Roz's wasted wormery!

[Rozgreenburn]

I am nearly done with my latest worm bedding. Within 2 weeks I will move my worms and start harvesting the black gold. I have 7 plastic 22 gallon totes as my worm raising boxes. 5 are ready when I am and 1 has some newer worms{African nightcrawlers} and 1 was harved last month.
When I harvest 2 bins, I return them to their beds with brand new bedding, and they will be split up into 3-4 bins. A point of interest here, it is very helpful to add 1/2 gallon of EWC into your new beds. It makes them less likely to try escaping. I'm not certain why mine would want to go anywhere, as they get all my canna scraps. Big time stoners, they are!
I have a limited amount of space for them indoors or I'd have more. By Summers end, I'll be up to 10 bins. That is where it stops, unless I can easily monetize the worms and the castings.
It seems that I'll have another 100 LBs of EWC within a month. I'm fulla shit!!!

 

[Rozgreenburn]

I wasn't really planning on raising worms, but EWC has changed my grows and my growing style. The Hypoaspis miles is a tiny insect that is in fresh EWC and this insect loves to eat fungus Gnat eggs and larvae. That is why I started my worms. I haven't purchased any sticky yellow traps in well over a year! When transplanting, I put an 1/4" layer on top of the soil and cover that with hardwood mulch. EWC goes into compost, super soil, teas and recharges.
This all began after I received a CF bag of EWC that was so dry there was no life in it. It worked as a nute but not on Gnats. Right then, I ordered my worms and they have paid for themselves in 1 year just because I no longer have to buy EWC.

 

[pwnytailjoe]

I tried worm bins last year but had to abandon them due to several reasons.

What do you feed them?

 

[Gweedo's Growroom]

Have you seen any tiny little centipede looking things I've got quite a few in my bins along with the mites if they are white and about the size of a small flea they're loaded in both my bins, thinking I should top dress with some fresh and see how it goes

 

[VAHomegrown]

I wasn't really planning on raising worms, but EWC has changed my grows and my growing style. The Hypoaspis miles is a tiny insect that is in fresh EWC and this insect loves to eat fungus Gnat eggs and larvae. That is why I started my worms. I haven't purchased any sticky yellow traps in well over a year! When transplanting, I put an 1/4" layer on top of the soil and cover that with hardwood mulch. EWC goes into compost, super soil, teas and recharges.
This all began after I received a CF bag of EWC that was so dry there was no life in it. It worked as a nute but not on Gnats. Right then, I ordered my worms and they have paid for themselves in 1 year just because I no longer have to buy EWC.

When I got into organics I didn't give earth worm castings the credit they deserve-they do a million more things than just supply the
1-0-0 on the bag. Do you keep your worm bin outside in the open or in a shed/garage? I'm trying to figure out the best placement for my space limited set up. Im hoping to have one up and going by the late spring.

 

[Rozgreenburn]

I tried worm bins last year but had to abandon them due to several reasons.

What do you feed them?

Yes, there is a bit of a learning curve. I feed my kitchen scraps [no meat, dairy, fats or highly acidic items] after I let them break down for a week or so. I bought some worm chow once but changed over to a mix of rice bran and ground corn. This is sprinkled lightly across the surface of the beds after I bury the previously mentioned food scraps [about 10% of total volume]. You can use cardboard scraps on top of bin as well. I use shredded paper to adjust the moisture content. Hope this helps.

 

[Rozgreenburn]

When I got into organics I didn't give earth worm castings the credit they deserve-they do a million more things than just supply the
1-0-0 on the bag. Do you keep your worm bin outside in the open or in a shed/garage? I'm trying to figure out the best placement for my space limited set up. Im hoping to have one up and going by the late spring.

I will put my African nightcrawlers out in my shed when it stays warm. They are supposed to be happy into the 90 degree range. The red wigglers and European nightcrawlers did not care for the high temps and therefore went back into the basement. I have been considering burying a dead refrigerator flush with the ground in a shady area for overflow.
I'm no expert but I think I'm in the groove, if I can help, just holler.

 

[Rozgreenburn]

Have you seen any tiny little centipede looking things I've got quite a few in my bins along with the mites if they are white and about the size of a small flea they're loaded in both my bins, thinking I should top dress with some fresh and see how it goes

No sir, I've not noticed any other creatures in mine. Do you think they are problematic?

 

[Gweedo's Growroom]

Can't tell atm

 

[Brokehoe]

Keep it coming @Rozgreenburn
I'm starting a worm been this year.
One 27gal tote. I will pick your brain when I start my project. Thanks

 

[Rozgreenburn]

Keep it coming @Rozgreenburn
I'm starting a worm been this year.
One 27gal tote. I will pick your brain when I start my project. Thanks

Yup,
I will offer up all I know. Once you dial it in, it is so easy that you'll have to remember to watch them! Now, I only open the bins about once every 3 weeks and harvest castings every 3 months or so.
Hit me when you're ready...

 

[Mr. Waggamufifn]

I am nearly done with my latest worm bedding. Within 2 weeks I will move my worms and start harvesting the black gold. I have 7 plastic 22 gallon totes as my worm raising boxes. 5 are ready when I am and 1 has some newer worms{African nightcrawlers} and 1 was harved last month.
When I harvest 2 bins, I return them to their beds with brand new bedding, and they will be split up into 3-4 bins. A point of interest here, it is very helpful to add 1/2 gallon of EWC into your new beds. It makes them less likely to try escaping. I'm not certain why mine would want to go anywhere, as they get all my canna scraps. Big time stoners, they are!
I have a limited amount of space for them indoors or I'd have more. By Summers end, I'll be up to 10 bins. That is where it stops, unless I can easily monetize the worms and the castings.
It seems that I'll have another 100 LBs of EWC within a month. I'm fulla shit!!!

