2nd Annual Back to School Worm and Bike Sale this Saturday August 29, 2009

Worm Girl and Bike Guy are getting together again this year to offer you  everything you need for a green start to the new school year: recycled bikes for gas-free transportation and worms and vermicomposters for apartment or dorm composting. The sale takes place on August 29th at 8258 Casgrain (near metros Jarry and Castelnau, see here for a map) from 12 noon to 1pm. If you’re interested in the bikes be sure to get there early to get the best selection!

Worm Girl will have ready-to-use vermicompost bins as well as 1/2 pound packages of worms available. So whether you’re ready to start vermicomposting or just want to see what it’s all about, come by and meet the worms, pick up some vermicomposting supplies, ask questions or just to chat about composting. Oh, and take one of the bikes for a test ride if you like. The Bike Guy will have over 20 bikes to choose from, priced between 70 and 120$ (see the bike site for more details).

1/2 lb Compost worms (aka Red Wigglers) 15$

Ready-to-use vermicomposter (worms included) 30$

July Compost Worm Extravaganza

The summer may be off to a wet start but the worms are loving the warm wet weather. And since the worms are so productive there will be worm sales every week in July. If you’ve been thinking about starting vermicomposting now’s the time! Contact Worm Girl to find out when and where the next sale is taking place.

Worm Girl Montreal wishes everyone all the best in 2009

Happy New Year!

I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling that this time of year is a letdown. After the whirlwind of shopping, feasting and getting together with family and friends of the holiday season, Jan. 1 typically has me feeling drained, bloated and lonely. This year is not so bad. I shopped a lot less this year because I made earth-friendly reusable table napkins for most of the people on my list.

And I tried to spread the holiday activities over the whole week so I could spend more quality time with all the people I hardly see all year because we’re all too busy with work and school.

And, of course, the fun’s not really over because there’s another event coming up in February that has me excited and busy. That event is Seedy Sunday/Fetes des Semences and in Montreal it falls on February 8^th in 2009. Last year was my first time at Seedy Sunday and I have been looking forward to the next one ever since. Last year the reception hall of the Botanical gardens was crammed full with seed vendor kiosks selling all kinds of unusual and heirloom seeds, as well as gardening products and books. And in a well hidden room at the back I found heaven – the seed exchange where I picked up some neat treasures including Black Italian Tomatoes, Chocolate Peppers, Swiss Chard, Scarlet Runner Beans, Coriander, Basil and more. So now that the holiday season is over I’m busy sorting and packaging the seeds I collected this fall. I have Green Zebra, Debarao and Black Italian tomato, dill, and probably others. Here are the simple seed packs I made last year:

Last chance to buy compost worms before Christmas

This Monday December 22nd will be the last worm and vermicompost bin sale before Christmas. The sale will take place between 7 and 9 pm in Cote-des-Neiges.  Contact the Worm Girl or visit the Worm Store to place an order and get the address.

If you are looking for a cool gift for an eco-conscious friend or planning to make reducing your household’s impact on the enviroment your new year’s resolution then the worm sale is the place to be.

Worm Store Montreal is Finally Here!

Worm Store Montreal is an online store that sells compost worms and vermicomposters in the Greater Montreal Area

People who are interested in starting a worm compost bin, or vermicomposter, now have a new resource. The Worm Store Montreal (http://wormgirlmontreal.wordpress.com/worm-store-montreal/) is an online store where people in the greater Montreal area can purchase compost worms (also known as red wigglers or manure worms) and ready-to-use vermicompost bins.

The store sells red wigglers for 10$ per half pound (the amount needed to start a new vermicompost bin) and vermicompost bins for 25$, worms included. Red Wiggler worms are awesome eating machines that can consume almost half their body weight in food scraps per day. They  produce a fertile and nutrient rich compost soil that plants just love!

Vermicomposting is an easy and odourless method of recycling kitchen and garden waste into fertile soil using special compost worms. Since vermicomposting requires little space it can be done indoors and it is gaining in popularity in Montreal, especially among apartment- and condo-dwellers.

To learn more about vermicomposting use the Vermicomposting 101 link above.

