DIY worm/compost bin with pics...

[MustangStudFarm]

I have a neighbor that had a crazy amount of these plastic pallets, so I made a small trade for a few of them. This is a straight forward, easy design. I imagine that someone could get crafty and come up with something similar! Someone might be able to help me figure out how to get some air-flow???

 

[MustangStudFarm]

I know that it is kind of ugly! It was very cheap to build and I was able to do it in an afternoon. I am thinking of hiding it with some picket fence or something though. Each section is 3ftx3ft and I probably will never have to buy castings again! I have been trying to buy castings off of cragislist, but I am always too late, they are sold. So, I might start selling my own castings for $1.20 a lb

The pallets are not lined up very well because I did not attach the sections together so that they are still move-able.

 

[MustangStudFarm]

I just found a guy on craigslist that has free rabbit manure by the pick-up truck load. It was posted yesterday, so I am on it!

 

[greasemonkeymann]

I have a neighbor that had a crazy amount of these plastic pallets, so I made a small trade for a few of them. This is a straight forward, easy design. I imagine that someone could get crafty and come up with something similar! Someone might be able to help me figure out how to get some air-flow???

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i'd rock that six days a week and twice on sundays man!
don't need airflow, you have holes in the side.
that's a damn good compost pile idea.
for the wormbin part i'd get some kind of screen for the sides, or maybe staple some kind of fabric

 

[MustangStudFarm]

for the wormbin part i'd get some kind of screen for the sides, or maybe staple some kind of fabric

I am unclear on what you are talking about. I am listening though, you always have something cool to say about this type of thing!!!

 

[MustangStudFarm]

I was looking at peat for worm bedding. This is the article that I came across... I should be fine mixing peat and rabbit manure at about 50/50 ratio??? I also have PH buffers like crab shell, basalt, and crustacean meal.

Can You Just Use Peat Moss As The Only Worm Bedding Ingredient?
Yes, you can use just peat moss. BUT, you must change out the peat moss every 14 days to prevent protein poisoning from occurring in your worms and killing them. That's the reason peat moss by itself is usually used for short term holding and shipping.

If you are trying to grow and breed worms, it isn't practical to change the bedding this often. For long term holding, breeding and growing worms, mix something else with the peat moss. Use a ratio of 50:50 - that is 50% or less peat moss and 50% or more of any of the following:

• shredded and dampened newspaper or other paper
• shredded and dampened cardboard
• aged horse manure (with or without stall bedding)
• aged and dampened saw dust

Dampen all worm bedding ingredients and let it sit for at least 36 hours. Check the worm bedding mixture often to see the moisture content, pH level, and temperature. If items such as horse manure or wood chips aren't properly aged, they may "heat-up" and kill your worms. Make sure the ingredients are well past the "heating-up" stage before introducing your precious worms to it.

 

[Yodaweed]

I was looking at peat for worm bedding. This is the article that I came across... I should be fine mixing peat and rabbit manure at about 50/50 ratio??? I also have PH buffers like crab shell, basalt, and crustacean meal.

Can You Just Use Peat Moss As The Only Worm Bedding Ingredient?
Yes, you can use just peat moss. BUT, you must change out the peat moss every 14 days to prevent protein poisoning from occurring in your worms and killing them. That's the reason peat moss by itself is usually used for short term holding and shipping.

If you are trying to grow and breed worms, it isn't practical to change the bedding this often. For long term holding, breeding and growing worms, mix something else with the peat moss. Use a ratio of 50:50 - that is 50% or less peat moss and 50% or more of any of the following:

• shredded and dampened newspaper or other paper
• shredded and dampened cardboard
• aged horse manure (with or without stall bedding)
• aged and dampened saw dust

Dampen all worm bedding ingredients and let it sit for at least 36 hours. Check the worm bedding mixture often to see the moisture content, pH level, and temperature. If items such as horse manure or wood chips aren't properly aged, they may "heat-up" and kill your worms. Make sure the ingredients are well past the "heating-up" stage before introducing your precious worms to it.

I use junk mail and weed leafs for my worms bedding, they love it, they eat their own bed, I wouldn't add peat or coco to your bin, the worms cant eat that, it never breaks down, just filler basically.

 

[greasemonkeymann]

I am unclear on what you are talking about. I am listening though, you always have something cool to say about this type of thing!!!

ok, so what I mean is this.
check out the sides of the picture.
see how large the holes are?
if you have a wormbin in that, it'll spill out the sides.
Unless those holes don't go all the way through?

 

[greasemonkeymann]

I use junk mail and weed leafs for my worms bedding, they love it, they eat their own bed, I wouldn't add peat or coco to your bin, the worms cant eat that, it never breaks down, just filler basically.