What was your base medium for the worms? Right now I have one 22 gallon tote with holes drilled in the bottom. I put lava rocks at the bottom, then filled up the remainder of the tote with peat moss. Finally, I put some pieces of cardboard and avocados at the top and keep it moist. However, my worms (red wigglers and European night crawlers) aren't really going for the avocados. A couple of the red wigglers are, but I haven't seen a nightcrawler in my bin in a while. Am I doing something wrong?

 

[Gweedo's Growroom]

I started mine on coco and cardboard, just wrigglers in my bins, they eat whatever I toss in honestly, mostly kitchen veggie and fruit scraps, and lots of canna scraps, most all of my defoliated and pruned material goes in, and crawlers tend to burrow down and come out to feed then go back in their burrow not so much like a wriggler just moving constant through the medium, and they prefer slightly deeper soil so they may have escaped lol

 

[Rozgreenburn]

What was your base medium for the worms? Right now I have one 22 gallon tote with holes drilled in the bottom. I put lava rocks at the bottom, then filled up the remainder of the tote with peat moss. Finally, I put some pieces of cardboard and avocados at the top and keep it moist. However, my worms (red wigglers and European night crawlers) aren't really going for the avocados. A couple of the red wigglers are, but I haven't seen a nightcrawler in my bin in a while. Am I doing something wrong?

Here's my current worm bedding recipe. This will make enough to start your worms.
5 gallons coco coir
1 cup kelp meal
1&1/2 cups alfalfa meal
1/2 cup greensand
1/2 cup azomite
1 quart crushed oyster shell
1/2 cup granular rock Phosphate
1/2 gallon each, vermiculite and perlite
1/2 gallon EWC
1 gallon shredded paper or cardboard.
I make up a 20 gallon garbage can full each time and *** it should sit for 2 weeks just in case it gets a bit hot after mixing.
I drilled holes in my first bin and then changed my methods. I see no reason to give the worms any escape routes. This being a given, I keep the bedding just moist enough to keep them healthy. 2 weeks before i harvest EWC, I only put food scraps and such in half of the container. In a few weeks, the worms will move to where the food is. that makes harvesting the empty half much simpler as there will be few worms to siftout.
Your worms will double in number every 3-4 months if they are properly cared for. I hope this helps.

 

[Rozgreenburn]

I started mine on coco and cardboard, just wrigglers in my bins, they eat whatever I toss in honestly, mostly kitchen veggie and fruit scraps, and lots of canna scraps, most all of my defoliated and pruned material goes in, and crawlers tend to burrow down and come out to feed then go back in their burrow not so much like a wriggler just moving constant through the medium, and they prefer slightly deeper soil so they may have escaped lol

The deep burrowers are why I keep my medium a bit drier and don't drill the bottom holes. If the bedding seems too wet, just add some shredded paper or cardboard.
I place a flat piece of cardboard 1/2 the size of my surface area, get it moist and leave it for them to hide under and they will eat it up happily.
Once you get the feel for it, it takes very little time or effort.

 

[Mr. Waggamufifn]

The deep burrowers are why I keep my medium a bit drier and don't drill the bottom holes. If the bedding seems too wet, just add some shredded paper or cardboard.
I place a flat piece of cardboard 1/2 the size of my surface area, get it moist and leave it for them to hide under and they will eat it up happily.
Once you get the feel for it, it takes very little time or effort.

?thanks man

 

[Rozgreenburn]

I am going to try some different ratios for my actual worm chow. I get ground corn, rice bran and alfalfa in 50LB sacks at the local feed store and this will be my base for my recipes. I don't feed much worm chow at present but, I will sort my bins soon and will probably have 2-4 more bins to feed and growing. Looks like I'll have to move the new ones out to the barn once the freeze danger has passed.

 

[Rozgreenburn]

I am going to try some different ratios for my actual worm chow. I get ground corn, rice bran and alfalfa in 50LB sacks at the local feed store and this will be my base for my recipes. I don't feed much worm chow at present but, I will sort my bins soon and will probably have 2-4 more bins to feed and growing. Looks like I'll have to move the new ones out to the barn once the freeze danger has passed.

The point my stoned mind could not convey, is that I will have more worms than food scraps and yard waste. Slow but steady, they just keep eating and pooping.

 

[Rozgreenburn]

Today I harvested 1/2 of 3 worm bins and make a 4th with the excess worms! 20 gallons of EWC from that. In 2 weeks I'll harvest the other half. I still have 4 more bins to work asap. That will end up around 100 gallons this quarter. Hoping to move 1/2 of the bins out to my shop as soon as the freeze danger is past. This is starting to get serious ?

 

[Rozgreenburn]

EWC has been bagged after evaping the excess moisture, 45 gallon total! 2 weeks from now, another 45-50 gallons. Ended up starting 2 more bins when I thinned the population down to size. Probably means starting 2 more when I finish the other half.
The adult part of me says take it easy, but the kid side says " why don't you weld together a few 55 gallon drums and attach a belt and motor"! I wonder who I'll listen to?