No it is not weird that you want to take pictures of the worms and post them. I was just saying yesterday that I felt bad using my compost because there was so many worms and I didn't want to harm them. But, then I decided that they evidently love the compost or they wouldn't be there. Most of the worms I found were in containers that I dumped out. So, I think they will be just fine in containers. I was amazed to find worms in my containers because the weather in Michigan has been so cold lately. The worms will do great in your garden! I encourage my children to find worms and place them in my garden.

If you see worms you have great compost! Good luck!

"Figs...yuck"?!?! I mean. "Figs...yuck"?!?!?! Yuck??????!!!!!!!

Alfie,
speechless

(but pleased about your worms)

Is it weird that I am excited that you are going to post some pictures of your worms?!

BTW, where is the worm picture?

Alfie, oh believe me, I like figs and eat them, but my tree produces WAY too many for any human to eat, give away, and make fig preserves out of. I should have specified that I wasn't yucking about the figs themselves, but about too many figs in compost when they get too wet. Sorry about that confusion! ;)

Ok, I wanted to make sure I wasn't too weird to post worm pictures before I did! Hee hee. I'm very proud to show them off! But before I do, let me say that we bought a house here in the bay area about 3 years ago and the soil is not great, haven't ever seen a worm when just randomly digging or planting anything, so I'm pretty pleased that a bunch now live in my compost!

{{gwi:283753}}

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the worms crawl in, the worms crawl out...

That is some good-looking compost. Cute worms, too.

When they are bright and shiny like that, and flip around and crawl fast, you know they are healthy and happy worms! They will vastly improve your compost and soil.

Umm...I feel stupid. I have been "composting" for years: throw things in composter, stir once-in-a-blue moon, and place result in garden. My compost has always had worms in it. Since I have come to this site, I have learned that my compost is supposed to be heating, have the right ratio of nitrogen to carbon, and that vermi-composting is different. In addition to worms, my compost has pill bugs in it, and tree frogs like to hang out too (presumably to eat flies). Am I not supposed to have all of these creatures in my compost?

I used the black plastic bins to "compost" for years, and then 3 years ago I built a big bin, followed by two more last year. My conclusions: the plastic bins aren't large enough for hot composting. For all intents and purposes, they are outdoor garbage cans for organic matter. But that said, worms, pill bugs, centipedes, millipedes etc. will move in and break down the OM you put in it, it just takes longer. I used to empty these things once a year (usually in the fall to make room for more yard waste). On the plus side, what came out looked very much (and was) compost. On the down side, I usually got a lot of volunteer tomato plants, pumpkins etc. wherever I spread the compost.

I actually just gave the last of my plastic bins to a neighbor - he was admiring the steam coming off my new bins and thought that was kinda cool. I figured I'd start him small ;o)

Cheers,

Tim

"I have learned that my compost is supposed to be heating, have the right ratio of nitrogen to carbon, and that vermi-composting is different."

there are different forms of composting and there is nothing wrong with cold composting which you are doing. the difference with vermicomposting is the end result is not compost but worm castings. a cold compost will, should, often has worms and other critters in there. you can still get a warm to hottish compost going in a bin, but it wont be steaming because there isnt enough mass to heat it up to those sort of temperatures but you will still get compost

Thanks for everyone's input. I am starting to understand now, slowly but surely. lol

Last winter my black plastic bin did seem to get pretty hot, I would see steam on cold days. But it was kept pretty full and I took care of it. Then after the thing started to fall apart, I didn't keep it so full and we started putting the grass clippings somewhere else, and I just threw food in it, so that makes sense why there are worms now.

Sorry for the slowness and amatuer excitement, but worms are still cool and better for my garden than nothing, I'm working with what I got! ;)

Thanks again all!

Looks like there might be some worm cocoons in there as well.

Cool! I mean, that is good, right? lol