Anyone use a worm composter?

Y

youraveragehorticulturist

Well-Known Member
I have a couple pots of "used" dirt, full of roots. This soil was from an "old" recipe, and I have some newer soil ready to go.

Can I dump this old soil and rootballs into a bin or big smart pot, and then just add some worms? Will this work? Can worms live on "used" soil and rootballs to start? Or is it really better to use shredded cardboard and paper to start the bin?
 
greasemonkeymann

greasemonkeymann

Well-Known Member
youraveragehorticulturist said:
I have a couple pots of "used" dirt, full of roots. This soil was from an "old" recipe, and I have some newer soil ready to go.

Can I dump this old soil and rootballs into a bin or big smart pot, and then just add some worms? Will this work? Can worms live on "used" soil and rootballs to start? Or is it really better to use shredded cardboard and paper to start the bin?
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the easiest answer is yes, they will survive, but not prosper, reds like food, and the rootballs breaking down isn't a great source of food really.
Even newspaper I have found they don't like to eat, but they will. Coffee grinds are another example, they'll eat it, but not LOVE it, like they do rotting fruit.
That's their favorite, rotting fruit...
pears, apples, bananas (without the peel the peel takes FOREVER to break down), avocados (again minus the peel)
ALL of those should be frozen an thawed prior to mashing it down, that helps a LOT on the time it takes them to break it down.
 
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Y

youraveragehorticulturist

Well-Known Member
Alright! I can use the old soil so the worms don't have to start from scratch with paper and rocks.

I can feed them scraps for better results.

Can I feed the worms a top layer of compost from my outdoor compost pile?

Can I just sprinkle all my meals on top?
 
greasemonkeymann

greasemonkeymann

Well-Known Member
youraveragehorticulturist said:
Alright! I can use the old soil so the worms don't have to start from scratch with paper and rocks.

I can feed them scraps for better results.

Can I feed the worms a top layer of compost from my outdoor compost pile?

Can I just sprinkle all my meals on top?
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Sure you could give them compost, but like I said that won't make them prosper, your worm population is a direct result from the food you give them, assuming the other stuff is being met, meaning temps, and water content.
My compost pile I added a handful of reds when I started the pile last autumn, and now I can scrape a teensy speck off the top and there is hundred of reds.. they obviously are doing alright, and that's during the winter (granted CA got a sissy winter this yr)
 
R

Rentaldog

Well-Known Member
Hello everyone!

Im thinking about making a small worm bin and I had a question about their food. A few posts here mention that they like rotting fruit, but not citrus. Do you think they would go for figs? I have a large fig tree in my backyard that nobody ever harvests, the fruit just falls and goes back to the earth. Think they'd dig figs?
 
Sunny Organics

Sunny Organics

Well-Known Member
Rentaldog said:
Hello everyone!

Im thinking about making a small worm bin and I had a question about their food. A few posts here mention that they like rotting fruit, but not citrus. Do you think they would go for figs? I have a large fig tree in my backyard that nobody ever harvests, the fruit just falls and goes back to the earth. Think they'd dig figs?
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i dont see why not man, you should use your regual fruits and veggies that you use too. like when you eat apples save the cores, or bananas peels, tomatoe ends etc. by the time they finish up their current food you will have double the food to give them. i like to chop everything into small bits to make things faster.
 
st0wandgrow

st0wandgrow

Well-Known Member
youraveragehorticulturist said:
Alright! I can use the old soil so the worms don't have to start from scratch with paper and rocks.

I can feed them scraps for better results.

Can I feed the worms a top layer of compost from my outdoor compost pile?

Can I just sprinkle all my meals on top?
Click to expand...
I wouldn't use strictly soil as bedding. It's too dense. Earthworms burrow deep in to soil and thrive, where as red wigglers are more surface feeders and tend to do best in leaves, shredded cardboard, etc.

You could use a mix of soil/coir and shredded paper..... but I wouldn't use straight soil.
 
greasemonkeymann

greasemonkeymann

Well-Known Member
Sunny Organics said:
i dont see why not man, you should use your regual fruits and veggies that you use too. like when you eat apples save the cores, or bananas peels, tomatoe ends etc. by the time they finish up their current food you will have double the food to give them. i like to chop everything into small bits to make things faster.
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chpping them up works, but really you should just get a spot in your freezer, after they freeze and thaw, all the cells are busted iopen by the freezing, and therefore it's damn near half "digested"
I use to chop them, but after reading on a vermicompost site about the freezing, I do that now, and it's way easier too.
Plus the worms will go through it in half the time or less.
 
Sunny Organics

Sunny Organics

Well-Known Member
greasemonkeymann said:
chpping them up works, but really you should just get a spot in your freezer, after they freeze and thaw, all the cells are busted iopen by the freezing, and therefore it's damn near half "digested"
I use to chop them, but after reading on a vermicompost site about the freezing, I do that now, and it's way easier too.
Plus the worms will go through it in half the time or less.
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good tip, plus it will avoid having any fruit flies problems :cuss:i fuckin hate them lol im going to buy chameleons and just have them roaming around my kitchen.
 
st0wandgrow

st0wandgrow

Well-Known Member
Sunny Organics said:
good tip, plus it will avoid having any fruit flies problems :cuss:i fuckin hate them lol im going to buy chameleons and just have them roaming around my kitchen.
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You and me both. Can't stand those little bastards!

A fruit vendor at a local market here told me that they lay eggs on banana peels, so that's how they're brought in to your house. He said to just wash the bananas with soapy water right when you get them home and that should help.

And yes, they are attracted to apple cider vinegar but it seems like once they set up shop in your house you're fighting an uphill battle.
 
greasemonkeymann

greasemonkeymann

Well-Known Member
Sunny Organics said:
good tip, plus it will avoid having any fruit flies problems :cuss:i fuckin hate them lol im going to buy chameleons and just have them roaming around my kitchen.
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another thing I do is make sure the food you give the worms is BURIED... like four inches, at least, of stuff on top.
Worms can dig, but flies can't!
 
Cebucannabis

Cebucannabis

Member
King Arthur said:
I was looking at this one on amazon, I am trying to move more natural as time progresses and if these worms really can produce some good food for my ladies I would like to learn how to do this. Is it a hard process keeping these worms happy?

anyone have experience?

http://www.amazon.com/product-reviews/B002LH47PY/ref=cm_cr_pr_viewpnt_lft?ie=UTF8&filterBy=addFiveStar&showViewpoints=0&sortBy=helpful&reviewerType=all_reviews&formatType=all_formats&filterByStar=positive&pageNumber=1

thats the one im looking at the 360.
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i already try keeping a super worm then i feed them fruits and vegetabels, it really woks man,.. they can produce a fertilizer or a soil good for anykind of plants.
 
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