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Worming 101
- Thread starter Suby
- Start date
G33k Speak
Member
I'm in!
I'm in!
Wow- a bit of googlefu show there' a lot of vermi-composting programs.....so I'm gonna give it a shot....
If it works, I can turn my rootballs and waste into organic fish food!
I'm in!
Wow- a bit of googlefu show there' a lot of vermi-composting programs.....so I'm gonna give it a shot....
If it works, I can turn my rootballs and waste into organic fish food!
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Tactical Farmer
Member
G33k Speak said:Wow- a bit of googlefu show there' a lot of vermicompocting programs.....so I'm gonna give it a shot....
If it works, I can turn my rootballs and waste into organic fish food!
Worm Food...
G33k Speak
Member
Tactical Farmer said:Worm Food...
Sorry, I din't mention-I only run aquaponics right now.
So I feed the worms to the fish, which then feed the plants.
G33k Speak
Member
I placed a call to my worm broker, and he'll be making a drop of 1 pound of pure red wigglin goodness on Sunday night...
But Here's the one from last week.. I only had about 100 or so. Cardboard, newsprint and peat, with some eggshells, coffee grounds, banana peels, avocado skins and some stems and leaves.
But Here's the one from last week.. I only had about 100 or so. Cardboard, newsprint and peat, with some eggshells, coffee grounds, banana peels, avocado skins and some stems and leaves.
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I just got a cupful of red wrigglers out of my compost bin. I've been trying to lure good numbers in there as the store wants $47.95 for 500 grams.
I don't know how much a cupful is but in the worm bin it looks like plenty to start with.
I tried all sorts of things to lure em in but in summer the black soldier flies ate all the food before worms could get to it.
Now that it's winter the heaps cooled enough that slaters and worms are doing the bulk of the composting. Still wasn't able to grab numbers of them though, then I added a sackful of paper plates and cups with some coffee grounds. 2-3 weeks later there's so many wrigglers I was able to remove a cupful from the top layer of the bin in about 15 minutes.
I don't know how much a cupful is but in the worm bin it looks like plenty to start with.
I tried all sorts of things to lure em in but in summer the black soldier flies ate all the food before worms could get to it.
Now that it's winter the heaps cooled enough that slaters and worms are doing the bulk of the composting. Still wasn't able to grab numbers of them though, then I added a sackful of paper plates and cups with some coffee grounds. 2-3 weeks later there's so many wrigglers I was able to remove a cupful from the top layer of the bin in about 15 minutes.
That will be a good N, Ca & K compost when finished, especially in the K department.Here's a permaculture idea for worms that I really like.
Worms distribute the castings for you. And you can water the garden nice and deep.
Worm Tower
I'm going to keep encouraging the compost to breed worms while it's still winter see if I can't get a couple more cupfuls and put a couple of these worm towers out in my veggie patch as well as make castings in my new worm farm.
I don't see why you couldn't make similar with a 5 gallon bucket, just cut the bottom off, drill it, bury a bit, fill it, lid on... White bucket is maybe better or heat could be an issue. But it is of course lighter... How heat tolerant are red wrigglers?
Old Terra Cotta would probably work too just got to take care in the drilling stage.
Paintjob optional
Worms distribute the castings for you. And you can water the garden nice and deep.
Worm Tower
I'm going to keep encouraging the compost to breed worms while it's still winter see if I can't get a couple more cupfuls and put a couple of these worm towers out in my veggie patch as well as make castings in my new worm farm.
I don't see why you couldn't make similar with a 5 gallon bucket, just cut the bottom off, drill it, bury a bit, fill it, lid on... White bucket is maybe better or heat could be an issue. But it is of course lighter... How heat tolerant are red wrigglers?
Old Terra Cotta would probably work too just got to take care in the drilling stage.
Paintjob optional
Organic Rooster
Member
I just started a worm composter myself, hope it all works out!
quadracer
Active member
I got my wormbin going perpetual now!
Every time I harvest the lower bin (3 bin system, Can O' Worms), I'll pick the worms out of the castings and use them to start a new bin. There are still plenty of worms left, and even the castings will have worms hatching for months after.
Now I have a bin at work, at home, at my parents house, and at a friends house.
Spread the love, share some worms!
Every time I harvest the lower bin (3 bin system, Can O' Worms), I'll pick the worms out of the castings and use them to start a new bin. There are still plenty of worms left, and even the castings will have worms hatching for months after.
