Holiday Worm Composting Do's and Don'ts

The holiday season is upon us, and if you've just started composting with worms, you might be wondering what is OK to throw into the worm bin and what is better left to the garbage can!

Ho, ho, ho- it's Lilliworm to the rescue!

If you are bold enough to let your guests determine what garbage goes where, you can make it easier for them by creating "worm scrap bins" or "worm bowls".

Any worm scrap storage apparatus should be CLEARLY LABELED as "WORM FOOD" so your human guests do not confuse it with the actual HUMAN FOOD.  You may even want to post a similar "do's and don'ts" list like the one above near the bin to really drive the point home (Dad? Can you hear me? NO PIZZA CRUSTS!).

One smaller scrap container you can put to the side of the regular trash can looks like this:

I would advise dumping this into the worm bin soon after the party, so it does not have time to smell or attract pests. 

Personally, I go with the "worm bowl" version and keep it in my refrigerator until it's feeding time:



The bowl in the fridge method works better if you are slow to fill it up and aren't interested in sprinting down to the bin immediately following the celebration.

This year, make the proper scraps and remnants of your holiday gatherings the perfect gift for your hungry, squirmy little friends...yes, I mean the worms!

The 2nd Annual Green Gift List

The turkey is barely cold before it's time to run out and get that gift-giving machine humming!

For the second year in a row I've rounded up the most eco-friendly, interesting, and practical gifts that I could find using the same criteria as last holiday season:

• must be rated four stars or more
  
• has to cost under $50

With a little research and a lot of well wishes- I present to you Lilliworm's Green Gift List!


GET MOVING!
Yoga is one of my favorite healthy activities. Basically all you need is the knowledge and a mat....and what a mat this one is!

This double-thick gem is not only textured to prevent slipping, but it also comes with a lifetime guarantee. Of course it couldn't make the list without having a green pedigree: it is recyclable and biodegradable! Color options include blue, purple, and black. Current price: $39.95.


GET CREATIVE!
You just never can tell when the desire to create is going to strike you (or the kids on your gift list!), so why not be ready with The Go Artist Travel Pack:

All 21 pieces in this kit will inspire, including notebook, ruler, stencils, and colored pencils- and all are made from natural materials like cotton, wood, recycled paper, and soy. Current price: $20.21


GET USEFUL!
You probably still have those relatives that haven't quite caught the "green" bug, and continue to collect their stash of harmful plastic bags every trip to the grocery store.  Convert them to greenies by selecting their favorite colors in these reusable bags:
 

Each bag is only 49 cents and made from durable ripstop nylon. Once their shopping trip is complete, they can fold it back up to small pouch size and place it back in their purse or glove compartment for the next trip.


GET ORGANIZED!
For those worker bees in your life that can never seem to find a pen or business card when they need one, how about this compartmentalized messenger bag:

This bag has a cotton canvas outside, padded laptop section, and several other snappy compartments to make sure everything is secure in its own space. Current price: $34.19


GET COOKING!
After growing all those organic vegetables this summer, it only makes sense that I promote an eco-friendly place to chop them up: bamboo cutting boards!

The set of three is easy to handle (they have handles, duh!), are lightweight, and are made of natural bamboo- a very renewable resource.  Current price: $18.99


GET SCOOPING!

Dogs are going to poop, which means someone is going to have to scoop...why not in the most eco-friendly way possible?

Every dog owner on your list will appreciate your thoughtfulness (and so will everyone else in the neighborhood) as you provide an earthy-friendly poop pick-up method. Current price: $15.99


GET SQUIRMING!
What worm blogger can resist suggesting an eco-friendly worm toy for the holiday shopping season? Certainly not Lilliworm!

Babies on your list will be thrilled with this toy crafted from natural wood and lead free paint. It squiggles securely on a thick elastic band...plus it's a WORM!!! Current price: $12.99


So now all there is left to do is...
GET SHOPPING!

Feeling Squirmy?

If you aren't then you will after these new pumpkin-eater bin pics!

Remember the pumpkin feast of 2012 and the funny mold?

Guess who's back:

Last year, I learned that this was likely sclerotinia sclerotiorum- not much to worry about in the bin, as the worms would eat it and poop it back out into the same great organic fertilizer they always do! 

Turning over a pumpkin top in the bin can be an adventure...

Pretty slimy!

I pushed around a few pieces and uncovered more wormtastic wonderfulness:

The worms have a lot of work left to do...I have four smaller pumpkins waiting in the wings as dessert!

