calliandra
Well-Known Member
Sooo cool! There are a few of them wiggling about there!
Sure brings home the true meaning of "living soil" haha
And an extremely cool cam you have there too btw!
Vermicomposters Unite! Official Worm Farmers Thread
- Thread starter Rising Moon
- Start date
Sure brings home the true meaning of "living soil" haha
And an extremely cool cam you have there too btw!
DonBrennon
Well-Known Member
USB microscope, not too expensive and very good for checking trichome colour and finding bad bugs. I noticed some thrip on my last grow and pulled a leaf off to look at some under the scope. Turns out I also found an early infestation of spider mite, small amount of immature but there must've been adults cos there were eggs aplenty, so I added some hypoaspis mite and some other mite (amelius andersoni or something like that), not had a thrip or s-mite in ages now, but you can see how many predators are in my VC bin and also in my soil (I Inoculated both). I don't think I'd have caught the mite infestation so early without the scope and a bit of luck, I guess.Sooo cool! There are a few of them wiggling about there!
Sure brings home the true meaning of "living soil" haha
And an extremely cool cam you have there too btw!
mucha_mota
Well-Known Member
those tuff totes are awesome. with the yellow lid. my lowes used to carry these real thick ones. i was running a 4 rezzie system with them. now, converting to my own coco amendment mix, i use one for a worm farm too
you can perfectly expand a 5k block of coco in one too. room to spare so you can fluff it like a porn star.
Dr.D81
Well-Known Member
Yea they are great. I have add one myself and I run two off them currently.those tuff totes are awesome. i was running a 4 rezzie system with them. now i use one for a worm farm too
mucha_mota
Well-Known Member
crab shell meal , neem cake, alfalfa meal, worm poop (had to buy 30 lbs till the farm kicks in), humic powder, mycos, steam bone meal, azomote (spell).
gonna add kelp meal too. i did all 5lb buys. to play. but i love it over the bottle feed. i like p/k booster. low ppms. little cal/mag. but this new way for me is awesome. built in everything. just water.
made my first alfalfa & worm poop tea.
& not a bucket of nutes @ 700ppm.
so coooool ! & im off to grab some sulfate of potash.
so i can even kick the p/k booster habit.
gonna add kelp meal too. i did all 5lb buys. to play. but i love it over the bottle feed. i like p/k booster. low ppms. little cal/mag. but this new way for me is awesome. built in everything. just water.
made my first alfalfa & worm poop tea.
& not a bucket of nutes @ 700ppm.
so coooool ! & im off to grab some sulfate of potash.
so i can even kick the p/k booster habit.
mucha_mota
Well-Known Member
i know this may be a dumb ? but can you get mites from a bag of worm poop? once at the home store i snatched a bag of pro-mix off the top to get one lower and noted red mites on a gash in the bag. i dont see why not. am i right? to be careful with purchases. online its hard to tell. i cant wait till my poop starts a comin'
DonBrennon
Well-Known Member
Try laxatives, it may help speed things along pmsfl................sorry, couldn't help myself
a senile fungus
Well-Known Member
Absolutely.
I used to get worm castings from a local guy, and they came with all sorts of populations of mites, worms, springtails, etc. The particular species in my particular mix wasn't harmful to the plant. There were 2 species of larger slower mites and 1 species of faster smaller mites, which were predatory. Then I had these white creatures, I think they were springtails. I dunno, like I said, they weren't harmful to the plant, in my case.
You can get bugs from store bought soils, and you can get them from worm castings and outdoor compost too.
I can't personal speak on anything like indoor bins or compost piles, but in my experience, anything that's been outside will have bugs.
It's healthy for my garden for me to make that presumption, or at least I'd like to think so
Grandpa GreenJeans
Well-Known Member
Well I'll be... that only took me 4 months...
I was just saying the other day we need a vermicomposting sticky.
Subbd- lol
I was just saying the other day we need a vermicomposting sticky.
Subbd- lol
Grandpa GreenJeans
Well-Known Member
I did the same shit. I got 5 of them that I used for a RDWC. 27 gallons each.those tuff totes are awesome. with the yellow lid. my lowes used to carry these real thick ones. i was running a 4 rezzie system with them. now, converting to my own coco amendment mix, i use one for a worm farm too
Dr.D81
Well-Known Member
I have predatory mites and springtails in my bins tooAbsolutely.
I used to get worm castings from a local guy, and they came with all sorts of populations of mites, worms, springtails, etc. The particular species in my particular mix wasn't harmful to the plant. There were 2 species of larger slower mites and 1 species of faster smaller mites, which were predatory. Then I had these white creatures, I think they were springtails. I dunno, like I said, they weren't harmful to the plant, in my case.
You can get bugs from store bought soils, and you can get them from worm castings and outdoor compost too.
I can't personal speak on anything like indoor bins or compost piles, but in my experience, anything that's been outside will have bugs.
It's healthy for my garden for me to make that presumption, or at least I'd like to think so
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Kind Sir
Well-Known Member
So I already got a few opinions on this but still not sure. I didnt have ANY bugs in my indoor worm bin for about 2months but recently found these (a tad smaller than a cannabis seed) black looking almost beatles, and just found these red mites Friday, on/near a banana in the bin.
I dont want them to hurt my worms, or plants when used. I put some DE ontop, I dont feed often at all so my bin is healthy for sure. Only problem is I don't have holes on the bottom of mine, I was thinking about adding holes and putting it in another bin to collect dripping.
