The worms are multiplying - Babies!

We are really enjoying our Worm Factory Worm Composter. We have only had it a month but the worms have more than doubled already! If you want to see what the worm bin looks like, I showed several pictures of it on my last worm post.

My daughter has had a favorite kids book for years called Diary of a Worm. Now that we have been able to watch worms up close for a month, we understand the book a lot better. Now, it is pretty funny to us. What a great little book. For example, the instructions in setting up the bin had us put several sheets of wet newspaper as the very top layer of the bin.  Diary of a Worm begins with advice from a mother worm to her son. One thing she tells him is "Never bother Daddy when he's eating the newspaper."

As it turns at, that is so true. The worms love to eat newspaper! Look at what those three layers of newspaper look like after one month:

They also like to get up above the newspaper, between it and the plastic lid - so we added more moist newspaper.

Today we discovered the coolest thing of all. The worms not only like to eat newspaper and crawl between it and the lid, but they like to do other things there as well.

Look at all the babies! There are at least six or seven in this picture. They are so small that we would never have seen them without the newspaper as a backdrop.Here's a closeup of the above picture:

These baby worms are small but they are a lot longer than I would have expected. Below is a different picture. Notice that one baby is snuggled up next to an adult and another baby is a little to the right. It almost looks like a mom and her babies, doesn't it?

Did I just hear you say "aw, how cute"? If so, did you ever think you would think worms were cute?

I tell you, we are having much more fun with our worm bin than we expected. It's really easy to keep it going since the bin is right in our living space. We have already expanded to the 2nd tray. If you want to see how the bin is put together, my first worm post shows it in detail. I also cover other popular worm bin models like the famous Can O Worms.

I'm sure those other worm systems work well too, but we are very satisfied with our Worm Factory.

We are so new at keeping worms that it still seems odd to call it vermicomposting. That is what I like to call it though, because the whole reason for raising these worms is to be able to use the ultra-rich compost for the garden that they create. I first found out about vermicomposting from a garden blog, but I don't remember which one.

If you are a garden blogger and have ever written about raising worms, please let me know. Include the url to your post, label or category too if you can. We'd also like to hear from you if you've ever kept worms even if you haven't written about them. I want to learn all I can about this and tell as many gardener's as I can too.

Keeping worms is so easy and fun, every serious gardener should consider it! Please comment if you agree with me or even if you have questions.

Thanks,

Marc

Comments

[Anke]

Diary of a worm is my daughters favorite book, too. I might actually try and get the composting system so she can see the worms in action. Thanks for all your great info on your blog!

[The Cheap Vegetable Gardener]

Nice looking worms. I have done a few posts using my cheap Rubbermaid worm bin.

http://www.cheapvegetablegardener.com/2008/03/vermicomposting-how-to-make-cheap-worm.html

[Aiyana]

Interesting info. My first reaction isn't to say, "aw, how cute", actually I have to keep from shuddering when looking at the worms. I don't know why I react this way as I know they are very beneficial and harmless.
Aiyana

[Marc]

Anke - we do love Diary of a worm as well as Diary of a spider.

Cheap Vegetable Gardener - I do like your rubbermaid worm bin. I tried one like that last year but didn't know much what I was doing. The bin was on the floor in the laundry room and got invaded by ants. Our new bin is up on legs and in our living space. I hope ants can't get in this time or at least we will see them trying.

Aiyana - it is natural to be a little grossed out by worms, but you are right that they are beneficial. They are such strange creatures that I am fascinated by them.

Thanks, - Marc

[Dennis]

Kind of a gross post........but......Happy Easter anyways!

http://theconservativegardener.blogspot.com/

[Dan]

My grandpa used to compost indoors with red wigglers during the winter. It is kind of fun. These worms usually show up in my composter in late spring. I should pick some out and give vermicomposting a try.

Thanks for the tip on planting set with tomatoes and every where there is a spot. I will be trying this.

[Beth]

Marc,
I live in a small condo but have a garden. I'm VERY interested in your worm project. I have a few questions. Does it smell? Have you gotten to the point where you need to empty it? Do you have bugs (fruit flies etc). Thanks in advance

[Marc]

Beth - Surprisingly, nobody would ever know the worm bin is present because there is no smell or flies. I guess you have to be careful not to put too much in at a time and you cut the veggie scraps very small. The only problem we have had so far is that I put too big of potato peels in and they sprouted which looked pretty funny.

I have all three trays stacked up now and they are all full of worms. The bottom tray is mostly vermicompost now and I will empty it in the next couple weeks. I plan to move some of the worms to an outdoor pit under a rabbit hutch. Until then I am feeding all three trays and they are still reproducing in all of them. It is going better than I expected.
- Marc

[Karyn]

Thank you SO MUCH for theses posts about the worms! I have been planning on purchasing the Worm Factory since last fall and it is on my spring to do list. Long story short I can't buy it at over $100. Thanks for telling me about the one from Gardens Alive, I have seen the coupon and now plan to use it.

I was planning on doing the bin/bucket wit the hole and am glad yet another person tried it and had problems. I think I knew this but was ready to settle for something less.

I also have a $25. off coupon that came on the front of one of their magazines this spring....SO I will order the bin on line to use that coupon and order the worms by mail to use that cupon.

I'll keep reading about your worm adventures. I'll let you know when I get ours up and running.

Thanks again, who knew worms were so exciting?

The chicks are so cute, and won't they love the worms when they are old enough. One of the many reasons I want a worm farm.....

Karyn