Growing Together: Open Forum

I vermicompost in my classroom with a "Worm Factory 360", which is relatively easy and has been  successful over the last 4 years. I have been asked to show what composting looks like for the students to observe the process over the next few months/year. Do you have any experience with this and what do you think I can use to facilitate this process? I was thinking I could do this in a "fish tank" but cover the sides with black construction paper or fabric on the outside, so the critters are tucked in the dark. Do you think this will work or will it be too anerobic for the worms? Any suggestions are welcome!

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Lori Princiotto
Glenwood School
Short Hills NJ
9733797576
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Hi Lori,

We've been composting at our school for the last seven years -- we have both a vermicompost system as well as a large outdoor four-bin system. 

I think your idea of a fish tank is a good idea, you could also possibly use a dark colored towel or bedsheet which will be easy to lift and allow students to observe -- I don't think the small amount of light for a short time will be any more disturbing to the worms than it is to lift the cover and feed them.

If you have the ability to turn off the lights, or to keep the observation container in a dark room, and to use red lights to observe, that will completely eliminate light-stress, and add some additional tools that students will enjoy using. Of course, that may not be appropriate for all cases, but could be fun!

If you're concerned about anaerobic conditions, I would add a healthy amount of browns/bedding at the start--significantly more than the food you'll be adding. You could also be sure to frequently add powdered egg shells, which will lower the pH of the bin over time. Lastly, you could purchase an inexpensive pH meter so that you'll be able to know right away if there is a problem. 

Happy composting!

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Stephanie Rathsack
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