Vermicomposters Unite! Official Worm Farmers Thread
- Thread starter Rising Moon
- Start date
Redbird1223
Active Member
the stick that's pushed into the ground needs notches on it...so that when you rub it with the second stick, it creates an annoying noise and vibrations. that's what drives them up.
i tried several times as a kid, but it never worked for me
from uncle jim's website
[SIZE=+1]Composting Worms[/SIZE]
One of the common misconceptions amongst vermicomposting beginners is that any earthworm can be used for worm composting, or kept in an indoor bin in general.
I can still remember the disappointment of discovering (during my teenage years) that I could not keep a population of soil dwelling worms in a bucket. Before becoming interested in worm composting I was an avid aquarium hobbyist, always looking for ways to raise live food for my fish. Having heard that people were able to keep thriving worm bins in their house I naturally assumed they were raising the same kind I found in my garden.
Eventually I learned that most of my yard worms were of the anecic type that is to say they were soil dwelling worms that create burrows and tend to lead a somewhat solitary existence (they need their space). The worms ideally suited for composting on the other hand are referred to as epigeic. This group tends to live in rich organic material (not soil), and are adapted to crowding and warmer temperatures. So its not difficult to see why epigeic worms would do much better in an indoor composting bin than their soil dwelling cousins.
By far, the most common variety of composting worm is Eisenia fetida also known as the red worm or red wiggler (see the Quick Facts section for other names). If you are looking to start up your own worm composting bin this is definitely the worm for you. There are other species of composting worm, but we can deal with them in future articles.
So where does on get ahold of some of these worms??
Well there are various options. The easiest (but most expensive) is to simply buy them. There are a wide variety of online merchants who will sell them to you, OR you may be able to track down a local supplier (I will be eventually setting up a comprehensive supplier directory to help people find merchants in their area). If you need some recommendations simply drop me an email.
In general worms are pretty expensive (typically running somewhere between $25 and $40/lb USD, although decent discounts tend to be given on larger orders), but its amazing how fast you can build a large thriving population starting with only a pound of worms.
Another option is to track down someone else with a worm bin in your area and ask them to share. Over the years Ive been given worms on multiple occasions and now happily pay it forward on occasion myself. Getting in touch with your local gardening clubs or municiple waste management division should prove helpful.
Composting worms (E. fetida) dont typically occur in nature, but there IS a decent chance of finding some on a local farm if they keep aged manure piles. I can still remember the very first time I saw a population of red wiggler worms. I was working at a horse farm and happened to dig into a pile of manure sitting behind the barn. It was absolutely LOADED with red worms! I had never seen so many worms in one place ever (nor have I since then). If I had been into worm composting at the time this would have been like hitting the jackpot.
When it comes to adding worms to a new system, I like to err on the side of caution. I prefer to build my population up to the ideal level, rather than using standard guidelines. A widely accepted recommendation is to add 1lb of worms for each sq ft of bin surface area you have. So if your bin is 1.5 X 2 ft (width x length) it should be able to handle 3 lbs of worms. I would personally rather add 1lb of worms to a bin this size and let the population reach an population equilibrium on its own. Red worms reproduce very rapidly under favorable conditions so it shouldnt take too long.
Kalyx
Active Member
I can't wait to get home and start some bins. What is the recommended size for a smart pot bin? The biggest I have around are 15 gal root pots. Would you recommend starting with multiple bins or one? Multiples in case my learning curve is shallow, one would be easier to get right? Suggestions...
When done right there is no "worm-tea" dripping out of the fabric right? Just keep a nice balanced moisture level. Rrog do you think having the air zone under is good to keep a rookie from going anaerobic at the bottom? I put my fresh transplants on air lifters like this for the first week or two and it definitely helps as I water thorough at transplant and there are zero roots at the bottom at the start. Worms rock!
When done right there is no "worm-tea" dripping out of the fabric right? Just keep a nice balanced moisture level. Rrog do you think having the air zone under is good to keep a rookie from going anaerobic at the bottom? I put my fresh transplants on air lifters like this for the first week or two and it definitely helps as I water thorough at transplant and there are zero roots at the bottom at the start. Worms rock!
sullivan666
Active Member
I should be getting my 2 30 gallon dirt pots in this week. Rrog, do you just have worms in one pot at a time and transfer over when you want to harvest castings? Also, do you think a pound of worms is enough to start or should I go 2 pounds?
sullivan666
Active Member
Thanks for the info, Rrog!
Another question...I was originally going to keep my vermipots inside, but looking at things now, it's going to be a bit crowded if I do so. I am considering putting them outside in a shaded area; however, I'm concerned that it may be too hot for them. I live in the desert and it gets scorching hot in the summer months. I've read that red worms can withstand temps up to 109 F, but I was curious as to if anyone here has experience with this?
