worm Bin number 5 - Page 2

Dreyadin · 08-14-2009, 08:33 PM

I only have holes on the sides and the stragglers will wander up past them to the lid but not go out through the side. I don't have drainage holes... so I just keep an eye on how wet the food is I put in to control moisture. For some reason holes on the sides they won't go through... but ones at the bottom they will. Natural response to go through the soil to find a cooler space, or more dampness, food, etc.

You don't want it exposed like that to rain mainly because all of their work is literally going down the drain. They can actually live in water for quite awhile. In a puddle or pond, UV rays will kill them before suffocating. Only takes about 15 minutes of sun for them to get a lethal sunburn.

If you have them outdoors, don't be surprised if a few extra bugs join the party. Usually you will find mites and springtails... they are feeding on the decomposing matter and don't seem to bother the worms. The flying pests... those are the buggers you definately do not want at all.

You have goats! Amusing creatures... only one I had constant contact with was this nanny named Myrtle who was brought in to keep a foal company (mare died a few days after delivering). She was always in to something... but what can you expect when you let it have free rein to wander about the stable.

Dick Shannon · 08-16-2009, 07:42 PM

Hi,

No goats now -- that was a previous incarnation. My wife and I started with 1 Alpine nanny and eventually worked our flock up to 7 goats. We were milking them, and doing pretty well, then we moved, and the goats are long in our past. Nothing more exciting than 1 cat and 1 dog.

I have finally found a way to keep the cat from digging and pooping in fresh dirt where I have recently planted. I lay down a piece of chicken wire fence over the row. The cat can walk on it, but can't really dig up the dirt, so she stays away.

I just planted Spinach for a fall crop and started Kale (not sure if I have enough time for the Kale).

Here's a link to a neat plan for worm bins with a way to get the worms separated out when they are through making castings, etc. http://www.mofga.org/Default.aspx?tabid=720

Best wishes for your garden, Dick

Dick Shannon · 10-17-2009, 06:11 PM

My worms never amounted to anything (there's a joke about "the lesser of two weevils" but that's another story). Maybe the small amount of horse manure compost kept them occupied, but they hardly touched the garbage I put in there. Plus we were harvesting onions left and right and cooking them up for supper, and I was told they don't like onions, so we had compost garbage building up in the kitchen, and my wife didn't like it. I agreed -- so finally after about 6 weeks, the worms all went back into the garden. As I dumped it out into one of my raised beds, there actually were a lot of worms there (little red wigglers) -- so maybe next year I'll try again, but not give them any horse manure compost. Would bedding of shredded paper, peat and maybe some composted maple leaves be okay to start them off with?

Dreyadin · 10-18-2009, 03:50 AM

lol yeah I figured that might happen when you said you had the horse manure compost in there. I am mean.. I chuck onion scraps in my bins. It is citrus that you need to be cautious about (or toss to the side of the bin until the limonene eventually oxidizes out.) Bedding options... think carbon and bland. No peat, it is very acidic. Shredded newspaper, dried grass clippings, shredded leaves (no walnut and the like with jugulone), straw (mine really were doing great with the straw... especially in the raised bed)... you get the idea.

In the spring if you find worms in the compost.. those are the ones you recruit. No grey colored ones (they are generally burrowers that dwell further in the soil.. go for the red pigmented ones.)

If you are offering really wet foods (high water content) just remember to work with drainage or take the lazy way like I do and use evaporation.

Limit compost you are adding as a bedding. That is what they love to go after. The microbes they eat are all over compost. A little bit of it on the scraps offered is fine as it will basically innoculate with the microbes to help get decomp going. Garden dirt also works. I've kinda switched over a bit more towards straw as it allows for more airflow and they seem to really like it both in the bins and even in the raised bed.

How much can be processed depends on how many worms you have.

I have a couple bins always going and I just alternate feeding. 3 right now are for scraps and they are trying to keep up but with the early snow they have several pounds of tomatoes, some cucumbers, some gourds... you get the idea. I have 2 other bins (and have to get another) that are basically to rebuild the soil from the containers used this summer. Straw on the bottom... large bunch of dirt (and rootballs, plant remnants, etc... the middle has some extra food that I couldn't get into the first 3 bins lol some straw more dirt topped with straw. I just did layers. The straw is mainly to make more air pockets and absorb any extra moisture. These bins I filled... they have plenty of vent. These will go for a month or 2 before I check if they need more food. The cool temp in the garage means they take much longer to eat. I just have to remember to harvest before the spring hatch out or else the same hassle with a ton of hatchlings like last spring.

It's always an experiment. No set way to do it, you just figure out what works best for you and go from there.

I admit it, I am a cheapskate who likes a challenge. I hate buying compost with mystery content and dubious quality especially when everything I need to amend my soil is right here.

Yeah... I am so past my bedtime. lol deliriously tired is now signing off.

