Quick update on the worm farm and compost

Following on from my post last month, I have been checking on the worm farm and compost regularly, but for different reasons.

 

With the worm farm I was testing out how the worms went with the Bokashi in there.  For the first few days they didn't go near it, then slowly they started to make their way up (it did go into a fresh tray, so this is quite normal).  However 3 weeks later, they were all over it, and on top of it! A very good sign!  I think I will continue to add Bokashi mix to the farm, but will try to avoid the meat components, although from what I can tell, the only reason to do this would be to avoid vermin... but I will start slow, then see how we go when meat is added.  The difference with the meat in the Bokashi is that it is fermented, so it should make a considerable difference.  One other thing I really need to do with the worm farm is to add more shredded paper as they have gone through everything that I have added previously.

 

The compost is doing much better since I added more of the sugar cane mulch.  The smell has become more earthy (a very good sign!) and while it does look a little too damp at the moment due to all of the recent rain, it seems to be breaking down as well as it can. The sugar cane mulch will break down really slowly, so I need to look into alternate options for adding brown material. Due to the additional dampness, I will need to add some more brown material, although this time I might add some shredded paper.  I have also been trying to give the composter a tumble/turn every one-three days to help aerate it and get those little microbes working.

 

Overall, things have improved considerably, which I am very grateful for.  I am hoping that this will show that compost piles can be 'fixed' once they are (very much so) broken - something I couldn't find while researching online.