Speaking of teamwork and wings...Happy Veterans Day and thank you to all who have served or are currently serving in our military!

"the most nonspecific, omnivorous, and successful of plant pathogens"- according to a reference compiled from the University of Hawaii.  - See more at: http://lilliworm.blogspot.com/2012/11/pictures-to-make-you-squirm.html#sthash.gghc71SO.dpuf

I've never seen this type of mold before in my bin, but a quick Google search told me it's probably sclerotinia sclerotiorum, "the most nonspecific, omnivorous, and successful of plant pathogens"- according to a reference compiled from the University of Hawaii. 

There is plenty of time for the worms to gobble that up and push it out before planting season next year, which is good because I don't need any omnivorous pathogens making my organic gardening life any more difficult.

That's the great thing about worms- they are able to take all sorts of disgusting, moldy, rotting things and turn them into fantastic organic plant food. In Australia, there are even giant industrial worm farms designed to process sewage and water waste. You can read a great set of FAQs about these systems at A&A Wormfarm Waste Systems. - See more at: http://lilliworm.blogspot.com/2012/11/pictures-to-make-you-squirm.html#sthash.gghc71SO.dpuf

I've never seen this type of mold before in my bin, but a quick Google search told me it's probably sclerotinia sclerotiorum, "the most nonspecific, omnivorous, and successful of plant pathogens"- according to a reference compiled from the University of Hawaii. 

There is plenty of time for the worms to gobble that up and push it out before planting season next year, which is good because I don't need any omnivorous pathogens making my organic gardening life any more difficult.

That's the great thing about worms- they are able to take all sorts of disgusting, moldy, rotting things and turn them into fantastic organic plant food. In Australia, there are even giant industrial worm farms designed to process sewage and water waste. You can read a great set of FAQs about these systems at A&A Wormfarm Waste Systems. - See more at: http://lilliworm.blogspot.com/2012/11/pictures-to-make-you-squirm.html#sthash.gghc71SO.dpuf

I've never seen this type of mold before in my bin, but a quick Google search told me it's probably sclerotinia sclerotiorum, "the most nonspecific, omnivorous, and successful of plant pathogens"- according to a reference compiled from the University of Hawaii. 

There is plenty of time for the worms to gobble that up and push it out before planting season next year, which is good because I don't need any omnivorous pathogens making my organic gardening life any more difficult.

That's the great thing about worms- they are able to take all sorts of disgusting, moldy, rotting things and turn them into fantastic organic plant food. In Australia, there are even giant industrial worm farms designed to process sewage and water waste. You can read a great set of FAQs about these systems at A&A Wormfarm Waste Systems. - See more at: http://lilliworm.blogspot.com/2012/11/pictures-to-make-you-squirm.html#sthash.gghc71SO.dpuf

The Garden Goes To Bed and Other Scary Pictures

OG2013 (organic garden 2013) has come to a fast ending!

While OG2012 ended with a small harvest and huge chopping endeavor, the lessons learned from last year made it clear a new plan to put the garden to bed was needed.

No more chopping and turning of the stems and stalks- I just ripped them up and churned up the ground with my hand-held three pronged rake.

A last glimpse before it was yanked:

 And an after shot of the stems and stalks yanked out on the left:

One success-in-progress story is the strawberries! My goal was to have them take over the entire bottom section by next year, and they set out to meet my goal with gusto:

They are so excited to be taking over that they are still flowering and producing berries in November!

I am already planning all the delicious ways I can use the berries next season with this kind of determination:

No early November post on Lilliworm would be complete without some post-Halloween squirm-tastic pictures, so on the to real fun!

Of course, all Halloweens start off innocent and harmless enough- jack-o-lantern carving!

This year, I dedicated my design to one of my favorite charities, Best Friends Animal Santuary in Utah, and I used their logo as my template:

Pumpkin guts!
OK, a little closer...
The finished product:

And we all know where they ended up right as the last trick-or-treater was leaving the premises:

Right into the Worm Wigwam, of course!

I helped the worm herd along by loading some of them up into the pumpkin feast:

A certain pet in the house named himself the official dog of the Worm Wigwam and stood guard for me:

Look for more squirmalicous pics this week as the worms work their magic & celebrate their Halloween feast! 

The Good, The Bad, and The Organic

Did you know the sale of organic produce grows 5-10% each year, but the number of organic gardeners is growing even more quickly? Oh, and about that produce...