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08-14-2009, 08:33 PM	#16
Dreyadin Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 199	I only have holes on the sides and the stragglers will wander up past them to the lid but not go out through the side. I don't have drainage holes... so I just keep an eye on how wet the food is I put in to control moisture. For some reason holes on the sides they won't go through... but ones at the bottom they will. Natural response to go through the soil to find a cooler space, or more dampness, food, etc. You don't want it exposed like that to rain mainly because all of their work is literally going down the drain. They can actually live in water for quite awhile. In a puddle or pond, UV rays will kill them before suffocating. Only takes about 15 minutes of sun for them to get a lethal sunburn. If you have them outdoors, don't be surprised if a few extra bugs join the party. Usually you will find mites and springtails... they are feeding on the decomposing matter and don't seem to bother the worms. The flying pests... those are the buggers you definately do not want at all. You have goats! Amusing creatures... only one I had constant contact with was this nanny named Myrtle who was brought in to keep a foal company (mare died a few days after delivering). She was always in to something... but what can you expect when you let it have free rein to wander about the stable.

08-16-2009, 07:42 PM	#17
Dick Shannon Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: zone 4 or 5, central NH Posts: 123	Hi, No goats now -- that was a previous incarnation. My wife and I started with 1 Alpine nanny and eventually worked our flock up to 7 goats. We were milking them, and doing pretty well, then we moved, and the goats are long in our past. Nothing more exciting than 1 cat and 1 dog. I have finally found a way to keep the cat from digging and pooping in fresh dirt where I have recently planted. I lay down a piece of chicken wire fence over the row. The cat can walk on it, but can't really dig up the dirt, so she stays away. I just planted Spinach for a fall crop and started Kale (not sure if I have enough time for the Kale). Here's a link to a neat plan for worm bins with a way to get the worms separated out when they are through making castings, etc. http://www.mofga.org/Default.aspx?tabid=720 Best wishes for your garden, Dick

10-17-2009, 06:11 PM	#18
Dick Shannon Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: zone 4 or 5, central NH Posts: 123	My worms never amounted to anything (there's a joke about "the lesser of two weevils" but that's another story). Maybe the small amount of horse manure compost kept them occupied, but they hardly touched the garbage I put in there. Plus we were harvesting onions left and right and cooking them up for supper, and I was told they don't like onions, so we had compost garbage building up in the kitchen, and my wife didn't like it. I agreed -- so finally after about 6 weeks, the worms all went back into the garden. As I dumped it out into one of my raised beds, there actually were a lot of worms there (little red wigglers) -- so maybe next year I'll try again, but not give them any horse manure compost. Would bedding of shredded paper, peat and maybe some composted maple leaves be okay to start them off with?

10-18-2009, 03:50 AM	#19
Dreyadin Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 199	lol yeah I figured that might happen when you said you had the horse manure compost in there. I am mean.. I chuck onion scraps in my bins. It is citrus that you need to be cautious about (or toss to the side of the bin until the limonene eventually oxidizes out.) Bedding options... think carbon and bland. No peat, it is very acidic. Shredded newspaper, dried grass clippings, shredded leaves (no walnut and the like with jugulone), straw (mine really were doing great with the straw... especially in the raised bed)... you get the idea. In the spring if you find worms in the compost.. those are the ones you recruit. No grey colored ones (they are generally burrowers that dwell further in the soil.. go for the red pigmented ones.) If you are offering really wet foods (high water content) just remember to work with drainage or take the lazy way like I do and use evaporation. Limit compost you are adding as a bedding. That is what they love to go after. The microbes they eat are all over compost. A little bit of it on the scraps offered is fine as it will basically innoculate with the microbes to help get decomp going. Garden dirt also works. I've kinda switched over a bit more towards straw as it allows for more airflow and they seem to really like it both in the bins and even in the raised bed. How much can be processed depends on how many worms you have. I have a couple bins always going and I just alternate feeding. 3 right now are for scraps and they are trying to keep up but with the early snow they have several pounds of tomatoes, some cucumbers, some gourds... you get the idea. I have 2 other bins (and have to get another) that are basically to rebuild the soil from the containers used this summer. Straw on the bottom... large bunch of dirt (and rootballs, plant remnants, etc... the middle has some extra food that I couldn't get into the first 3 bins lol some straw more dirt topped with straw. I just did layers. The straw is mainly to make more air pockets and absorb any extra moisture. These bins I filled... they have plenty of vent. These will go for a month or 2 before I check if they need more food. The cool temp in the garage means they take much longer to eat. I just have to remember to harvest before the spring hatch out or else the same hassle with a ton of hatchlings like last spring. It's always an experiment. No set way to do it, you just figure out what works best for you and go from there. I admit it, I am a cheapskate who likes a challenge. I hate buying compost with mystery content and dubious quality especially when everything I need to amend my soil is right here. Yeah... I am so past my bedtime. lol deliriously tired is now signing off.