Worming 101

[Dignan]

You need red wigglers, not night crawlers. I get coffee cans full of red wigglers at the farmer's market for $5. The local garden center sells about 2 cups of red wigglers for $15. Either way, pretty cheap.

 

[Clackamas Coot]

I get coffee cans full of red wigglers at the farmer's market for $5

That isn't just cheap - that's insane cheap.

Generally you pay between $20.00 - $25.00 per lb. for the Red Wigglers. The African Nightcrawlers (still a composting worm in spite of its name) usually start at $35.00 and go up to $50.00 per lb. They're popular with fishermen because of their size.

At $5.00 for a coffee can full of worms you could have a huge worm bin up and running in less than a month for about $30.00 worth of worms (6 cans) which is probably about 10 lbs. of worms at least.

Wow! What a deal!

CC

 

[Dignan]

Indeedy! Last August I put a coffee can full of worms (they're actually full of castings and worms, not just worms) into an 18-gallon Rubbermaid bin and a couple weeks ago I harvested about 14 gallons of high quality castings. That was my first go and it went very well. For $5 worth of worms and a bunch of kitchen scraps, I harvested about $80 worth of fresh EWC.

By the way, a friend of mine buys red wigglers from the local bait shop. I'm not a fisherman, but apparently red wigglers are common bait worms.

Dig

 

[HighonPottery]

Hey guys...do you think it would be a good idea to feed my worms a jar of moldy buds? I recently found a jar with a little over an O of hogsbreath that I obviously didn't dry out well enough nor aired it out and now it is all moldy. I can't even remember when I harvested the stuff...I guess I have too much/smoke too much, hehehe.

So I was thinking of throwing in about half of it into my worm bin and the other half outside in my compost pile. You think they'd get high? I wouldn't mind getting them high, I just don't want them to die.

Peace

 

[Clackamas Coot]

Hey guys...do you think it would be a good idea to feed my worms a jar of moldy buds? I recently found a jar with a little over an O of hogsbreath that I obviously didn't dry out well enough nor aired it out and now it is all moldy. I can't even remember when I harvested the stuff...I guess I have too much/smoke too much, hehehe.

So I was thinking of throwing in about half of it into my worm bin and the other half outside in my compost pile. You think they'd get high? I wouldn't mind getting them high, I just don't want them to die.

Peace

That's how I get rid of my garden waste - by feeding it to the worms. Moldy anything isn't a problem for worms.

Just avoid the usual - dairy, meat, oils, etc.

 

[Dignan]

Question-

How do red wigglers do in garden soil outdoors?

I called the local worm guy today to get another $5 coffee can of worms/castings because I dumped all my castings and worms from the winter worm bin into the veggie garden a couple months ago.

He asked me if I'd done that in the past with good results because red wigglers, aka 'manure worms', don't do well in garden soil. They are much more effective in a worm bin, doing their thang.

I dig into my veggie garden soil every week and check the worm populations and so far they seem happy and fat. But I am wondering if they'll eventually die off out there.

Any thoughts, worm wranglers of ICMag?

Thanks!

Dignan

 

[Clackamas Coot]

Question-

How do red wigglers do in garden soil outdoors?

I called the local worm guy today to get another $5 coffee can of worms/castings because I dumped all my castings and worms from the winter worm bin into the veggie garden a couple months ago.

He asked me if I'd done that in the past with good results because red wigglers, aka 'manure worms', don't do well in garden soil. They are much more effective in a worm bin, doing their thang.

I dig into my veggie garden soil every week and check the worm populations and so far they seem happy and fat. But I am wondering if they'll eventually die off out there.

Any thoughts, worm wranglers of ICMag?

Thanks!

Dignan

Dig

Bad news/good news deal.

The bad news is that your worm supplier was correct that Red Wigglers do not do well in a garden bed. If you had a very thick layer of leaf mulch and you kept it at the proper moisture level that these worms require, then they would live for a few weeks but not much beyond that.

The good news is that if you're digging into your garden beds and you are seeing a large number of earthworms, and especially if they're big, then keep on doing what you're doing. That's one of the first tests done on soil being considered for farming is to first take a look at the number of earthworms that are found in a square foot. Then the PH tests, etc.

If you're setting up a new worm bin, and money isn't an object, take a look at the African Nightcrawlers which are actually composting worms. They're the size of the earthworms you find in your garden, they are voracious eaters and multiply somewhat faster than Red Wigglers.