Now I have a bin at work, at home, at my parents house, and at a friends house.
Spread the love, share some worms!
rckymtnthuglife
Member
Well, after going back and re-reading this thread...I'll throw my two cents in the pile.
First off, I started my first worm bin with a half pound of red wrigglers in an 18 gal rubbermaid with tiny holes drilled in the lid. After a day of fishing I decided "what the hell" and threw the leftover nightcrawlers in the bin. After a couple months it was obvious they multiplied...they do tend to like the bottom of the bin opposed to wrigglers which like the top.
Nowadays everytime I see a worm it goes in one of 3 bins I've got going...couldn't even count how many species I have in there...I even tell friends to bring me a couple worms from the backyard before they come to visit.
Anyhow, I don't bother picking the worms out of the castings. All my indoor container plants have worms living in the soil and all my soil lying around for the next cycle is chock full of worms....with no lids. My worm bins are inside....so where are the worms going to escape too....I've already provided them a great environment.
So yes worms will live in your indoor soil mixes...and yes it's okay to use other species of worms than red wrigglers...although I do recommend having them in your bin because of how fast they reproduce and how voracious they are...but I say the more worms the marrier....I think science calls it biodiversity.
Peace
Rocky
First off, I started my first worm bin with a half pound of red wrigglers in an 18 gal rubbermaid with tiny holes drilled in the lid. After a day of fishing I decided "what the hell" and threw the leftover nightcrawlers in the bin. After a couple months it was obvious they multiplied...they do tend to like the bottom of the bin opposed to wrigglers which like the top.
Nowadays everytime I see a worm it goes in one of 3 bins I've got going...couldn't even count how many species I have in there...I even tell friends to bring me a couple worms from the backyard before they come to visit.
Anyhow, I don't bother picking the worms out of the castings. All my indoor container plants have worms living in the soil and all my soil lying around for the next cycle is chock full of worms....with no lids. My worm bins are inside....so where are the worms going to escape too....I've already provided them a great environment.
So yes worms will live in your indoor soil mixes...and yes it's okay to use other species of worms than red wrigglers...although I do recommend having them in your bin because of how fast they reproduce and how voracious they are...but I say the more worms the marrier....I think science calls it biodiversity.
Peace
Rocky
HighonPottery
Member
only thing i don't like about worms in indoor soil mixes is the castings that they like to poop out of the drainage holes at the bottom. makes things messy. other than that, i think they are better to have in your containers so they can help aerate your soil and eat all the old roots.
quadracer
Active member
rckymtnthuglife said:
True that. It's also good to trade worms with another worm farmer. Genetic diversity is our friend!!!
I like to collect worms when it rains. I go around with a flathead screwdriver (makes picking worms up a cinch) with a dish and scoop them from the little rain streams.
Last time they all were put in my comfrey bed. I must have collected over 50!
emmy75
Member
Thanks Suby for all the information uve posted. im going to get started on my worm bin immediately so by my next grow i will have nice fresh compost and my own worm castings.
vermipro is a company located where i live. they sell worms, bins and bedding for the worms. they have bundle prices but i just wanna get the worms and bedding.
i read the how to build a worm bin but im wondering if anyone here has done multiple level bins. obviously the link to overgrow is no good and well im the kinda gal who needs instructions when building.
edit: well i read that wood is better than plastic and environmentally better too so i found this website and this is what i want to build.
how cute is this worm composting bin
http://www.woodwormfarms.com/
i still need help though
vermipro is a company located where i live. they sell worms, bins and bedding for the worms. they have bundle prices but i just wanna get the worms and bedding.
i read the how to build a worm bin but im wondering if anyone here has done multiple level bins. obviously the link to overgrow is no good and well im the kinda gal who needs instructions when building.
edit: well i read that wood is better than plastic and environmentally better too so i found this website and this is what i want to build.
how cute is this worm composting bin
http://www.woodwormfarms.com/
i still need help though
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Hi folks.
I just collected easily 4 lbs of worms yesterday from my compost bin. Most are red wrigglers.
So I made a bin and am scared they'll try escape. Why, I don't know, I'm not a worm (till I drink tequila).
I have a 2 inch thick base, 2 inches up there is nylon mesh. The worms can get in and out of this mesh if they try, the edges are suspended 2 inches, the centre touches ground. Will they all run away? The farm is about 9 sq ft.
