amystew
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A Hatchling Earthworm
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Re:What to do to prepare for the arrival of my Can - 2006/02/01 15:30
Woo-hoo! I felt exactly the same way when I got my COW, lo these ten years ago. Make sure, in your excitement, that you don't overfeed them. Bob will give you plenty of advice about that.
One thing you can do is make sure you have a great location for the bin. Ideally, it will be close to the kitchen so it's easy to dump your kitchen scraps. (Keeping a bucket that you'll take to the worms later will attract flies, which you don't want in your house or in the worm bin, so it's great when your scraps can go straight off the cutting board into a worm bin. Mine's right outside the kitchen door, so it's easy.)
Also, it's best if the bin does not get direct sun, especially in a warm climate, or a lot of rain. Under a porch roof overhang is perfect. Garages, sheds, etc. are also good.
I use coir bedding to get them started, and I always keep a layer of shredded paper (newspaper or computer paper) on top to keep critters out, worms in, and to help soak up excess moisture, which is an issue in my rainy climate. (You can also spritz shredded paper with water, or drop an ice cube into shredded paper, to gently add moisture without shocking the bin if it's hot and dry where you are. So it works both ways.) I bury new food under the paper, and the worms gradually eat the paper, so I'm always adding more.
Other than that, they don't need much preparation. I always tell people to be patient--it will take them quite a while to fill up that first tray, and it probably took me a year to go through the full process of filling up all three trays, collecting castings from the top one, putting it on the bottom, etc.
You'll probably get all the info you need from Bob, but on my worm blog there's a link on the right to download a worm composting handout I use at workshops. You're welcome to it.
Good luck--enjoy!
Amy Stewart
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