The Environmental Working Group is a great organization and resource that can help you figure out which produce has been found to be the most contaminated with pesticides- giving you organic gardeners a rough idea of what to grow to alleviate the concerns of contamination, and which you can feel a little more comfortable buying at the grocery store. 

Their top 14 produce items found to have the most pesticides are:

• Peaches
• Apples
• Hot Peppers
• Celery
• Nectarines- imported
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Cucumbers
• Grapes
• Spinach
• Potatoes
• Strawberries
• Sweet Bell Peppers
• Kale and Collard Greens
• Summer Squash

Those found to have the least are:

• Asparagus
• Avocados
• Cabbage
• Cantaloupe
• Sweet Corn
• Eggplant
• Grapefruits
• Kiwi
• Mangoes
• Mushrooms
• Onions
• Papayas
• Pineapples
• Sweet Peas-frozen
• Sweet Potatoes

You can see the complete list of 48 ranked at the EWG's full data page, which will really motivate you to start planning that organic garden for 2014!  

The worms' favorite holiday is right around the corner....stay tuned for some very scary bin pics!

Tweet Tweet...Worms in the News

I love learning about new worm news around the world each day- and there's no better way to share it than by tweeting it!

For instance, Happy Columbus Day! Did you know that bioluminescent worms greeted Christopher Columbus over 500 years ago when he arrived in the New World? These glowing worms, also known as fireworms, perform a light show/mating dance that only lasts about a half hour twice a month during the quarter moon phase.

Worms seem to frequently be associated with our health. Whether it's a story about how cleanliness is killing microscopic worms that could help our immunity or an article about how worms are improving skin grafts- there is always something to squirm about!

If you aren't a Twitter-er, here are some of my recent posts and pictures:

Tweets by @Lilliworm

These Peppers Will Be Late for Dinner

Last year around this time, I was putting OG2012 (organic garden of 2012) to sleep.

OG2013 is having none of that- it's like the bad kid that wants to stay up all night! The tomatoes are growing up over the lower fence:

Finally, the bell peppers are in various stages of readiness (unlike last year, when the pepper crop was booming!)

These ones sloooowly gathering steam & could be a key ingredient in a delicious Autumn meal soon:

 A few have been waiting all summer to finally be a pepper:

 And some are considering remaining pepper flowers for the fall season:

The tomatoes are not about to be outdone by the late blooming peppers!

These little guys are going strong, looking to be the prime ingredient in a batch of late season salsa:

...while these funky ones are headed straight for the worm wigwam!

No Lilliworm post in October would be complete without the mention of PUMPKINS! 

Not only are pumpkins the worms FAVORITE food, but OG2013 is growing 2 rogue pumpkin plants and both have one pumpkin:

The worms will have to wait a little longer this year for their end-of-organic-gardening-season feast!

 

 

Corny Times in the Bin

Who doesn't love some buttery kernels of sweet corn or some delicious version of cornbread? Who hasn't churned up a batch of corn ice cream or corn pudding?

OK, I probably got you there! Not many- but I bet you've made your popcorn a few different ways!

The debate still rages on whether corn is a vegetable or a grain, but until there's a definitive answer, did you know that corn:

-supplies nearly 20% of the world's food calories?

-can be grown on every continent except Antarctica?

-has one piece of silk for each kernel?

I had some left over corn on the cob from our local farm stand, so I eventually gave it to the worms.  I was unsure how they would react or how long it would take to start breaking down enough for them to start munching.

To my surprise, the worms love corn...and I have some pics to prove it!

Not only do they seem to like the husks and silk:

They seem to like the kernels, too- which have sprouted while in the bin:

 There are more than 3,500 uses for corn...make that 3,501 if you count vermicomposting!

Mums the Word!

As the summer begins to wind down, do you know what starts to grow up?

MUMS!

You could always grow your own, but I got mine the old fashioned way...as a door prize at a baby shower!

My mum was a little lopsided, and I knew the perfect thing to perk it right up: WORM POOP!

Similar to my veggie vermicompost applications, I put about three tablespoons right at the base of the plant. I expect that super-vitamin boost of micro-organisms will be exactly what my lopsided mum needs!

3 mum fun facts:

- Mums, or chrysanthemums, originated in China- where they brew Chrysanthemum tea!

- There are hundreds and hundreds of varieties of mums- different colors, flower sizes, and growth cycles.

- Mums are not only the birth flower for the month of November and the anniversary flower for the 13th year- they are also Chicago's city flower.

In other news, the rogue pumpkin vine has gone from this:

 To this:

 And this:

To this:

Get your pumpkin-carving gear out soon, folks!