Diana's "Worm Factory."

Hello Daylily Friends,

Several years ago I purchased an unusual birthday gift for my beautiful wife, Diana Rae.  What I bought was a "Worm Factory."  I just saw Diana making changes in her Worm Factory, and I thought that I might show you what she does with her worms.  First, she shreds paper, and she then uses this to fill a tray in her Factory.  She waters the paper, making sure that it is moist.  Moisture is important because the worms will be put back into the watered paper.  I'm showing a picture of Diana putting the shredded paper into the first tray, and I'm also showing her putting "coffee grounds" onto the top of the shredded paper.


The next step is to add "Cream of Wheat."  The mixture for the worms requires kitchen scraps and fiber.  The coffee grounds are the kitchen scraps, and the cream of wheat provides the fiber.  The worms will eat these things, and this will keep them healthy and productive.  At different times Diana also adds (1) crushed egg shells, (2) old cerials, (3) old fruit, and (4) vegetables that are past their prime.  Diana never puts meat or dairy products into her trays because these would be "bad" for the worms.

The next step is to take the worms from where they have been placed, and put them into the tray.  This needs to be done gently so as not to harm the worms.  Diana uses a spoon, and then she just uses her hands and fingers. It looks like nasty work to me, but Diana conducts the operation as you might imagine a surgeon would conduct surgery.  I might also add that Diana's worms are "Red Wigglers."  That is, they work together as a group.  Other types of worms work "independently" and can't do the work that is done by the Red Wigglers.

One of the purposes of farming with worms is to have a source of  "worm tea."  The tea is collected from a spicket that is at the front, bottom part of the unit.  The tea is simply collected in a jar, and then the tea is later mixed with water.  The mixture is then sprayed on Diana's plants.  The purpose is to make the plants healthier, and to prevent bugs from eating her plants.  I can report that this system works because I've seen the good results of her efforts.  Diana usually adds about a cup of worm tea to a gallon of water.

Well I must tell you about one flower.  It is Seedling 1-406, and the cross is as follows:  (Virgil's Suspenders x Wind Master).  The parents in VIRGIL'S SUSPENDERS are TET. INDIAN GIVER and WILD AND FREE.  This is certainly a "different" Unusual Form.  It is 36" Tall, with 3-4 Way Branching.  There are 22 Buds, and if I've measured the plants properly, it has a span on its flower of 11"  inches.  I like the color.  Since TET. INDIAN GIVER is in the immediate background of the parentage, it very seldom has spots.  I will introduce this beautiful daylily this coming fall.

Bill