The downside is that they have to be kept warmer than regular worms. And they're not cheap - usually around $40.00 per lb. They're not for everyone but it's an interesting alternative.

HTH

CC

 

[Dignan]

Thanks, CC! That helps. I'll stick with the reds and just refrain from putting them in the garden in the future. I'm way too cheap for $40/lb when the local worm folks are so inexpensive. You know how it is.

Yep, getting ready to set up a brand new worm bin and try to top the last one. I love my worms!!

Peace-

Dig

 

[Vetus Fossor]

Here I sit, new worm bin at the ready and no worms. I finally got off my duff and ordered some worms. For years the wife and I debated doing a bin. Finally, thanks to you folks, we moved our butts JUST enough to get the wallet out of my back pocket. I'm psyched. It's something I've wanted to do for years. Fresh casings here I come.

 

[HighonPottery]

congratulations on the new worm bin!

 

[Dignan]

congratulations on the new worm bin!

 

[OldPork]

I have a large rubbermaid worm bin and the castings are like a thick black paste. But I never made tea. How does one make tea??

 

[Suby]

OK that does it, I'm off to the garage to drill some holes.


Big ups on the Bin!

S

 

[OldPork]

OK that does it, I'm off to the garage to drill some holes.


Big ups on the Bin!

S

Yeah do it Suby! I have had my bin a year and a half. I got my worms from here: http://wormlady.com/?page_id=3
It takes about 6 months to work up a good population of worms, but once they get going they eat everything and I shit you not when I say I have about 50 pounds of the pastiest blackest tar castings you can imagine. It's like 10 inches of black SLUDGE but no odor at all. If castings do what they say I got the ultimate and a garden of serious AK and GHS WW fem will soon be growing in it. Pot grown in castings is tasty and smooth, pot fed with chemical nutes TASTES LIKE SHIT. I'm in it for a good smooth smoke with a nice aroma. Just go to Home Depot of Lowes and get a 30 gallon rubbermaid bin, and I use regular door screening on the bottom to keep the worms in before I load the bedding. Drill a bunch of 1/4 holde for drainage and put it on bricks with an oil pan to catch the drippings. I guess that's the tea! I also cover the opt woth a screen and leave the lid ajar for oxygen flow.

 

[Dignan]

Started my newest worm bin this weekend after picking up a new coffee can o' worms at the farmers market. Ol' worm guy didn't even raise his prices this year... still $5.00. But the can isn't full like I remembered... it's 1/2 full. But it's almost all worms with just a few castings and some bedding.

Not bad for five bones. The way it should be! I love the ol' worm guy!

Dig

 

[quadracer]

Question-

How do red wigglers do in garden soil outdoors?

I called the local worm guy today to get another $5 coffee can of worms/castings because I dumped all my castings and worms from the winter worm bin into the veggie garden a couple months ago.

He asked me if I'd done that in the past with good results because red wigglers, aka 'manure worms', don't do well in garden soil. They are much more effective in a worm bin, doing their thang.

I dig into my veggie garden soil every week and check the worm populations and so far they seem happy and fat. But I am wondering if they'll eventually die off out there.

Any thoughts, worm wranglers of ICMag?

Thanks!

Dignan

Outside, they like a lit of mulch with plenty of compost in the soil. They really like the rootmass of a plant, as practically every weed I have pulled contains a worm.

Indoors I've found worms still alive in the soil after the plant was cut. I'm not sure if they were mixed in previous to the grow, or the more likely grew from the cocoon in the castings mixed in. Either way, it was nice to see some life in there.

Of course, they thrive in a bin with food scraps. Have you ever though of burying your scraps? This will attract worms in the soil to the food, which will break down in a month or two.

Worms will move into compost piles too once when the temps cool down enough for them.

 

[Tactical Farmer]

Any one hear that having worms in your indoor mix is bad as they eat roots ?

 

[ixnay007]

I'd say that's a load of crap.. they eat dead plant matter.

They'll eat your roots if there's absolutely nothing left for them to eat in the soil, and anyone with good organic soil should have plenty of things for them to eat.

I'd say it's not a good idea to have em in your soil because you'll probably drown em with the teas and the ferts may be a bit strong for them.

 

[Suby]

 

[emmy75]

cool thread that ive noticed before but never checked out. it turns out that my city rents out worm bins for a one time fee of 50 which included the worms. my neighbor has one and is using just the worm juice to grow corn by the side of her house. her plants look amazing so far.

thanks suby for starting this thread and helping a newbie like myself get started. great information as always.