Another question...I was originally going to keep my vermipots inside, but looking at things now, it's going to be a bit crowded if I do so. I am considering putting them outside in a shaded area; however, I'm concerned that it may be too hot for them. I live in the desert and it gets scorching hot in the summer months. I've read that red worms can withstand temps up to 109 F, but I was curious as to if anyone here has experience with this?
st0wandgrow
Well-Known Member
sullivan666 .... I was told by the guy that I bought my worms from that they will jump ship and leave your bin (or die) if temps get beyond 90 degrees. Around 70 degrees is optimal for them.
sullivan666
Active Member
Thanks for the info...I'll figure out how to keep em indoors. 
st0wandgrow
Well-Known Member
st0wandgrow
Well-Known Member
Question:
I added about 2 pounds of a veggie/fruit slurry with some pulverized egg shells and rabbit poop to my bin when I added my worms. This was over a week ago. A few days ago I added another 2 pounds of a similar slurry to the other side of the bin. Is it OK that the worms are all still hanging out in the original side of the bin where I first added the food and have not migrated over to the other side yet? If so, how long will it take them to finish up with the first pile and migrate over to the new food pile?
I added about 2 pounds of a veggie/fruit slurry with some pulverized egg shells and rabbit poop to my bin when I added my worms. This was over a week ago. A few days ago I added another 2 pounds of a similar slurry to the other side of the bin. Is it OK that the worms are all still hanging out in the original side of the bin where I first added the food and have not migrated over to the other side yet? If so, how long will it take them to finish up with the first pile and migrate over to the new food pile?
st0wandgrow
Well-Known Member
1lb. From what I've read they will go through half their weight in food per day. I figured 4 days for 2lbs of food, and I added a couple days thinking they wouldn't be dialed in right away so their consumption would be down a bit. Maybe I underestimated how long it will take them to get adjusted to their new home?
They look active and wiggling all over when I check on them and none of them have packed their bags to leave (I don't think).
They look active and wiggling all over when I check on them and none of them have packed their bags to leave (I don't think).
snowboarder396
Well-Known Member
QUOTE=st0wandgrow;9020695]1lb. From what I've read they will go through half their weight in food per day. I figured 4 days for 2lbs of food, and I added a couple days thinking they wouldn't be dialed in right away so their consumption would be down a bit. Maybe I underestimated how long it will take them to get adjusted to their new home?
They look active and wiggling all over when I check on them and none of them have packed their bags to leave (I don't think).[/QUOTE]
I wouldn't worry about it to much. If there still on the one side then they have plenty of food still. They'll move over to other side when they search for more food. If they look good wouldnt worry. Also I'd do small piles food buried in a clockwise or vic versa so they can move from pile to pile as needed. Just don't forget to mark where your last pike you buried was
They look active and wiggling all over when I check on them and none of them have packed their bags to leave (I don't think).[/QUOTE]
I wouldn't worry about it to much. If there still on the one side then they have plenty of food still. They'll move over to other side when they search for more food. If they look good wouldnt worry. Also I'd do small piles food buried in a clockwise or vic versa so they can move from pile to pile as needed. Just don't forget to mark where your last pike you buried was
dl290485
Well-Known Member
Hey guys I am trying to make a ghetto worm farm. They are like 85 bucks at the shops so instead I got hold of 3 second hand styrofoam boxes with lids. I want to get a few things clear before i start hacking into it.
1. How big should I make the drain holes and how many? Every description i've read online just say "poke holes" with no details... a "hole" could either let my fist through it or only a pencil tip so yeah something more accurate would be helpful.
2. The worms do travel around right? I've seen descriptions saying that worms will migrate up to higher boxes after the lower ones have been reduced to castings- but then on a tv gardening website it said to use fly screen to "stop the worms falling out" which sounds contradictory and stupid. Maybe that's just for the bottom layer before the drip tray?
3. If the worms are meant to migrate, that means that each box layer will have to sit flush with the compost below it it right? Unless worms jump or use ninja ropes like the game... My boxes won't sit inside each other- instead they will sit on top of each other (foam base to foam rim, not foam base to compost)- is that a problem or is it normal and i just make sure the lower boxes are always full?
4. Air holes. Obviously i knock some air holes in the roof but do i do a lot like i'm putting an animal in a box or just one or two little screw driver sized holes? And what about other vents. Should i put holes in the sides of the boxes too?
I don't know if it's relevant but i'll be putting it in my garage and I live in Australia so no frost and though it may get a big warm in there some times it won't ever be in the sun.
1. How big should I make the drain holes and how many? Every description i've read online just say "poke holes" with no details... a "hole" could either let my fist through it or only a pencil tip so yeah something more accurate would be helpful.
2. The worms do travel around right? I've seen descriptions saying that worms will migrate up to higher boxes after the lower ones have been reduced to castings- but then on a tv gardening website it said to use fly screen to "stop the worms falling out" which sounds contradictory and stupid. Maybe that's just for the bottom layer before the drip tray?
3. If the worms are meant to migrate, that means that each box layer will have to sit flush with the compost below it it right? Unless worms jump or use ninja ropes like the game... My boxes won't sit inside each other- instead they will sit on top of each other (foam base to foam rim, not foam base to compost)- is that a problem or is it normal and i just make sure the lower boxes are always full?
4. Air holes. Obviously i knock some air holes in the roof but do i do a lot like i'm putting an animal in a box or just one or two little screw driver sized holes? And what about other vents. Should i put holes in the sides of the boxes too?
I don't know if it's relevant but i'll be putting it in my garage and I live in Australia so no frost and though it may get a big warm in there some times it won't ever be in the sun.