Try calling around garden centres -- not just the seasonal ones but those like Humber Nurseries in Mississauga, or Sheridan Nurseries in North York. Or if this is seriously for orchid growing medium - then there are orchid societies here who can at least provide directions. Start with contacting the Toronto Botanical Garden for information on such clubs because I do know they host annuals orchids show there.

No Big 5 stores around here. I don't think any sporting good stores around here would sell them because we don't have many freshwater fishing areas in the county, I don't even know if they allow fishing in the freshwater ponds around here. So all of the live bait they sell are for salt water fishing. I found two redworms yesterday in the woodchips that are around my patio, but the rest were nightcrawlers. I threw those two in the bin, but I know that at this rate it is going to take forever. I am continuing to wet the cardboard. There is a local retailer I found online, but I don't think they have a store--all mailorder or online, and the minimum they sell are 1000 worms for $28. Ouch. I am going to send them an email and see if they will sell a smaller amount for someone local, and maybe save on shipping since I can pick up. Also, after a storm when all the worms come up to the surface, are redworms usually among them. Before I started this project a worm was a worm and i never tried to differentiate. But, the redworms are red, and smaller (I am noticing from what have been reading and finding in my soil), right?

wriggler: Time is your friend here. After making the pile either make several more piles or do something fun for 15 minutes. Then when you begin brushing off the top of the pile it should be devoid of worms. Also setting the worm pile on something where the harvest of vermicompost can be brushed off right into a waiting container helps make the job easier. I sometimes sit on on 5 gallon pail upturned. Place a second pail in front of me. Then a piece of cardboard holds the pile of worm rich vermicompost. Every 15 minutes I brush a layer of vermicompost off the cardboard into the bin. The cardboard half covers the pail so it is easily captured. Possibly an inch each time is removed. Others will probably chime in with inventive and easy methods they have worked out. Most of us age our harvested vermicompost. Why? Possibly because most is used in the spring. It helps finish it. Plus all the eggs hatch and the babies are harvest the same as the adults. This is before they are old enough to have laid eggs.

I went to Canadian Tire and they did know what I was talking about but were sold out. Apparently the most basic Sifto Salt bag for granular, and not salt pellets, for water softeners MIGHT BE OK for dishwashers, but I just bought some "Somat" salt for $7, - http://www.henkel.com/brands-and-businesses/somat/26504 so I agree with webuser_862735 -I do have $7 for dishwasher salt! No big deal, and certain to not be a screw-up. If it were $25 for a cup of salt I would be kind of upset- but a "Made in Germany" salt from Henkels, made for dishwashers, is sure to be fine. Bought the salt at Tasco Appliances, but I am sure Caplan's and the other major Toronto area appliance stores sell it too.