Grandpa GreenJeans
Well-Known Member
Roofing while stoned, and a 24 oz framing hammer. Lol, (shrug)....
Just caught the side, luckily. I've had alot worse in the past. My hands in general look like shit from all the years. Full of scars and lumps.
Vermicomposters Unite! Official Worm Farmers Thread
- Thread starter Rising Moon
- Start date
Just caught the side, luckily. I've had alot worse in the past. My hands in general look like shit from all the years. Full of scars and lumps.
Mohican
Well-Known Member
I finished the last wall of the screen room (it was curved so it was tricky).
No ER visits just a few scratches and bruises:
The strategy I follow with introducing new foods to the worms is to put it in a corner and let them enjoy or avoid it as they wish.
So far they seem to devour everything.
Cheers,
Mo
No ER visits just a few scratches and bruises:
The strategy I follow with introducing new foods to the worms is to put it in a corner and let them enjoy or avoid it as they wish.
So far they seem to devour everything.
Cheers,
Mo
DonBrennon
Well-Known Member
This is what I have to do, no oyster shell flour over here, so I buy oyster shell grit mean't for chickens and smash it up like a lunatic in said pestle and mortar, that's some tough shit to grind up, egg shells are a doddle, especially if you dry them out for a while in the oven.Totally liquid life!
The grounds will add some "aggregate" like qualities, but if you have oyster flour, I'd opt for that first. Egg shells are good, but most people can't get them to the proper "ground" like consistency. Personally, I'd use a food processor or motor and pedistal, to get that fine grade, that the worms can gulp in with the rest of the mess.
GreenSanta
Well-Known Member
you can get mites from everywhere, once you start using beneficial bugs to take care of pests, you dont really worry about what you bring into your grow room. I have been growing perpetual for many years, without ever starting from scratch. Also I dont ever spray for bugs, I do spend an awful lot of money on beneficial insects, once or twice a month. Its a trade off, well worth it in my opinion.
Dr.D81
Well-Known Member
It has come along some since I saw itI finished the last wall of the screen room (it was curved so it was tricky).
No ER visits just a few scratches and bruises:
The strategy I follow with introducing new foods to the worms is to put it in a corner and let them enjoy or avoid it as they wish.
So far they seem to devour everything.
Cheers,
Mo
Harvested one of my bins last week
Organicgrow42
Well-Known Member
I just read this whole thread. Couldn't put it down. Love where everyone is coming from.
I tried a worm factory 360 last year and it said to put newspaper in the bottom layer to keep the worms from escaping but will also let the leachatte through.
Well the paper was obviously wet from that and the worms went through the bottom and escaped. Anyone have any thoughts on that?
I tried a worm factory 360 last year and it said to put newspaper in the bottom layer to keep the worms from escaping but will also let the leachatte through.
Well the paper was obviously wet from that and the worms went through the bottom and escaped. Anyone have any thoughts on that?
Theophagy
Well-Known Member
If the worms were escaping, it means the conditions in the bin weren't right. Could have been to wet, dry or acidic.
I also started off with a worm factory 360, and just like you had the exact same problem. There came a point were I almost tossed it all out. But after some reading and messing around, my worm population has bounced back, and no longer have worms escaping.
My bedding: shredded fall leaves, and cardboard, I like using the paper towel and TP rolls. I also throw in some peat. No exacted ratio, but I use more leaves since there free. Soak the bedding in some water for awhile till everything is wet. Squeeze out excess water.
Feeding: I use fruit and vegetable scrapes, that I keep stored in the freezer. When ready, thaw out, put in blender, spread out on a paper towel. Flip it over so food side down in bin. Cover with some more bedding.
I also give them chow mix from time to time, just sprinkle across the top.
Chow mix: corn meal, oatmeal, eggshells. in a 2:2:1 ratio
Just stick with it you will figure it out, and keep reading. This guy has a lot of good info
http://www.redwormcomposting.com/
I also started off with a worm factory 360, and just like you had the exact same problem. There came a point were I almost tossed it all out. But after some reading and messing around, my worm population has bounced back, and no longer have worms escaping.
My bedding: shredded fall leaves, and cardboard, I like using the paper towel and TP rolls. I also throw in some peat. No exacted ratio, but I use more leaves since there free. Soak the bedding in some water for awhile till everything is wet. Squeeze out excess water.
Feeding: I use fruit and vegetable scrapes, that I keep stored in the freezer. When ready, thaw out, put in blender, spread out on a paper towel. Flip it over so food side down in bin. Cover with some more bedding.
I also give them chow mix from time to time, just sprinkle across the top.
Chow mix: corn meal, oatmeal, eggshells. in a 2:2:1 ratio
Just stick with it you will figure it out, and keep reading. This guy has a lot of good info
http://www.redwormcomposting.com/
Organicgrow42
Well-Known Member
Great info, thanks theo! When you add food to the bin do you say add 1 handful in a corner and then say a week or so later, depending on how the worms have done, add another handful? Or do you add a really think layer a roos half or the whole thing ? I can see where both can work imo
Theophagy
Well-Known Member
I used to throw about a handful on a paper towel, wrap it up and bury it in the corner. Now I spread a layer on a paper towel, like putting jelly on a piece of bread.
Look at DonTeslas Post on page 37, post #735...The worms are eating up the food much faster now, since I started doing it this way.
Look at DonTeslas Post on page 37, post #735...The worms are eating up the food much faster now, since I started doing it this way.
Organicgrow42
Well-Known Member
That's what I was thinking too, to spread it out. More surface area.
So to clarify, that would be about a handful spread out on some paper towel right? About once a week for my worm factory since it's small? I obviously will play w it but don't want to add too much too often and fuck it all up again.
