This will be my 2nd attempt at having a worm bin. I made a continuous flow through worm bin using a 32 gallon plastic trash can. My first attempt was made using a 13 gallon rubbermaid tub. My other tub was infested with ants when I moved it out to my garage. I assumed they were eating the rotting fruit matter, but they were apparently hunting my worms. Since that was last spring, I just dumped all the leftovers into what eventually became an outside compost heap. I have 2000 cocoons on the way, should be delivered tomorrow. I am using peat moss for bedding this time. To this I added oyster flour, mineral mix dust, a little soft rock phosphate, 2 different EWC products, AEM made in alfalfa/kelp tea, and some alfalfa and kelp meals. I have some fruit/vegetable scraps set aside to start rotting also. Here is looking down my bin. I bought a replacement fire grate for a Weber BBQ, which is about 18" in diameter. Since it is to replace the lower grate you build the coals on, it is a much thicker steel then a cooking grate and happens to be of perfect dimensions. I took that over to the trash can aisle and decided which trash can it fit best into. I also bought a 2x2 redwood board and some 'sun blocker' screen, which has a very fine mesh. To make the bin I cut the window in the bottom of the can for collecting the castings. Then cut the 2x2 board into 4 equal lengths and wired them to the trash can. Put in the grill piece. I am using the screen to cover the ventilation holes I cut in the lid. If this is to much of a hassle, Will just bungee a screen around the top of the can to keep out insects. To introduce everything, I will layer a few wet news print pages on the grill and then fill with the bedding and cocoons tomorrow night. Planning on keeping it in my basement spare room. Temps are usually a little low, 55-60 during the winter. I might dedicate this room to a grow room soon so temps should be warmer. I have a small heater down there now for some seedlings.
How is your bin turning out Stank? I started one, the worm factory, about the same time and it is pretty cool
It seems to be going well. Every time I dig in there I see more and more worms. I haven't harvested anything yet, but it is getting pretty full, so maybe in a little bit.
I think my first tray is about ready to go, all the original material I put in is pretty much digested down into a beauitiful black material. I just used it to help with my transplanted clones. Also used some of that for a tea. It is pretty cool, I like being able to use some of the kitchen waste for a good use.
Just got 500 worms in the mail and put them into their bin. About 4 inches of a bit of dirt, banana peels, apple cores, lettuce, etc, and some leaves and newspaper for now.
I was wondering can i put my fan leaves and stems in the vermicompost? And how do I use the juice? like how much should i add and when.
your stems and leaves are good to go, just chop them up like anything else, they'll eat them. I'll let someone else answer on the juice, I do AACT's with my EWC, so I dont use the juice due to variability in microherd in there. But it is good to use probably about anytime for your plants while supplementing your normal fertilization scheme.
Cool link on another easy vermicomposting bin (double bin). Cheap and Easy Worm Bin! and this: Frederick Dunn Fred's Fine Fowl Regarding Chickens Thanks Oldpork for the tip!
I basically fucked my worm bin up. Been like 3 months but there's still a lot of solid pieces of shit it seems. There's a shit ton of worms but the 'castings' don't seem too good. It's also really mucky and watery :/ Next time I'll get something with better drainage, add a better base and chop up food much smaller.
