Worm Bin Questions

[Groat21]

So from what I've gathered (mostly from clackamas coot), aeration is key to a good worm bin. So basically, you use 2 parts aged manure or thermal compost, and 1 part lava rock/pumice. What I'm confused about is what happens to the aeration when I'm done, do I just separate it from the castings and re-use it?

Thanks, guys!

 

[Groat21]

I think I’m going to try rice hulls, as they will eventually break down in my no-till beds. Oh and maybe just a touch of biochar I have leftover.

I’m not sure exactly how many worms I have now, but I started with like 2-300 around 2 month ago. I’m wondering if I should mix up more or less of this mix for optimal production and reproduction(i.e in a 10 gallon or 5 gallon pot?)

Thanks guys!

 

[kratos015]

I think I’m going to try rice hulls, as they will eventually break down in my no-till beds. Oh and maybe just a touch of biochar I have leftover.

I’m not sure exactly how many worms I have now, but I started with like 2-300 around 2 month ago. I’m wondering if I should mix up more or less of this mix for optimal production and reproduction(i.e in a 10 gallon or 5 gallon pot?)

Thanks guys!

I never used aeration in my bin, the bin itself should have enough air holes in it to keep things oxygenated. As you pointed out though, if you're going to go that route then rice hulls are definitely your best bet as they'll get decomposed. You're spot on about everything though, Coots knows his shit to say the least!

Speaking of Coots and worm bins, he pointed out that worms love the shit out of Neem Meal and Oyster Shell Flour. Makes them explode I guess. The neem is a source of food they really enjoy, and the OSF is the perfect consistency for grit for the worms. Makes them reproduce like mad and they're both very affordable ingredients.

Have fun! Missing my worm bin myself, can't wait until I can get another one going!

 

[Groat21]

I never used aeration in my bin, the bin itself should have enough air holes in it to keep things oxygenated. As you pointed out though, if you're going to go that route then rice hulls are definitely your best bet as they'll get decomposed. You're spot on about everything though, Coots knows his shit to say the least!

Speaking of Coots and worm bins, he pointed out that worms love the shit out of Neem Meal and Oyster Shell Flour. Makes them explode I guess. The neem is a source of food they really enjoy, and the OSF is the perfect consistency for grit for the worms. Makes them reproduce like mad and they're both very affordable ingredients.

Have fun! Missing my worm bin myself, can't wait until I can get another one going!

I’m actually using fabric pots, so the aeration should be pretty good, just need to be sure to keep the outsides moist. I went ahead and added rice hulls for extra aeration, and because I don’t use much else in terms of Silica, just some DE.

It got pretty hot in there for a couple of days after mixing(90+ in the centre, 70s around the edges, even while sitting in my basement) but has since cooled down. I haven’t checked on them yet, but everything has settled back into the 70s.

Also, I separated my old castings and cocoons and am waiting for them to hatch. Ideal temp probably in the 70s?

Thanks again!

 

[kratos015]

I’m actually using fabric pots, so the aeration should be pretty good, just need to be sure to keep the outsides moist. I went ahead and added rice hulls for extra aeration, and because I don’t use much else in terms of Silica, just some DE.

It got pretty hot in there for a couple of days after mixing(90+ in the centre, 70s around the edges, even while sitting in my basement) but has since cooled down. I haven’t checked on them yet, but everything has settled back into the 70s.

Also, I separated my old castings and cocoons and am waiting for them to hatch. Ideal temp probably in the 70s?

Thanks again!

I forgot about using fabric pots instead, I'm going to have to grab one myself when I start again!

Ideal worm temps are same as plant temps, if there's anyway you can keep your bin in your grow room that'd be perfect. Though I understand that most of us are in tents and don't have the room. I'm waiting to make room in my greenhouse to start up again, because summer kills out here!

As for getting cocoons. I used to do that too, but then I discovered that just removing the castings themselves will always have cocoons in them so you usually don't have to make much of an effort harvesting cocoons because it's pretty much guaranteed your castings will already have some in them. When I had my bin, I'd top dress my plants with EWC only to discover worms underneath my mulch layer within a few weeks.

 

[Groat21]

I forgot about using fabric pots instead, I'm going to have to grab one myself when I start again!

Ideal worm temps are same as plant temps, if there's anyway you can keep your bin in your grow room that'd be perfect. Though I understand that most of us are in tents and don't have the room. I'm waiting to make room in my greenhouse to start up again, because summer kills out here!

As for getting cocoons. I used to do that too, but then I discovered that just removing the castings themselves will always have cocoons in them so you usually don't have to make much of an effort harvesting cocoons because it's pretty much guaranteed your castings will already have some in them. When I had my bin, I'd top dress my plants with EWC only to discover worms underneath my mulch layer within a few weeks.

Yeah, I just had an old bin with less than ideal conditions, so I wanted to separate the cocoons and baby worms, so I can remove them before they can breed again, and add them to my new, proper bin.

 

[Wetdog]

Could I give you a simple bedding mix that contains everything you use in your soil mix? This makes just under 2cf which I keep in a 15 gal trash can (with drainage), and dip into as needed.

This has worked well for 10 years now. I use 5gal buckets to measure.

~5-7 gallons of expanded peat moss, no clumps.
~3-4 gallons of perlite
~1-2 gallons of pine bark mulch (I usually put this first in a bucket and fill the rest of the way with perlite)
If handy, perhaps a gallon of biochar
ADD:
2cups dolomite lime
2cups of N source, (alfalfa, neem, soy), not all three, just one for the microbes to get going.
I also add: 1cup each of, kelp meal, greensand, azomite, or sililar RD. The kelp meal is essential, the others, if you have them.
A couple handfuls of VC from an active bin is also good.

