Composting worms = epigeic True earthworms = endogeic That's why true earthworms are not suited for vermicomposting...
Thanks CC. How does one harvest the vermicompost from a smart pot? Also, are you suggesting not putting any table scraps in the smart pot only compost and/or aged manure?
MotoMike That's the PITA when it comes to a static worm bin vs. horizontal or vertical flow-through designs. Look for the term 'vermicompost trommel' and see if that looks like something you could build for yourself. Check-out the videos on this design from my 'worm guy' across the river.... HTH CC
I used to use a Rubbermaid container and it was a PITA to harvest but with compost or manure in the smart pot it seems like it would be hard to tell where the castings are.
It's basically all castings after a while, depending on how many worms you started compared to the volume your working with. I let my seattle tilth bin go about 4-6 months, using composted cow manure, a little peat, rice hulls, some neem, kelp and a small amount of oyster shell flour for bedding and regular feedstock. Pruned fan leaves, alfalfa, wheat bran mixed with molasses (dried), coffee grounds, cantalope rinds, comfrey leaves (never again stems) and nettles make up the rest of any inputs I use. Hopefully the neighbors will let me take some of their aged horse manure off their hands...would be the biggest improvement I could make outside of sourcing massive amounts of used coffee grounds from local coffee shops.
If you use guano and kelp as your fertalizer you'll have less chance for pests like bugs and disease.