The farm itself is only 5 inches high above the mesh, I'll extrend it to 7 1/2" today. And a lid.
So it's a box, no base but a screen there. Thousands of worms.
Bedding is wet newspaper scraps (wet for several days in kelp water), leaf litter, previous bedding from a smaller bin, and I fed about 2 kilos of both coffee grounds and veggie scraps/eggshells on one side.
How else should I settle them in? Soft music?
This is two hundred dollars worth of worms at market value. I really hope my new condo I built them works. In a nice shady spot too.
If you want a shitload of free worms yourself....
A compost bin that has a constant input of food scraps will begin to collect worms. Over the course of one temperate winter I have collected masses of worms from the top layers. Straw layers underneath and above the food are used as bedding. When a couple of kilos of food is gone in a week, you either have masses of worms, or black soldier flies (or rats!).
It is too cool yet for soldier flies so I went digging. Oh boy!
Build it, they will come.
Built a new one, will they stay?
I just collected easily 4 lbs of worms yesterday from my compost bin. Most are red wrigglers.
So I made a bin and am scared they'll try escape. Why, I don't know, I'm not a worm (till I drink tequila).
I have a 2 inch thick base, 2 inches up there is nylon mesh. The worms can get in and out of this mesh if they try, the edges are suspended 2 inches, the centre touches ground. Will they all run away? The farm is about 9 sq ft.
The farm itself is only 5 inches high above the mesh, I'll extrend it to 7 1/2" today. And a lid.
So it's a box, no base but a screen there. Thousands of worms.
Bedding is wet newspaper scraps (wet for several days in kelp water), leaf litter, previous bedding from a smaller bin, and I fed about 2 kilos of both coffee grounds and veggie scraps/eggshells on one side.
How else should I settle them in? Soft music?
This is two hundred dollars worth of worms at market value. I really hope my new condo I built them works. In a nice shady spot too.
If you want a shitload of free worms yourself....
A compost bin that has a constant input of food scraps will begin to collect worms. Over the course of one temperate winter I have collected masses of worms from the top layers. Straw layers underneath and above the food are used as bedding. When a couple of kilos of food is gone in a week, you either have masses of worms, or black soldier flies (or rats!).
It is too cool yet for soldier flies so I went digging. Oh boy!
Build it, they will come.
Built a new one, will they stay?
I just went and added a base. They can get out if they're determined, but nowhere near so easy.
I spread some castings on a garden plot and went to get leaf litter -hullo, hundreds more worms. I added some paper cups under the leaf pile, worm metropolis.
So even easier to get a shitload of worms, get some organic paper cups from a cafe, cover in a pile of leaves. Add a sprinkling of blood and bone. Cover to protect from rain, keep damp with a sprinkling of water every month or so. Leave over winter till mid spring. Tadaa - worms!
The compost bin had a lot more, but it took a lot of scraps to build the numbers up to critical mass where I'm picking up a dirt handful (feels too soft).... examine, 90% worms.
I spread some castings on a garden plot and went to get leaf litter -hullo, hundreds more worms. I added some paper cups under the leaf pile, worm metropolis.
So even easier to get a shitload of worms, get some organic paper cups from a cafe, cover in a pile of leaves. Add a sprinkling of blood and bone. Cover to protect from rain, keep damp with a sprinkling of water every month or so. Leave over winter till mid spring. Tadaa - worms!
The compost bin had a lot more, but it took a lot of scraps to build the numbers up to critical mass where I'm picking up a dirt handful (feels too soft).... examine, 90% worms.
emmy it doesn't get easier, go for it! http://whatcom.wsu.edu/ag/compost/Easywormbin.htm
Fista, i'm sure they will stay. You said it's cold? Good for you, they will love the heat when organic matter start to decompose.
Fista, i'm sure they will stay. You said it's cold? Good for you, they will love the heat when organic matter start to decompose.
Forgot to mention. you can add chitin (crab shell, locust, cicada, preying mantis shells) to your worms and they will select for fungi and microbes that break it down.
The end result is you have castings containing fungi that kill larval stages of insects in the soil. This is patented, but doesn't stop the home gardener from doing it themselves.
If you use crab or lobster shell make sure you get all the meat out first, then crush up fine, and add.
The end result is you have castings containing fungi that kill larval stages of insects in the soil. This is patented, but doesn't stop the home gardener from doing it themselves.
If you use crab or lobster shell make sure you get all the meat out first, then crush up fine, and add.