YES!
don't worry at all about special bedding.
a bag of leaves and a old container of spent soil is perfect.
a cardboard box that's been soaked in water is good too

 

[greasemonkeymann]

I was looking at peat for worm bedding. This is the article that I came across... I should be fine mixing peat and rabbit manure at about 50/50 ratio??? I also have PH buffers like crab shell, basalt, and crustacean meal.

Can You Just Use Peat Moss As The Only Worm Bedding Ingredient?
Yes, you can use just peat moss. BUT, you must change out the peat moss every 14 days to prevent protein poisoning from occurring in your worms and killing them. That's the reason peat moss by itself is usually used for short term holding and shipping.

If you are trying to grow and breed worms, it isn't practical to change the bedding this often. For long term holding, breeding and growing worms, mix something else with the peat moss. Use a ratio of 50:50 - that is 50% or less peat moss and 50% or more of any of the following:

• shredded and dampened newspaper or other paper
• shredded and dampened cardboard
• aged horse manure (with or without stall bedding)
• aged and dampened saw dust

Dampen all worm bedding ingredients and let it sit for at least 36 hours. Check the worm bedding mixture often to see the moisture content, pH level, and temperature. If items such as horse manure or wood chips aren't properly aged, they may "heat-up" and kill your worms. Make sure the ingredients are well past the "heating-up" stage before introducing your precious worms to it.

and careful using manures, if they have ANY dewormers in that...
you'd be ultra-fucked

 

[Yodaweed]

and careful using manures, if they have ANY dewormers in that...
you'd be ultra-fucked

And it might heat up and cook your worms.

 

[MustangStudFarm]

ok, so what I mean is this.
check out the sides of the picture.
see how large the holes are?
if you have a wormbin in that, it'll spill out the sides.
Unless those holes don't go all the way through?

The sides and bottom are solid and flat, they dont have holes in them.

a bag of leaves and a old container of spent soil is perfect.

Un-composted leaves are OK? I have plenty of spent soil!!!

Edit: I could go and get my wood chipper again to chop more leaves!

 

[greasemonkeymann]

And it might heat up and cook your worms.

A possibility..
I have seen some worms tolerate some gnarly heat in my compost pile though..
course if it gets too hot there they can simply leave the pile, but in a bin you may be sorry..
I have heard of mass worm extinctions before..
My bin has tolerated 100+ temps, and down to the low 30s. no deaths
in the heat ya gotta layer wet cardboard on top to keep em cool, and in the winter ya gotta add about 8 inches of shredded leaves to keep em warm, and I also like to throw a plastic bag on top to keep em insulated.

 

[greasemonkeymann]

The sides and bottom are solid and flat, they dont have holes in them.

Un-composted leaves are OK? I have plenty of spent soil!!!

oh hell yea man, gotta remember worms are part of the whole composting procedure naturally.
My compost is LOADED with worms, just because they are drawn to the leaves.
and my original bin was 100% old soil.
nothing more, in fact I prefer it that way because the aeration in the soil keeps the worm bin from getting too thick
Oh.. and get a good 18v makita drill or something, and a good bit, and go to town on getting aeration in there

 

[Yodaweed]

If its really cold where you live you want your compost to contact the ground so when it goes below 32F the worms can burrow into the ground.

 

[MustangStudFarm]

My compost is LOADED with worms, just because they are drawn to the leaves.
and my original bin was 100% old soil.
nothing more, in fact I prefer it that way because the aeration in the soil keeps the worm bin from getting too thick

I could go and do that right now!

If its really cold where you live you want your compost to contact the ground so when it goes below 32F the worms can burrow into the ground.

This is the ground where I made the bin. I raked some leaves back and came across a variety of worms, can you see the castings on the ground? I am sure that I will not have to add worms as long as I give them a way into the bin... That is not rocks or anything. I think that this is what night-crawler worm castings look like?

 

[Yodaweed]

I could go and do that right now!

This is the ground where I made the bin. I raked some leaves back and came across a variety of worms, can you see the castings on the ground? I am sure that I will not have to add worms as long as I give them a way into the bin... That is not rocks or anything. I think that this is what night-crawler worm castings look like?
View attachment 3646373

Is that under a shade tree? Mine is under a shade tree and looks just like that under it, big worm poop.

 

[Yodaweed]

Do you mind if I post a picture of my DIY compost bin? Mine is 100% recycled junk I found in my neighbors yard when he was clearing it out.

 

[greasemonkeymann]

Is that under a shade tree? Mine is under a shade tree and looks just like that under it, big worm poop.

yup!
indigenous earthworms are REALLY good at aeration.
they act like tiny gophers, and literally leave piles of casting piles at the surface just like gophers do too.
get both!
contrary to what I've read/heard reds and nightcrawlers can live together with no problems at all
and again contrary to what I've read, nightcrawlers can live in a compost bin just fine, just make it a lil deeper

 

[MustangStudFarm]

Do you mind if I post a picture of my DIY compost bin? Mine is 100% recycled junk I found in my neighbors yard when he was clearing it out.

That is what this thread is for!!!