houseplants Clippings, Pasta, Rice, Egg shells, Vegetarian Manure, and Newspapers.
Zachary Urban can be reached at 720-252-5930 or www.zacharyurban.com