Can you believe we’re starting the 11th season of Today’s Homeowner? I’ll try to keep everyone in the loop about some of the behind-the-scenes happenings as well as some additional tips and tricks along the way. Road trips are always chock full of stories, too, so stay tuned for the inside scoop.
The big news as we kick off the first show of the season is…I’ve got worms! A new feature in the show is our Thinking Green, and the first topic is about composting. Now, keep in mind, I’m a southern Alabama boy who thinks the only good use for a worm is bait. I live on the water and can walk out and snag a decent sized bream and fry it up for one of the best-tasting meals on the planet. But, I have to admit, I did a lot of researching on the web about composting, and every place I turned mentioned the benefit of including red worms in your compost pile.
Well, just reading it didn’t convince me, so I ordered some worms on the Internet at a place called Uncle Jim’s Worm Farm (oh yeah, you heard me….I ordered worms). We used a few for Danny’s on-camera and I put the rest to the test. I actually have them in a 5-gallon bucket and started adding dead leaves, grass clippings, egg shells (I make some really great deviled eggs!), the remnants of my tomato plants, even the pulp of apples and carrots after I juiced them. I’m here to testify to you, those worms are amazing! They definitely speed up the process, and the worms must be pretty happy about it, too, because they’re multiplying.
Remind me next week to tell you about Danny’s adventure with juicing celery. I’d love to hear from you if you have a question or comment about anything you see on the show. Be sure to keep tabs on my blog. I’ll let you know when and where we’ll be as we tape across the country.
When you put the worms in the 5 gallon bucket did you cover the bucket with something with holes punched in it or just leave it open. This is new to me and I want to try it, but I am worried about putting egg shells, coffee grounds, etc outside because I have such a problem with fire ants and other insects. I don’t want to make the problem worse.
Hi Lois…Great question. The 5-gallon bucket was just temporary until I had a decent compost bin, but as a matter of fact, I did cover it, not just to keep things out, but to retain the heat of the composting process. I wouldn’t worry too much over other bugs, either. The egg shells and coffe grounds are GREAT for the compost and the other insects will actually help the process. Keep me informed on your progress and send in pix. Are you using worms, too?
Do I need to replace the worms each spring as they will NOT survive winter in the compost heap