Vermicomposters Unite! Official Worm Farmers Thread

[Rrog]

Vermicompost is really one of the most important aspects of gardening we could / should talk about IMHO.

I saw how Coot was taking such care to amend his VC with the same elements that we initially add to soil. Kelp, Neem, Meals, etc. That's what I did in my worms-in-a-Geopot experiment over the winter.

 

[PeaceLoveCannabis]

How did your worms in a geo-pot go Rrog? Also whats a good number of worms to start with. I think i have about a 1lb. But i have two bins so i split that in half. Should i get more worms for each bin, or do you think that should be enough to work towards a good number of worms. I would buy more if money grew on trees haha.

 

[Rrog]

Let them reproduce, which they will. Make rabbits look like amateurs. What you have is plenty. Red Wigglers?

Geopots worked really well. The aeration underneath is a key, same as when you grow plants in them.

 

[cmpzx]

Pretty good haul, the best way to up your yield is more worms and more food, best way to up your population is increase your surface area. Also though the worms tolerate a huge temp range, I think i read they peak breeding at 77f.

Good ventilation will help if your worm castings are coming out a little nasty/muddy.

http://www.youtube.com/user/TheCompostGuy (i hope links are ok) has some really good information on the subject and a super sweet tutorial on how to make a fairly nice indoor vermicompost bin on the cheap (its the design i use).


http://www.youtube.com/user/bnbob01 this guy has alot of great videos too, other related topics as well. Also has a very nice voice to listen to lol.

Argggg... i knew i had it wrong, Peak breeding is 59-68F, they peak in SIZE around 77F

 

[Rrog]

cmpzx- That's great info! I didn't know that.

Would you have an opinion about windrow vermicomposting? That's what I'm planning.

 

[cmpzx]

cmpzx- That's great info! I didn't know that.

Would you have an opinion about windrow vermicomposting? That's what I'm planning.

had to google windrow, i'm a smaller scale guy with a couple well ventilated sterilite totes going, probably about 4lbs of red wrigglers from my initial 1/2lb (sitting at my carrying capacity but i dont really generate enough scraps or need more castings then i currently make). i know worms are pretty happy with grass clippings (provided they have not recently been sprayed with pesticides).


whats the basics of your idea?

 

[Rrog]

Windrow is just digging a shallow trench and start with compost and worms, then scraps, etc. When that trench is full of mature compost, just dig a trench a foot or two away parallel and fill that with the goodies. Worms will migrate right through the earth from one trench to another. This leaves trench #1 devoid of worms... so just shovel it up.

 

[cmpzx]

Ahhh, makes sense. I actually keep my beds in the furnace room in the basement. no windrow down there for sure. Bet you could build a massive worm population though.

 

[Rrog]

Massive vermicompost output is what I'm looking for. Make your own, as it's the best. I amend it like I amend soil.

 

[PeaceLoveCannabis]

I read somewhere that worms like to lay eggs when there is high humidity. Does anyone have any information on this?
It makes me think it might have something to do with the egg staying pretty moist until they hatch.

 

[Rrog]

Well, if this was a multiple choice test, that's the answer I'd pick. Humidity is usually high in / around the bins.

 

[NickNasty]

I rarely have to moisten my bins the compost keeps the water held pretty well and I have seen lots of cocoons. The best method I have seen for indoor vericomposting in med-high volume is using the bakery trays for transporting bread.

 

[Rrog]

Very Sweet! Good use for those bread trays!!

 

[PeaceLoveCannabis]

Are those stacks of worms trays? I need a way to stack bins, i have more space vertically then horizontally.

 

[NickNasty]

Are those stacks of worms trays? I need a way to stack bins, i have more space vertically then horizontally.

I got those pics from a local MI guy who wrote a book.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1448604214/ref=rdr_ext_tmb <The book is just ok but I like his worm bins and he gives rough plans on how to build it.
Here is a gallery of the base
https://plus.google.com/photos/110859787266844556821/albums/5606603339926580609?banner=pwa&authkey=CPHy7e_m5sO7gQE
Like me he uses compost to feed his worms and the newest stuff goes on the bottom and the oldest goes on top and the worms work there way down to find more food he also puts a bucket underneath to collect the juice when he runs water thru them. You also let the top one dry out a bit and fluff the vermicompost this helps them migrate down. Also I found out that fluffing your bins agitates them enough to want breed more.

He also sells a mix of biochar and vermicompost he calls BioPreta
http://abonochar.blogspot.com/
http://biopretasupersoil.com/ < the stuff is expensive but cool.

 

[Rrog]

Sweet! That's all great, great stuff NN!

 

[Crab Pot]

Super nice setup NN! Those bakery trays look like they might work for my situation too. Where can I find the trays?

Rrog, great looking vermicompost! Another possible option would be fabric pots. How do you separate the worms from the vermicompost in your system?

I started vermicomposting a couple of months back with 500 worms and a wooden stackable unit. It works great but just too damn small. So I ordered 10,000 additional red wigglers and made a bin for them using 4"x12" wood that I had laying around. The bin is 4' wide, 10' long and 12" high and sit on top of ground. I loaded one-half of the bin with finishing homemade compost, fresh seaweed/kelp, crab shells and some guts, neem meal... I thought that once the worms finish this half of the bin up I would add a new round of compost and food at the other end of the bin, let the worms migrate to that side of the bin and harvest the vermicompost from the the first half of the bin.

i am relatively new at this and could use a little advice from you pros. Should I continue with my current on top of the ground system or go to the bakery trays or fabric pots? I don't mind changing systems if it's going to be an improvement.

 

[NickNasty]

The best way to get them is used locally, they come in many different designs thou so be aware of that you can find them new online but they are expensive between 10-16$ a piece + shipping depending on size.
Here are a couple places online
https://indianaberry.com/products.php?cat=12&pid=309
http://www.glacierv.com/ProductDetail.jsp?LISTID=80000498-1344621418
The basic design however can be achieved with 2x4's and hardware cloth on the bottoms for probably under 5$ a level < You should vent the sides

As far a changing your set up to this, that, or the other that is really up to your preferences.

 

[Crab Pot]

NN, I ordered the book that you recommended, 'Beyond Compost: Converting Organic Waste Beyond Compiost Using Worms". I love his set-up. It looks clean. After I read the book I might convert but....

I dug into my "on the ground" worm bin after posting yesterday. It's got an easy 20- 30 gallons of castings already. The worms have only been in there a few weeks (maybe a month but I need to check the exact date the worms arrived). Prior to the worms arrival, I layered their bin. Starting with about 40 gallons of kelp/seaweed, homemade compost, fresh yarrow, fresh horsetail, lots of fruit and veggies and a bunch of different organic soil amendments. There was roughly 40 gallons of fresh seaweed/kelp on the bottom of my worm bin which now is mostly worm castings the color of baby poop...

 

[NickNasty]

Sounds like your doing better then me. In my opinion I wouldn't change what seems to be working so well for you. BTW did you get a good deal on 10,000 wigglers ? That is a shit ton of worms.