Hookahhead's Worm Farm!

[Sweetdog760]

Awesome write up. Not trying to detract from it what so ever but for you lazy stoners out there (like my self) who dont want to build anything a simple fabric pot with a plank of wood over makes a great alternative to the bin system. It solves the the water logging problem and theyre as cheap if not cheaper than plastic bins.

 

[Lapides]

This is a great post.


I just use a double tuffbox design, holes drilled in the bottom of one, sitting inside the other on top of PVC pipe to proved space for air and draining.



I don't have as much kitchen food waste as you, but I have several very large trees in my yard that drop tons of leaves every year. I really haven't had much of a lawn, but I've mowed and gathered enough green to make a decent amount of compost to feed the worms. I gather all of the leaves and run them through a shredder and I have a compost tumbler that turns it all to compost in about a week or two depending on how much I spin it.


This past fall I planted a bunch of grass seed in my front yard hoping to increase the amount of green I can collect. I for certain have enough leaves and it would be nice to have a good looking front lawn and quadruple the number of worm bins I have.


So yeah the worms really love the compost. Once they've gone through it for awhile, I won't bother to screen it. I put a bunch of food on one side of the bin a few days before I know I'm gonna need some castings and a huge bulk of the worms go right for the food leaving the other side pretty clear to harvest. I WANT a few worms in what I'm going to be using anyway. Then I just fill in the vacant spot with fresh compost. Lather, rinse, repeat.


I love worms. They do SO much work that I used to have to do and hated doing it.

 

[PCBuds]

The worms that I raise are often generically called red wiggler worms, or tiger worms due to the yellow banding on the tail. Scientifically they are Eisenia fetida. There are other types that are suitable such as Eisenia hortensis, Eudrillus eugeniae, Perionyx excavates and a few others. All live in similar conditions, but are better adapted to different areas. They are what are considered "leaf litter" feeders and are typically found in the top 12" of soil. Canadian night crawlers are not a correct type of worm to use. They are deep burrowers and do not like to be disturbed, not suited for a enclosed bin...

I didn't know that.

I won't be using Canadian Night Crawlers then if I ever start a worm bin.

I've been fishing since I was a kid and all I've ever used was our locally sourced worms.

You go out at night with a flashlight and pull them out of their holes. They're sensitive to light and vibration and they are lightning-fast when they pull back into their hole.

I remember going fishing once and bought some worms from a vending machine.
The machine was a great idea because you can buy worms at 4 am to get to the water by dawn.

Those worms happened to be Red Wigglers. I had never seen them before and I guess they're a good candidate for being in a vending machine.

Those worms really are Wiggly!
They're hard to get on the hook, but they work great.

Fish don't like dead worms and those things just keep on squirming!

 

[JustSumTomatoes]

Wow, this is really cool. The first thing that came to mind was the worm farm skit from Dumb and Dumber "I've got worms." Nice to see that you also have worms.

 

[ESTERCHASER]

yeah i remember you from the shroomery, chit its where i learned lemon tek from! IVe lost all my syringes of PE< BLUE DEVILS and cambodian mushie from a buddy sadly but i took the energy and made similar set ups using city recycling bins they hand out here in burlington.........lasagna type layering and id give them everything you do as well as my hair from haircuts( i dont use products on my scalp but argan oil) i was my head with handmade bar soap from a local soap maker(hey its a hippie town i was born in!) I'm trying to encourage folks to emulate this process locally, strangely frustrating that folks wanna be lazy in alot of cases, like there needs to be an app on a device to help them rather then good ole fashioned read instructions and give er a go! great thread hook

 

[ESTERCHASER]

20 gallons or more

20 gallons or more

I didn't know that.

I won't be using Canadian Night Crawlers then if I ever start a worm bin.

I've been fishing since I was a kid and all I've ever used was our locally sourced worms.

You go out at night with a flashlight and pull them out of their holes. They're sensitive to light and vibration and they are lightning-fast when they pull back into their hole.

I remember going fishing once and bought some worms from a vending machine.
The machine was a great idea because you can buy worms at 4 am to get to the water by dawn.

Those worms happened to be Red Wigglers. I had never seen them before and I guess they're a good candidate for being in a vending machine.

Those worms really are Wiggly!
They're hard to get on the hook, but they work great.

Fish don't like dead worms and those things just keep on squirming!

they do have their place in our gardens tho............i use crawlers ( i like to think i free them from jail being in a bait styrofoam container)
and put 5-6 into everyplant pot above 10 gallons, i figure they help airate the medium ...ill put a top dress of "food" for them (coffee grounds etc etc) and let them do their thing, if they die the plant uptakes their leftovers. just my little experiment

 

[St. Phatty]

As far as collecting them, I find leaving objects scattered around the side yard helps a lot.

e.g. bags of dirt. Come back and lift them up later, there's the worms.

 

[TychoMonolyth]

A local farmer has dumped about 10 loads of manure on the edge of a field that is accessible via an unmaintained road way / trail. I'll be digging for worms this spring