looking to build a worm bin

Curious about best ways to collect worms, if there are types to prize and types to avoid and how many one needs to start a small box?
Also wonder about relationship between worm bin and compost pile. Which gets table scraps?
Speaking of table scraps, how fatal is it if a little meat or dairy end up in the worm bin?

Hopefully some worm enthusiasts can help.

pope creek said:

Curious about best ways to collect worms, if there are types to prize and types to avoid and how many one needs to start a small box?
Also wonder about relationship between worm bin and compost pile. Which gets table scraps?
Speaking of table scraps, how fatal is it if a little meat or dairy end up in the worm bin?

Hopefully some worm enthusiasts can help.

Click to expand...

depends on where you live, you can get worms super easy in the rainy season, simply by putting out a tarp and letting them gather underneath where its more dry.
But you want more composting types, like the reds....
table scrap are better for your wormbin, fruits in particular.
compost bin is more specifically geared for your plants, for me anyways.
I have a simple smartpot, and it works perfect. it's probably a 25 gal or so, i'm not sure, it's so old the tag is gone, but I started out with some worms from my brothers bin, and then wanted to increase them a lil, I got 15 bucks worth of unclejims reds too.
I also have a huuuge amount of native nightcrawlers in there as well, they are doing great, most that I've heard say that natives don't do well in a wormbin, but mine are just fine. Got some fatties in there too.
not sure if dairy or meat is going to be a fatal thing, but I've never done it.

Red wiggler worms are the best to use for vermicomposting. They are not easily found in your backyard but there's a ton of vendors selling them on the cheap online. I started out with an order of 250 red wigglers from uncle Jim's back in January and now I've probably got a couple thousand writhing around in there. Their populations double like every 6 weeks but it took like 6 months for the bin to get up to full production. Now I harvest a tray of castings every 30-60 days.
Meat or dairy will spoil & begin to rot in your bin before the worms even have a chance to break it down - this will wreak havoc in an indoor bin & make anaerobic conditions. Eggshells, coffee/tea grounds, raw veggies & fruit scraps, cannabis leaves and empty egg cartons seem to be the best worm foods along with the addition of soil amendments & minerals like garden gypsum, oyster flour, alfalfa & kelp meals.
You can easily DIY a bin but be sure that you include good airflow in your design to keep the worms happy & healthy. I tried to make one myself once out of nesting Rubbermaid tubs but the worms kept escaping because it was too hot & humid in there for them. My store bought worm bin works much better & is expandable by adding more trays. The trays in my bin have a plastic grid/mesh bottom which allows good airflow & lets the worms go up or down levels as they please. It was like $70 but really is a vast improvement over the one I tried to build...now it gets use as a vessel to bubble up my EWC teas. Some growers keep their bins right in the grow room but for me it gets a bit too warm in there for them especially in the summertime- your plants do get a small benefit from the increased amount of co2 that is emitted by the enzymes inside the worms gullets breaking down organic matter.

Richard,
Great post!
I'm going to try to build my own out of scrap wood.
Seems like the main thing is to keep it aerated and drained.
I want a design that allows me to harvest castings without having to sift too much for worms. Maybe baby mesh chicken wire for a false bottom and a tray that pulls out underneath.
Not really clear about the cycle.
Seems like they are happy on veg scrap and paper which they convert to WC. Is there a clever way to seperate digested from undigested material?
I figured sifting of some type, so a draw at the bottom that would collect fine, friable stuff and leave sticky stuff and inhabitants behind.
Is that how they work?
I think I'll start with native worms.
Hunt a few down and see how they do. When funds are available Red Wigglies will be enlisted.
I understand ewc are pretty strong. What proportion do you use with compost for example? I'm talking as an amendment for and outdoor, in-the-ground grow?

You could use EWC at full strength as a top dressing or I cut it about 50/50 with recycled mix when I put it in a bin for a 30 day "cook". The worms are easily separated for the compost with a light shined on them which they hate and burrow deep so to harvest EWC. Any uncomposted materials just get tossed into the lower bins. Ez as pie

Grease monkey,
Cool your night crawlers do well.
I was planning to start my colony with captures.
I have an old ply wood tea chest I thought I might repurpose. Build a couple of levels into it and a tray style draw at the bottom to harvest from.
Strange how organic gardeners are more like ranchers with herds of microbes and worms.

Richard Drysihouseost: 11830675 said:

You could use EWC at full strength as a top dressing or I cut it about 50/50 with recycled mix when I put it in a bin for a 30 day "cook". The worms are easily separated for the compost with a light shined on them which they hate and burrow deep so to harvest EWC. Any uncomposted materials just get tossed into the lower bins. Ez as pie

Click to expand...

So elegant.
In my mind my worm bin will be the Ritz of worm bins.
Comfy, safe and luxurious. The menu will be stellar. Nothing but the best for my little wiggly slaves.

pope creek said:

Grease monkey,
Cool your night crawlers do well.
I was planning to start my colony with captures.
I have an old ply wood tea chest I thought I might repurpose. Build a couple of levels into it and a tray style draw at the bottom to harvest from.
Strange how organic gardeners are more like ranchers with herds of microbes and worms.

Click to expand...

I think that greasemonkey is only on during weekdays... Red wigglers were natural in my yard. I used to throw veggie scraps in a compost pile. One time, I found them in my compost... it would not cost very much to try it.
,At one point in time, I didnt realize the difference between a compost pile and a worm bin. Most compost piles are a mix of leaves and grass clippings. Vegie scraps are for worms.. I had to watch a British composting seminar to figure it out. They said that Americans were putting trash in thier compost. I was guilty.
This same leaf compost can be used in the worm bin in place of coco coir. I got tired of buying a brick of coco to do my worm bin everytime. I would REALLY enjoy seing your bin when you are finished!

pope creek said:

Grease monkey,
Cool your night crawlers do well.
I was planning to start my colony with captures.
I have an old ply wood tea chest I thought I might repurpose. Build a couple of levels into it and a tray style draw at the bottom to harvest from.
Strange how organic gardeners are more like ranchers with herds of microbes and worms.

Click to expand...

MustangStudFarm said:

I think that greasemonkey is only on during weekdays... Red wigglers were natural in my yard. I used to throw veggie scraps in a compost pile. One time, I found them in my compost... it would not cost very much to try it.
,At one point in time, I didnt realize the difference between a compost pile and a worm bin. Most compost piles are a mix of leaves and grass clippings. Vegie scraps are for worms.. I had to watch a British composting seminar to figure it out. They said that Americans were putting trash in thier compost. I was guilty.
This same leaf compost can be used in the worm bin in place of coco coir. I got tired of buying a brick of coco to do my worm bin everytime. I would REALLY enjoy seing your bin when you are finished!

Click to expand...

Whats up fellas, yea, i'm only here on the weekdays. 830-4 PST
The thing about my nightcrawlers is I have zero idea what species they are, they look like bigger version of the reds only not as red, and they are native to the redwood forest in the santa cruz mountains. Reason I mention that is many nightcrawlers need cold climates, but not here.
As far as harvesting EWC, the key is to keep it not too moist, or you will have clumping issues, and the other key is to feed them on opposite sides of the bin, they'll naturally be attracted to the food, which will make your separation a lil easier.
I only have to "water" my bins when it's really hot out, otherwise I rely on the slimy mushy food/rotting fruit that I feed them.
I use the brown shipping paper they send you when you order from amazon, they have big ole recycled brown sheets of paper, I layer 6 of those on top of my bin to keep the moisture inside. When I do water them, I make sure to water in between those sheets too, helps a ton.