Mix well and thoroughly moisten. Put in a container with drainage and let sit for 2 weeks to a month, or at least till it cools down.

Fresh bedding for the worms from everything you would be adding to your mix anyway.

My VC is very dense since I have 6 bins going and seldom harvest before 9 months to a year, so 30-40% aeration is a must for me.

The main food is coffee grounds, fresh (frozen), comfrey, and chicken laying crumbles. Very seldom, fresh fruits or veggies as they add too much moisture to the bin. Also, next to zero manure. They get that when it's top dressed in the garden.

BTW, I only separate out the larger worms when harvesting the VC, baby worms and cocoons get added with the VC to the garden or containers.

HTH

Wet

 

[Groat21]

Could I give you a simple bedding mix that contains everything you use in your soil mix? This makes just under 2cf which I keep in a 15 gal trash can (with drainage), and dip into as needed.

This has worked well for 10 years now. I use 5gal buckets to measure.

~5-7 gallons of expanded peat moss, no clumps.
~3-4 gallons of perlite
~1-2 gallons of pine bark mulch (I usually put this first in a bucket and fill the rest of the way with perlite)
If handy, perhaps a gallon of biochar
ADD:
2cups dolomite lime
2cups of N source, (alfalfa, neem, soy), not all three, just one for the microbes to get going.
I also add: 1cup each of, kelp meal, greensand, azomite, or sililar RD. The kelp meal is essential, the others, if you have them.
A couple handfuls of VC from an active bin is also good.

Mix well and thoroughly moisten. Put in a container with drainage and let sit for 2 weeks to a month, or at least till it cools down.

Fresh bedding for the worms from everything you would be adding to your mix anyway.

My VC is very dense since I have 6 bins going and seldom harvest before 9 months to a year, so 30-40% aeration is a must for me.

The main food is coffee grounds, fresh (frozen), comfrey, and chicken laying crumbles. Very seldom, fresh fruits or veggies as they add too much moisture to the bin. Also, next to zero manure. They get that when it's top dressed in the garden.

BTW, I only separate out the larger worms when harvesting the VC, baby worms and cocoons get added with the VC to the garden or containers.

HTH

Wet

Looks good, what size perlite though, and does it screen out of the castings?

Also, I’ve been freezing some banana peels. And I planted comfrey, so I have more high potassium sources for my bin. What foods do you typically like to add when you do add it?

 

[Wetdog]

I never try to screen out the perlite, nor cocoons or baby worms. Just the adults that I can "trap" using melon rinds and even then I miss some. More worms and aeration is always welcome in the garden or containers.

Plus, with 6 active bins going and long harvest times, there is never a shortage.

I keep coffee jugs of alfalfa, neem/karanja, kelp meal by the bins that get sprinkled on top every now and then.

The most popular food by all is the chicken laying crumbles. Lightly sprinkled on top and moistened (NEVER buried or too heavily applied), it is usually gone in a day or three. It also kicks up cocoon production like crazy. I guess it's the added calcium, but IDK. @~$12/50lb bag it's as cheap as ....

I just use the horticultural grade of perlite. The larger 'chunky' stuff is actually not as good as the smaller 'normal' perlite for aeration. Way less surface area, but it sounds good to less informed growers.

Wet

 

[Aussieaceae]

I think I’m going to try rice hulls, as they will eventually break down in my no-till beds. Oh and maybe just a touch of biochar I have leftover.

I’m not sure exactly how many worms I have now, but I started with like 2-300 around 2 month ago. I’m wondering if I should mix up more or less of this mix for optimal production and reproduction(i.e in a 10 gallon or 5 gallon pot?)

Thanks guys!

Generally anything brown will provide aeration. Cardboard, mulch, dry brown leaves, crushed eggshell etc. (rice hulls)

Using a layer of sugar cane mulch here and there for mine even. They absolutely love it. Little babies all through it. Great insulation too.

You always want more brown than green. That'll keep ir aerated well, and provide an ideal environment to break everything down.

Too much green, and your worm bin will stink. It'll turn anaerobic.

Hope it helps. GL.

Edit: just thought i'd add, worms have an incredible way of conditioning the environment around them.
I have one of those stacking worm farms with the spigot on the bottom. I leave the spigot open all the time, so any excess moisture drains. I've never had a single worm escape, or flee. They don't go anywhere when they're happy. Just the one bin is enough for all my kitchen scraps for 2 people. I give them a drink every week or two as well.
Despite what the Internet says, i've found adding the ingredients whole, the worms like it more, and you can fit a lot more scraps in the bin. It takes longer to break down, and doesn't go rank before they have a chance to eat it.

 

[Groat21]

I never try to screen out the perlite, nor cocoons or baby worms. Just the adults that I can "trap" using melon rinds and even then I miss some. More worms and aeration is always welcome in the garden or containers.

Plus, with 6 active bins going and long harvest times, there is never a shortage.

I keep coffee jugs of alfalfa, neem/karanja, kelp meal by the bins that get sprinkled on top every now and then.

The most popular food by all is the chicken laying crumbles. Lightly sprinkled on top and moistened (NEVER buried or too heavily applied), it is usually gone in a day or three. It also kicks up cocoon production like crazy. I guess it's the added calcium, but IDK. @~$12/50lb bag it's as cheap as ....

I just use the horticultural grade of perlite. The larger 'chunky' stuff is actually not as good as the smaller 'normal' perlite for aeration. Way less surface area, but it sounds good to less informed growers.

Wet

Is there some sort of way to estimate how long it will take for say a pound of worms to work through a gallon of material? Or any similar method of estimating how long it will take for them to finish.

I currently have a 10 gallon fabric pot about 60% full. Probably under half a pound of worms in there, but I’m thinking about buying a pound, as I’ll need to add some to my no-till bed as well.