Take your knowledge of vermicomposting to the next level with these GC threads: http://forum.grasscity.com/organic-growing/632698-worm-bin-additives.html http://forum.grasscity.com/organic-growing/801593-soil-food-web-gardening-compost-teas.html http://forum.grasscity.com/gardening/656770-my-adventures-compost.html http://forum.grasscity.com/organic-growing/333940-post-your-organic-tea-recipe.html then this is the guy who designed the worm flow through bin. http://www.oregonsoil.com/ Horrible website so I found it for you. This is his design he donated to his alma mater for distribution http://www.klickitatcounty.org/SolidWaste/FilesHtml/Organics/OscrJunior.pdf They now make huge industrial vermicomposters. Here is a link to different design possibilities for worm bins: http://northwestredworms.com/bins.aspx
Take your knowledge of vermicomposting to the next level with these GC threads: http://forum.grasscity.com/organic-growing/632698-worm-bin-additives.html http://forum.grasscity.com/organic-growing/801593-soil-food-web-gardening-compost-teas.html http://forum.grasscity.com/gardening/656770-my-adventures-compost.html http://forum.grasscity.com/organic-growing/333940-post-your-organic-tea-recipe.html then this is the guy who designed the worm flow through bin. Oregon Soil, Oregon Soil Corp., Oregon Soil Corporation, Vermiculture Horrible website so I found it for you. This is his design he donated to his alma mater for distribution http://www.klickitatcounty.org/SolidWaste/FilesHtml/Organics/OscrJunior.pdf They now make huge industrial vermicomposters. Here is a link to different design possibilities for worm bins: Cedar Compost Bins http://forum.grasscity.com/organic-growing/336320-organic-soil-mix-mine.html Not all compost is created equally. The best composts are EWC (earthworm castings) and even there homemade is better than 'store bought' because most of the worm castings available at garden centers come out of Canada and are high in nitrogen but little else because the worms live on a diet of paper and cardboard. Canada uses vermiculture for its paper trash rather than sending it to a landfill - that's a good thing. Worms love paper because they're high in carbon. The castings are 'okay' but not as good as worm castings you can do yourself and there are a few commerical worming operations which crank out 'da kind' castings. HTH LumperDawgz
I hope this thread is still going because I am just now working my way through the first post and I am fascinated. I'm sure I will have some questions so I hope there will be someone around who can answer them.
I have been carefully and attentivly working my way through this thread but when I clicked on the link labled here it took me to a website about Diet and fitness tips. You most likely didn't know that I'm gathering or it somehow changed up from what it was originally. Just thought I would let you know and if it can somehow get linked to the right place that would be greatly appreciated by me because I am trying to absorb as much great info. as I can. I am still a newbie when it comes to organics and have been putting in work and researching my ass off so I can get this dialed in. ASAP. I got much respect for you and all the great info you put out there.
Excuse me Mr. Oldpork? I have a quick question. So I made the worm bin, sticking to your design, and I borrowed a handful of red wigglers from a friend. So, every so often I drain DANK looking black/brown liquid from the bottom of the bin, and I'm sure this stuff is great for plants. BUT, does it keep?? I have been storing it in a bottle in my room for the past few weeks...will it turn acidic or something and kill my plants? Thanks Oldpork/anyone who responds!
Can anyone tell me if it's okay to use neem oil in my bins? I've got lots of tiny little guys flying around my bin right now. The little fart-knockers appear to be migrating into my plants, which is a bummer as I had just finished eradicating my soil of some kind of gnat infestation. HELP!
FunTimeGrowHap 1. If you wanted to add a neem tree product then you'd want to use neem seed meal which is the by-product once the oil has been pressed out for other uses. I'd only add about 1 tablespoon per each square foot in your bin. Adding crab meal is also beneficial both on the immediate as well as the long-term (chitin availability) 2. Gnats are common and to some degree necessary - there are a plethora of organisms that live in a worm bin which facilitate the breakdown of the organic material. Remember that worms don't eat a friggin' thing. What they do is ingest material and bacteria and there it is transformed and changed chemically and biologically resulting in castings. Having said that an excess of gnats is almost always a sign of a worm bedding that's too wet. Worms need moisture but they breathe through their skins and if there's too much water they begin to die off resulting in anaerobic conditions in the bin. This is the main problem with people new to raising worms. Add some dry bedding to the top - peat moss is a good one because it will absorb a lot of water. Don't go crazy - a couple of inches of peat should take care of most of your gnat problems. HTH LD
FunTimeGrowHap I was going to edit my post but since you read it let me change my suggestion on the peat moss. Go with steer manure - even the stuff at your local nursery will be great. In the future when you add kitchen scraps then cover this with an inch or so of steer manure. Horse manure is also a good choice to use. Besides the microbes that they'll bring to the party there is also another thing to consider - the name for these worms with farmers isn't Red Wigglers but rather Manure Worms. Pile up some livestock manure and almost magically they appear - I can't explain it but it's universal. Some of the farmers around here offer cow or horse manure on Craigslist with the comment 'loaded with manure worms' - you haul and it's free. Get worms and worm food in one trip. Just a suggestion. LD