To see the original press release use the following links:

HTML Version
http://www.prlog.org/10151243-worm-store-montreal-now-open.html

PDF Version
http://www.prlog.org/10151243-worm-store-montreal-now-open.pdf

A Tale of 2 Gardens

Earlier this summer I was beside myself with joy when I won a spot in the Hellmann’s Urban Garden in Montreal. I was slightly disappointed when they decided not to give out the garden spots on May 31st as planned because it was raining. After all, I had been waiting my whole life to get my hands in the dirt in my very own garden plot. I was completely devastated when the garden animators finally put in an appearance in early June because they announced that the city of Montreal no longer does community gardens and so the Hellmann’s garden in Montreal would be a collective garden instead. So instead of getting the 4×8 foot plot Hellmann’s promised in the contest, all I got was the opportunity to garden a small, shady and weedy garden with 14 other contest winners plus anyone else who felt like gardening and lived nearby. Great for anyone who lives nearby but not exactly a prize worth entering a contest to win. And when I let Hellmann’s know what was happening in Montreal they agreed. They made a few calls and eventually the garden animators had to give in and give the contest winners the 4×8 plots that they were entitled to. Which is why I didn’t actually get to plant my Hellmann’s garden plot until last week. I planted some carrots, beets, bush beans, broccoli, rutabaga, corn, and beet berry. They’ve all sprouted thanks to the abundant rains we’ve had lately but I’m not sure I’ll get much of a harvest.

The collective side of the Hellmann's garden

Mine is the second plot from the left

Broccoli sprouts

Fortunately, on the first Saturday in June I got the call that my name had come up on the waiting list and there was a spot in the Chateaufort Community garden on Van Horne. The Chateaufort garden has been a much more pleasing experience. When I first arrived the plot was half 3 foot high densely packed weeds and half mint so it was a huge job just making room to plant. I also found a giant rhubarb plant, Jerusalem artichokes, lettuce, and chives among the weeds. I added all my heirloom tomatoes, onions, peppers, cucumbers, butternut squash, zucchini, beets, carrots, lemon grass, basil, and Swiss chard. Then some gardeners in neighboring plots offered me some unknown organic heirloom tomato seedlings, leeks and dill which I couldn’t refuse. And I traded a piece of rhubarb crown for a strawberry plant. And I still have a little room left for some late season lettuce plantings.

My plot in Chateaufort

Mixed heirloom beets

Black Italian tomatoes

A tiny harvest from my good garden

Compost worm distributions

A lot of people wonder how the worm distributions work so I think it’s time to demystify the process. Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions:

Q. Where do you get your worms?

A. I keep 6 vermicompost bins like the ones that I sell. I use these to grow all the worms that I use to prepare the vermicompost bins and to sell to people who already have bins. My bins have been in use for a couple of years now so they are very active and taking worms out of the bins actually stimulates the worm population to grow.

Q. Can I pick up my worms (now, tomorrow morning, on Monday afternoon)?

A. Sadly, Worm Girl is not my only job and my other job requires me to be in an office away from my worms bins for at least 40 hours each week. My work hours are also irregular, I sometimes work early, late and weekends. When you place an order I will let you know when the next worm distribution will be. It will be the next day that I am going to be home at a reasonable time. But do feel free to suggest convenient times for you when you place your order. If I can, I will try to be available when you are.

Q. What can I do with the compost my worms make?

A. Use it! Vermicompost is awesome for houseplants, lawns and gardens. If you live in an apartment and don’t keep any houseplants, you can probably find a friend or neighbor who will appreciate your compost. Or just sprinkle it on the ground outside. The tiny yard in front of your building will appreciate it even if no one else does.

Q. Can I feed my worms when I get home?

A. Yes, but easy does it. A new worm bin can handle a maximum of 1/2 pound of food scraps per day. The reason is that a worm bin needs more than just worms and bedding to work, it also needs microbes. Friendly bacteria and fungi help to get the compost process started by breaking down and softening the food so the worms can eat it. It takes a month or two for the microbe population in a new bin to really flourish. Until then, the decomposition process will be a bit slow.

Q. What fruits and vegetables should I avoid feeding to my worms?

A. None that I have found so far. There are a lot of websites that say that worms don’t like onions or citrus fruits but this is false. The fact is, some foods break down more slowly in the bin, not because the worms don’t like them, but because they have natural antimicrobial properties. This means it takes longer for the microbes in the bin to break them down so the worms can eat them. But the worms will eat them. Root vegetables and tubers like potatoes can actually grow in your worm bin which makes them slow to decompose. When you see things sprouting in your bin, just break up the shoots so they start to break down. Or transplant them in your garden. I grew some delicious potatoes from my worm bin on my balcony last year.

Q. How long can my worms stay in their packaging before I put them in my bin?

A. About 24 – 36 hours. I try to package the worms as close to pick up time as possible to minimize their distress. The sooner they get in their new home the better since they are crowded in their newspaper package and have no food to eat except their packaging.