Vermicomposting (Make your own Worm Castings)

I don't but I'll take some, it's not very big and I'm probably going to change a couple things but I think it's not bad for something I knocked together in 20 mins

 

That's it there, not the best but I don't think it's the worst...
The bottom container was intended for collection of leachate but since it's been in my warm tent (26C) there hasn't really been any and the stuff that has dripped down dried quickly.
The second container has drainage holes but since it's been dry I've used it to riddle the castings. The first litre or so was heavily contaminated with newspaper and the straw I stupidly used on the bottom.
The metal bars are just for the main container to sit on.
The lid stays off or half on for airflow but I've covered the top of the bin with leaves to stop it drying too quickly, got plenty dead leaves and the bacteria seem to like them, get fuzzy rapido.

The underside/screen is just chicken wire/mesh that I've attached using bolts.
Not the best and I might change it for something more practical but its working so far. Just give it a bit of a shake or tap to release castings.

I've fed once since I started and it was a horrible mix of minced month old rotting carrots and Coir(it's the stuff in the pot) , they are really loving this. It was slimy as heck.

Sorry for the long winded post but I thought I should explain why i did things the way I did.



Ps. I made the holes with a soldering iron, much easier than a drill but do it outside unless u have a gas mask

 

The critters I see near my bins seem to come and go but they aren’t a problem and stay on the bin. When I first put them inside, I hunted the critters in other places around my house but none.

 

So my mealworms seem to be a bit on the thirsty side... they devoure their water sources a lot faster nowadays. Im also noticing a bit more dessicated bodies and cannibalism (... it happens). Not sure if there's been a drop in humidity recently but regardless I'm going to turn off their sub tank heating mat and see if they bounce back. Fingers crossed I didn't kill my lil homies.

CFT worm bin is firing on all cylinders. Blended up a few cups of mbp for S&Gs and the lil noodles are having an orgy of such primal lust that even ron jeremy would be jealous. Gonna have to make some new bedding soon.... wish it wasn't such an ordeal. I'll try to take some pics later

 

Mbp induced orgy

 

How does my first worm bin look guys?

 

wow holy mycelium! thats always good sign. in my experience whenever there’s a good mycelium bloom like in your pic the worms go nuts and populations increase. im guessing you’ve applied some barley recently?


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I've added almost unhealthy amounts of mbp to my bins and they didn't look like that... are we sure it's mycelium and not some type of mold?

 

Hell, I thought it was ice. I was gonna recommend RDs winter thread.

 

It could just be the picture, but I'm seeing greys and greens in the fuzz. Could just be my imagination but I'm leaning towards mold.

I occasionally grow mushrooms, and anything but pure white mycelium is a pretty good indicator that there's a mold contamination. I very well could be wrong in this case though.

 

Definitely hard to tell if the green is green material or mold. That's a lot of mycelium if it is though!

 

Alfalfa hay

 

I also aside from using mbp I also introduced bacillus subtilis bacteria and endo michrorizza fungi. As well as green sand and oyster flower.

 

Here's the other bin.

 

Also where I work at I get all the free amendments I like considering I'm a tent grow and we mainly deal with farms. We have this mushroom compost i absolutely love.

 

Phenomenal asset you got there, man!

As long as your noodles appear to be doing well I suppose there's nothing to worry about. What else have you been feeding 'em?

 

Oh yea they arent running up walls multiplying extremely fast and they love staying where the mycelium is on top. I just broke it up some to mix in.

 

I'm realizing mixing grounded malted barley, malted barley powder, and bacillus subtilis mixed together is an amazing enzyme catalyst.

 

Mixed up some new bedding, shredded cardboard, germination straw, compost, rice hulls, kelp, alfalfa, neem, mbp, osf, azomite, greensand, crab meal and coffee grounds. Gonna let it sit for a few days then throw it in the cft bin

 

I started my first worm cafe exactly 6 months ago by taking a few handfuls of media from a friends bath tub sized worm farm. After the first tray got full I split the media into 2 farms. Then not long after I split it across 4 worm cafes. I now have 4 full trays of castings in only 6 months.