DIY - Build your own wormbin - Cheap and effective

[gramsci.antonio]

Gramsci when you say 5% humus what exactly did you put in there? If you didn't already, it would be a real good idea to go back to where you sourced your worms and grab a shovel full of that native humus.

The worms are more into the microorganisms on the surface of the food which break it down, then the food itself. The food is like the toast LOL. The microorganisms or jelly/butter on top is the good stuff It's normal for the food to decompose some before the worms eat it, but if it's rotting really bad and they aren't eating it placing some of the native soil in your bin will add the microorganisms those worms are more suited to eating on. That's why it's always good to get your worms from someone who keeps worms themselves, so when you get your worms you get some of the beneficials from the bin with them.

Usually they'll eat all scraps to nothing, so no worries of moldy food being in ur finished product. The molding is the first part of the decomposition, the next part is the worms eating it up.

Have you tried sourcing red worms online yet? I always see them offered at some of the online organic gardening sites I visit. In fact just the other day on ebay I saw someone selling a handfuls of his worms, and bin material for those interested in starting their own bin.

I've used the same humus the warm were placed in... For the reason you told me... plus a very slight bit of soil from a compost bin of a friend of mine... but it was like half a glass... because it stinks as hell!! i placed the compost mixed with some bread and a small bit of organic molassed to boost the bacterial population...

Ok if you tell me the mold is ok i'm fine... but i know that molds are VERY bad for human beings... and i have the bin RIGHT UNDER my bed... won't some mold spores escape and harm me?
I know bacteria are bad and infact i always troughly wash my hands everytime i touch the bin... but what about the spores????

 

[gramsci.antonio]

Your bread is not an attractive diet to the worms you have, they'll adapt (and even begin to love it) but bread is bad food, and it won't help the humus much - bleach, rancid oils, salt....

ok, what would you use?

 

[Guest]

Well, I think you have worms more adapted to forest life than garbage disposal.

imo, white bread is just that, garbage.

Try leaf matter, leftovers from salads etc, weeds you've pulled from the garden, and food scraps mixed in from kitchen, add eggshell or crushed shells for grit (worms need grit to aid digestion) add in some newspaper for bedding (should be non-toxic ink in all papers these days you can check local rag to be sure)
old clothes, allsorts can be digested,

In a nutshell, what I'm saying is, if the end products of the worm farm are going to be consumed by you...

protect the input.

Worms can eat motor oil, but would you put the resultant worm humus in your grow?

 

[Guest]

ROFL!

Nothing stinks more than.....

A right whale being prepared for display. Te Papa Museum in NZ. If you meet the marine biologist and ask for 'the tour of smells' you'll never forget it for the rest of your life.

 

[gramsci.antonio]

Ok now i can give some updates based on experience:

The worn stopped fleeing away, now you can see them going around happly (? how can you tell that a worm is happy? ) in the coco.

No mold in seen, earthy, pleasant smell. It looks very good.
In 6 months i'm going to do some analysis.

 

[Green Tucan]

Just curious how do you get your final product the worm shit? Does it fall thru the holes on the bottom? So you can collect the shit on the bottom then use it to makes teas or to mix it with your soil. Or do you put the soilmix you want to use with the castings into the bins and after 2 months u seperate the worms from the soil and then use that as your medium?

 

[gramsci.antonio]

Just curious how do you get your final product the worm shit? Does it fall thru the holes on the bottom? So you can collect the shit on the bottom then use it to makes teas or to mix it with your soil. Or do you put the soilmix you want to use with the castings into the bins and after 2 months u seperate the worms from the soil and then use that as your medium?

the second, after 6 months. I proceed by layer.

The first layer was put, then some food. Then a second layer. Now i'll use the coco from my plants wich is rich in roots and good organism. I'll place a rich layer of food then the coco. In 4 months i'm going to mix it and do some analysis. Based on the results i'll add more nutrients and in two month i'll crop the worms to another bin and start using the humus.

 

[fenomeno_djo]

gramsci.antonio, can you reupload the wormbin photos ? Please!

 

[al-k-mist]

-- Also - if you freeze your table scaps(worm friendly food only) then add it into your worm bin they will be able to digest the food alot easier( i think its called predigestion )... oh yeah make sure its not frozen when adding to the bin

What this does is bursts the cell walls when the waters expand. When it thaws, its not the same. freeze and thaw a couple times for fuller cellular destrction

 

[Neo 420]

I've used the same humus the warm were placed in... For the reason you told me... plus a very slight bit of soil from a compost bin of a friend of mine... but it was like half a glass... because it stinks as hell!! i placed the compost mixed with some bread and a small bit of organic molassed to boost the bacterial population...

Good compost, ewc or soil should not stink. That compost may have been taken prematurely.
As someone else stated in here, cut the bread....