My vermicomposting start this year was totally scientific...initially layered with all of the sorts of things they love..green and brown, followed by table scraps every few days and half a bag of corn meal sprinkled between the layers and some cow manure from the cattle auction barn. Costs zero. Each shovel of that cow dirt included countless dozens of huge long worms and I added red wigglers week to week. I just wish I could carry more than a bucket load of that manure at a time, but there is always plenty after the Saturday auctions. Occasionally ,I add a bucket of water over the top when it is dry out. I find this compost pile vermin home far easier to manage than any kind of structure that would get hot. So far a LOT of worms have gone into this mound, and with the rain and occasional layering of weekly scraps and leaves, I am confident of a bountiful crop of worm castings later. Too, its a good use of kitchen waste like coffee grounds, old bread, veggies, etc.. which makes the garbage we take to the landfill less stinky as we wait. I do have to control the amount of green matter to avoid heating, so this is a modified pile that is a longer term project than most composting or I would be cooking the worms in this summer heat. By late July/August it should be settled down. I had never seen night crawlers in cow dirt, but they just love it and the wigglers are a natural for kitchen waste. Haven't used paper, but know I could. Hope they enjoy my good English tea and fine coffee. Any self respecting southern worm is bound to like cornmeal and grits!
