Vermicomposters Unite! Official Worm Farmers Thread

[Rising Moon]

Hey everyone!

I thought the Organic section could use a dedicated thread about all things WORMS!


Post your questions, techniques, photos or comments related to Vermicomposting.


Ive had my bin going for about 4 years, and feed my worms an assortment of food scraps, selected herbs (nettle, clover, alfalfa, kelp, yarrow, comfrey)
rock dusts, coco and home made leaf mold/composts.

I will also be building a new bin from smart pots (thanks Rrog) and will post some photos when its built.

(My latest batch of Recycled soil after worms have done their thing..)

 

[Rising Moon]

Okay so lets talk about FOOD.

I am curious to hear what types of foods other feed to their worms,

Over the years, I/my worms have started to favor certain types of food over others...

For instance, I used to add lots of coffee grounds to my bin, but slowly came to the conclusion that while the worms will eat coffee grounds, they don't prefer coffee grounds...

This was sorta the "light bulb" moment for me, because I realized that I can feed my worms very selected foods, to create certain results...

And my "Herbally Enhanced" worm castings were born.

 

[Rising Moon]

I now feed my worms all sorts of selected goodies and treats:

Wakame kelp

Dried Red Clover flowers

Dried Yarrow flowers

Dried Valerian flowers

Dired Chamomile flowers

Dried Nettle leaf

Fresh Comfrey leaf

Hemp powder

Cannabis leaf/stem

Diatomaceous Earth

Powdered eggshells

Coco fiber

 

[Kalyx]

Great thread idea. This will be a huge resource for real living organic cultivators. Input quality is soooo important IMO. After various attempts at outdoor composting in the dry dry desert climate im in, indoors may be the solution. My wife has been resisting an indoor bin for a bit. Now I will have this thread to show her it can be done. She bought me worms eat my garbage so she's got it coming eventually!

 

[mschanandlerbong]

sweeeet i just started mine but im afraind i may have overfed the worms i dug up about 150 yesterday and layeredy 2 inches of newspaper, then about 3 maybe 4 inches of cow/goat poop, some apple and some dirt, and toped it with a litle wet newspaper, i cant really see any worms anymore though im goin to go dig for more rite now though hopefully therye alrite

 

[Rising Moon]

You may have the wrong type of worms if your digging them out of the yard. (earth worms)

Vermicompost is usually made with red wiggler worms. Otherwise known as composting worms or manure worms.

The conditions we are trying to provide is not suitble for earthworms. Plus they eat much slower.

 

[SpicySativa]

My worms eat:

-Fruit and veggie scraps (chopped about pea sized and frozen)

-Cannabis - Fresh or dry fan leaves, mush left over after hash making, etc, etc.

-Alfalfa meal

-Neem meal

-Kelp meal

-Oyster shell meal

-Crab meal

-Rock dust (Azomite, soft rock phosphate, etc)

-Powdered mosquito dunk

All that goes in a bed of cardboard strips, brown paper, and leaves.

 

[Rising Moon]

Nice list, happy worms.

Ive been wondering about small amounts of charcoal, what do you guys think?

Good idea or maybe toxic?

 

[SpicySativa]

Rising Moon - I doubt a little charcoal would hurt. Maybe try some in one corner of the bin and see how your worms react? I'm sure it's not toxic for them, just a matter of whether they like it or not.

 

[CaptainCAVEMAN]

Great thread man.

I'm trying out pistachios, among most of the same stuff mentioned.

 

[dirtsurfr]

WHat would happen if I dumped a dozen or so worms in my holes for my plants along with organic soil??

 

[Rising Moon]

WHat would happen if I dumped a dozen or so worms in my holes for my plants along with organic soil??

I do it all the time in my no till pots.

Works great!

 

[dirtsurfr]

Thanks now all I have to do is find my Hindu Skunk and all will be golden!!

 

[Rising Moon]

No till pots with worms added after harvest, left to chill for a few weeks before I sow some cover crop like beans/oats...

 

[headtreep]

Ok teach me the ways of the worms hehe. I have great sources for worms and Vermicompost but who likes to pay for shit they can do themselves

I have a 5 tower worm farm with a pound of worms on a bed of coco and news paper. I'm thinking rock dust, neem cake, kelp meal, veggie scraps, and botanicals to start. Are you getting the meals wet or using what is leftover from a tea or just add powder? Is it kind of like making soil for you worms to live in? Everything small bits. How about compost? How much?

 

[Rising Moon]

Ok teach me the ways of the worms hehe. I have great sources for worms and Vermicompost but who likes to pay for shit they can do themselves

I have a 5 tower worm farm with a pound of worms on a bed of coco and news paper. I'm thinking rock dust, neem cake, kelp meal, veggie scraps, and botanicals to start. Are you getting the meals wet or using what is leftover from a tea or just add powder? Is it kind of like making soil for you worms to live in? Everything small bits. How about compost? How much?

Okay so, the key is, layering.

First layer, coco, then worms.

Second layer, a mix of food waste (2 inches ish..), and enough rock dust/meal to buffer the moisture.

Then more coco, and moist newspaper on top.

Add fresh food, compost, herbs, dusts and meals under the newspaper, and replace the paper as it breaks down...

Ill add dry leaf botanicals when I need to suck up some moisture, Ill add left overs from teas when I need to add moisture.

The compost is good to layer in once in a while as you build, and they eat.

You should see quite a bit of action when you lift the newspaper to check conditions and feed your bin, and the condition directly under the newspaper will tell you if you need to add food, coco or rock dust/dry leaf to buffer moisture.


Good luck!

Welcome to the club

 

[headtreep]

Okay so, the key is, layering.

First layer, coco, then worms.

Second layer, a mix of food waste, and enough rock dust/meal to buffer the moisture.

Then more coco, and moist newspaper on top.

Add fresh food, compost, herbs, dusts and meals under the newspaper, and replace the paper as it breaks down...

Ill add dry leaf botanicals when I need to suck up some moisture, Ill add left overs from teas when I need to add moisture.

The compost is good to layer in once in a while as you build, and they eat.

Very well put. I'm understanding it now I see where I went wrong. I had too much crap straight up lol. I'm surprised it didn't stink up the place.

 

[Rising Moon]

When I first started, I made the same mistake, and my worms were literally crawling OUT of my bin...

 

[headtreep]

There really is a lot to learn with the farming we all do. One subject could take a lifetime hehe. All good fun!

 

[Rrog]

Char / charcoal / biochar is great in the bins. I feed Bokashi, kelp, biochar, crab shell meal, neem and a little greens. I have them in 30 gallon Geopots on a nice little wheeled rack that allows airflow under.