Do you guys add any Amendments? Kelp, oyster shell or anything?
I dont want them to hurt my worms, or plants when used. I put some DE ontop, I dont feed often at all so my bin is healthy for sure. Only problem is I don't have holes on the bottom of mine, I was thinking about adding holes and putting it in another bin to collect dripping.
Do you guys add any Amendments? Kelp, oyster shell or anything?
You STILL haven't added drainage holes!? I remember telling you they were a must, or, you can learn from painful experience., your call.So I already got a few opinions on this but still not sure. I didnt have ANY bugs in my indoor worm bin for about 2months but recently found these (a tad smaller than a cannabis seed) black looking almost beatles, and just found these red mites Friday, on/near a banana in the bin.
I dont want them to hurt my worms, or plants when used. I put some DE ontop, I dont feed often at all so my bin is healthy for sure. Only problem is I don't have holes on the bottom of mine, I was thinking about adding holes and putting it in another bin to collect dripping.
Do you guys add any Amendments? Kelp, oyster shell or anything?
Please quit trying to kill beneficial bugs in the bin, it hurts the worms and damages the entire ecosystem of the bin. A handful of neem cake every couple of weeks sprinkled on top will take care of any nasty bugs and the worms love the stuff.
AFA amendments, big yes to the kelp, apply like the neem. Also a yes to the OSF, but very seldom, like 6 weeks+ seldom. I add it to my bedding mix, but never add more. They eat some for grit, but really don't consume it and it keeps the pH right.
Wet
DonTesla
Well-Known Member
What the fuck is a sticky, brotha? Lol
And ..
Yeah manAbsolutely.
I used to get worm castings from a local guy, and they came with all sorts of populations of mites, worms, springtails, etc. The particular species in my particular mix wasn't harmful to the plant. There were 2 species of larger slower mites and 1 species of faster smaller mites, which were predatory. Then I had these white creatures, I think they were springtails. I dunno, like I said, they weren't harmful to the plant, in my case.
You can get bugs from store bought soils, and you can get them from worm castings and outdoor compost too.
I can't personal speak on anything like indoor bins or compost piles, but in my experience, anything that's been outside will have bugs.
It's healthy for my garden for me to make that presumption, or at least I'd like to think so
Only bugs I ever got were from outside plants, leaves, or compost.
In the house is where its at, hey
Worms are the kings and humble city workers who make tunnels for all other beasties so don't worry too much, amigoSo I already got a few opinions on this but still not sure. I didnt have ANY bugs in my indoor worm bin for about 2months but recently found these (a tad smaller than a cannabis seed) black looking almost beatles, and just found these red mites Friday, on/near a banana in the bin.
I dont want them to hurt my worms, or plants when used. I put some DE ontop, I dont feed often at all so my bin is healthy for sure. Only problem is I don't have holes on the bottom of mine, I was thinking about adding holes and putting it in another bin to collect dripping.
Do you guys add any Amendments? Kelp, oyster shell or anything?
Kelp is great for pests, especially outdoors. A great precursor for successful cloning as well say two weeks before your mothers get the knife
Alfalfa is great to work in thru your compost be it the worm or outdoor com
Or a tea. The dons no likey depending on it thru just plain addition to the soil tbh
To really unlock its TRIA bene's go that route or yea, SST if u like extra dishes. Lol
As for the red mites, they're not too bad, and are actually normal to a degree.
Feel free to discard outbreaks but that's it.
Oyster shell is great for aeration and calcium etc and a decent upgrade to eggshells but if is not granulated to a sand I would say its less useful, as worms won't eat it for a little intestine cleaner
But yea, good idea to do the holes tho
Collect your castings without breaking your back
Hardware mesh screens whatever it takes to ease the workload
Cause Mother Nature she's a natural type
We gotta get as efficient as possible, lol
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DonBrennon
Well-Known Member
agreed, most believe their wormbins are the most important part of their set up, should be stickied, I think one for good bugs/bad bugs would be good too, there seems loads of confusion in that area
DonTesla
Well-Known Member
Seems like stickies are helpful
Thanks DonB
But I still...
I wish beneficial bio predators were common place and readily available at every store that sells these hydro nutes that seem so readily available city to city
Not one in my region has myco
My whole grow can exist mail-free minus the myco and lights,
Who thankfully I have a a great guy like @DonPetro to have tredged the foggy hi ways of .
I guess the industry is still coming in to its own
It's up to us to request these things and educate store owners
Some are eager to get lists from guys like us
Other talk shit about worm castings like they only ever grown Che-lated.
Gotta get to know your city and the best shop and then help people go there I guess.
Grandpa GreenJeans
Well-Known Member
Absolutely, macro identification would be very insightful. Lots of people seem to get hung up on it, and freak when the bugs show up. Not knowing what they are truly and how to treat/handle them. Anyone serious about organic cultivation should be well versed in vermiculture and it's subsidiaries.
Grandpa GreenJeans
Well-Known Member
Che-lated lattes are the best.
A locksmith can Che-late your doors.
Lol old lol
Worms cant Che-late only my $1000 line of bottled piss has that.....
Grandpa GreenJeans
Well-Known Member
Tomatoe seedlings are poping out of the farms top tier.
And..... fucking mushrooms.....
Diversity-
And..... fucking mushrooms.....
Diversity-