So to clarify, that would be about a handful spread out on some paper towel right? About once a week for my worm factory since it's small? I obviously will play w it but don't want to add too much too often and fuck it all up again.
mucha_mota
Well-Known Member
last few pages have been super informative. killer thread.
Richard Drysift
Well-Known Member
The instruction book that came with my worm factory says they like paper but mine don't eat it unless there's nothing else..they seem to prefer dried canna leaf & alfalfa meal. They devour fruit & veggie scraps but it takes time like say 6 mo to a year from starting up your worm factory before their populations reach to the point you can just dump a ton of food in there & it will be gone quickly. Anything they don't consume I leave in the trays after harvesting & it goes to the next cycle. I find recycled soil is great bedding & makes super fast compost...I'm harvesting a tray every 3 weeks now.
Temps & humidity are the main factors in keeping them happy. Happy worms don't escape their bins- so keep it in a space that gets room temperature & stays dry. I keep my bin in a dingy basement just underneath the intake for my flower room so not only are my wormies happy my plants get the benefit of the extra CO2 emitting from it. Food scraps should be the main provider of moisture but when you are establishing your bin you may hafta give a spritz of water to keep their bedding moist yet with plenty of airflow; especially if you use a dehumidifier in the area. Give your worms some grit like oyster flour and always add some perlite of pumice to your trays when starting a new one- airflow is just as important as moisture. After a time when it becomes well established you won't hafta do anything & the bin will just regulate moisture by itself.
Temps & humidity are the main factors in keeping them happy. Happy worms don't escape their bins- so keep it in a space that gets room temperature & stays dry. I keep my bin in a dingy basement just underneath the intake for my flower room so not only are my wormies happy my plants get the benefit of the extra CO2 emitting from it. Food scraps should be the main provider of moisture but when you are establishing your bin you may hafta give a spritz of water to keep their bedding moist yet with plenty of airflow; especially if you use a dehumidifier in the area. Give your worms some grit like oyster flour and always add some perlite of pumice to your trays when starting a new one- airflow is just as important as moisture. After a time when it becomes well established you won't hafta do anything & the bin will just regulate moisture by itself.
Theophagy
Well-Known Member
Sounds about right...my paper towels tear in half sizes, I think i could use a full piece as fast as they are eating. As far as how often, I would just check that most of the food is gone before adding more, right now I am adding food about once a week.
I started off using newspaper too, and came to the same conclusion...when I would harvest, there would always be pieces of the paper still in there.
Richard Drysift
Well-Known Member
Might be the ink..I once found some letters that were munched out from a piece of mail.. Just letters nothing else was left but the ink lol... Tried giving them plain brown packing paper but it's still in there untouched. They go for the mushy thawed scraps & leaves every time. I probly feed them about every 2- 3 weeks now but I give them a lot when I do & kinda forget about em. I only feed maybe twice before the tray gets full & I cover it over & start a new tray. I need fast compost to keep up with my perpetual grow so I'm always waiting on more compost to add to soil recycle bins. Been trying to give them stuff they will consume immediately like pasta & rice.
Organicgrow42
Well-Known Member
I would assume since worms don't actually eat, the paper isn't producing the slime the worms slurp up or at least it isn't doing it very fast as say a bananna.
How many worms does your worm factory say to start with, I don't know if I have my intructions. Getting worms in the next week or two
Getting back on track!
Thanks guys for the tips!
How many worms does your worm factory say to start with, I don't know if I have my intructions. Getting worms in the next week or two
Getting back on track!
Thanks guys for the tips!
Richard Drysift
Well-Known Member
It doesn't say but I started out with 500.. Was kidding you about the letters btw...they will eat everything eventually but they always go for the softer stuff first- they don't like junk mail or newspaper as much but they will eat it when there's nothing better. Even 200 worms is enough to start but the more you have the faster the bin becomes established. They grow pretty fast too. Supposed to double in populations every 90 days so you'll more than quadruple the number of worms you started with in the following year.
hyroot
Well-Known Member
My recent bin I started with 2 1/2 (2500) pounds of big healthy worms. Same ones I posted a pic of last time. . They've already gone through everything in less than 2 weeks. Made 2 cu ft of castings. Fastest I've ever seen. The most I've ever started with too. Last night I caught a few trying to jump ship. They were chilling at the lid. So I turned a light on over the bin and added some more dry bedding. But now I need to add another level for the flow through. So I can harvest the lower tote.
I quit using paper years ago as bedding, but what I DO add are palm sized pieces of brown cardboard from shipping boxes.
The worms seem to love the vegetable glue used in the boxes.
More importantly (and why I use it), they love to lay eggs in the little tunnels in the cardboard.
I only add the cardboard once or twice to a bin during a run. First when starting a fresh bin after a harvest and again about mid way through a run. I do a 'lasagna' type deal with a layer of food, then layer of bedding, and repeat. I'll do pretty much a layer of cardboard pieces on top of bedding, then food on top of the cardboard, then bedding when the food gets broken down. Might do a third layer of cardboard in the winter and it's longer between harvests.
I like lots of cocoons in my VC which equals more worms in the garden, containers, and no tills. When they are born into an environment they adapt much better than grown worms.
Wet
The worms seem to love the vegetable glue used in the boxes.
More importantly (and why I use it), they love to lay eggs in the little tunnels in the cardboard.
I only add the cardboard once or twice to a bin during a run. First when starting a fresh bin after a harvest and again about mid way through a run. I do a 'lasagna' type deal with a layer of food, then layer of bedding, and repeat. I'll do pretty much a layer of cardboard pieces on top of bedding, then food on top of the cardboard, then bedding when the food gets broken down. Might do a third layer of cardboard in the winter and it's longer between harvests.
I like lots of cocoons in my VC which equals more worms in the garden, containers, and no tills. When they are born into an environment they adapt much better than grown worms.
Wet