I use cardboard tore up into 1" or so squares in my Worm Inn. I chop up table scraps with the processor, put it in a Ziploc baggie and freeze it until use. Then I thaw it out, mix in coffee grounds and filters, sprinkle on some egg shells that I run through a coffee grinder and mix it all together. Lately I have been sprinkling a little kelp meal and alfalfa meal in with it as well.
haha. The last time I did my harvest I thought that too. I gotta build a tumbler or something. Between the compost piles and the worms I'm gonna be ripped.
I've been looking at tumblers too. Already got a bucket that I cut for the end pieces. For that one though, I'm going to really try to find some 1/8" screen.
not sure if you have ace hardware in your area but they had a nice selection of screens at mine. The bucket idea is smart, I may borrow it. Thanks!
So far, I've only looked at the bigger box stores here. There's a few smaller ones around that I'll check out. Using the bucket ends seems to be the way alot of folks are doing it. Most videos I've looked at show tumblers made like that. The hardest part I think will be making the frame. I saw an article though where a guy took some paint rollers, attached the handles to a wooden frame and stuck the rollers in pvc. He just rests the tumbler on the pvc and it turns freely on the pvc. I hope that makes sense, lol. If not, I'll try to find the link when I get off work.
Yeah, I saw that and it looks interesting. My 2 bins are outside under a table so I can harvest. ~2cf of vermi, but still a right pain in the ass. I'll harvest these by hand, but WILL have a tumbler for the next harvest. Wet
Got my bedding in my bin today Took the hay and straw and went in the woods behind my house scraped up sum wet leaves and all the lose stuff ( don't laugh Im learning I believe was humus) put it in a garbage can weed whacked the snot off them put two cupped handfuls of my darydoo compost in seemed damp enough with the wet leaves that I used. Put it under my tent with my soil. How full I filled What I found while gathering my leaves My bedding
Here ya go, I hope. http://www.redwormcomposting.com/the-share-board/john-ws-rotating-screen-harvester/ Wet
Yep. That's the one. Looks rather simple to make too. I've got paint rollers and I hardly ever throw away scrap wood. I think that I have everything except for the screen.
"try to find the link when I get off work." So, 3D - hangin' out at GC when ur supposed to be working eh? J
Jerry, what size screen do you use with your tumbler? As I told Matt, I'd like to go with 1/4" and then screen that material in 1/8"....but then again I was also thinking that I'd only be using the smaller size screen for sifting out cocoons and such. Do you (or anyone else) think that might be overkill? I certainly don't mind having worms and eggs in my pots...but I do want to get a more even blend of humus to base soil ratio. Guilty!
The 1/4" screen is the hardest thing to find in amounts less than a full roll. What kills me is I had 1/2 of a 100' roll for years, but didn't make the move from So Fl. I was going to raise rabbits, but So Fl is entirely too hot to do it easily. Now, I'm in a much more temperate climate and could do all that, but when I casually priced a roll of 1/4" galvanized my jaw nearly hit the floor. Should have made room in the P.O.D. I will check out ACE though. I know there's one somewhere in the area. Wet
My worm came today. Put them in my bin and about 45 min later I looked in they were gone so guess that mean they like there new home. Covered them up with a piece of cardboard that I put in water for a bit let it drain well and put it on top as chunk said he does thought that made sense. Now I have a question I sharpened my 81 year old dads lawn more blades cause "Damit when the grass turn green I wanna be ready" and I scraped off the old grass from underneath I know for a fact he doesn't treat his lawn with chemicals could I chop this up well and feed it to my worms when the time comes? Its old
My local ACE hardware store will cut specific lengths of mesh from the rolls in the back, along with offering glass cutting. I just picked up 3x6 feet of 1/8 inch mesh for less than $10 a few weeks ago, so it might be worth a call. And www yes you can but I prefer composting things first than adding the results into the bin. Make sure you add small amounts of high nitrogen anything at a time; I'd start by adding a touch to a corner and then observe any reactions. I wouldn't suggest burying any high nitrogen material to avoid the increase in temperature, unless you desire that. The best way I've found so far to "feed" in a bin is 1-2 inch layers at a time, after they have worked the previous layer thoroughly. Peat or compost is all I put into my interior bins though outside I prepared the entire block bed (compost, cardboard, alfalfa, neem, a tiny amount of leaves and some moist newspaper) then plan on leaving it be til it starts getting cold.
For sure a call or visit, 3x6 is almost twice what I need for the screen I can knock together from 2x4's and at that price can go back later when making the tumbler. The 100' roll was edging up to $300 or so. I didn't study it real close. This was at Tractor Supply and AFAIK, they only sell by the roll. Wet
yeah i use my 1/4 inch screen for harvesting the vermicompost; I plan on using the 1/8 inch to harvest cocoons and set up a nice wormery here.
How have these not been posted here yet? Brilliant idea using cheap and readily available materials for anybody moving mass on the vermicompost front. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pbHzA7ZQEY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50uwvxBPk2c
I picked up a 2x5 roll of 1/4" from lowes for approx $8 last night. I used to have quite a bit of it laying around but that was back when I didnt even know what worm castings were and was making and selling bait fish traps. Caught alot of bluegill with these things...comes in handy for a last minute fish fry!