Vermicomposters Unite! Official Worm Farmers Thread
- Thread starter Rising Moon
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Organicgrow42
Well-Known Member
hyroot
Well-Known Member
https://www.strictlymedicinalseeds.com/product.asp?specific=917
What's the difference between this plant and true comfrey(Symphytum officinalis)? TheBocking 14 cultivar of Russian Comfrey (Symphytum x uplandicum) is a sterile hybrid that will not self-seed and is extremely robust and vigorous. The true comfrey (Symphytum officinalis) is a bit less vigorous of a grower, has more elongated leaves and (I think) prettier flowers, and does indeed make seed. Although both types of comfrey (Russian and True) are useful for making medicine and making compost, in an ideal world one would use the bocking cultivar for producing large amounts of biomass for permaculture gardens, composting, and animal feed, and one would use the true comfrey (Symphytum officinalis) for medicinal purposes. Again, both types (and other species as well) are used interchangeably in agriculture and in medicine
You literally cannot kill this stuff. At least the sterile stays sorta put. Even with the sterile, you dig it up you get a plant(s) from the crown/roots AND it will pop back up from where you dug it up. VOE
Plan carefully before you plant because it will be in that spot forever. You want a big bunch? Run over a plant with a rototiller. LOL
Wet
Javadog
Well-Known Member
Good response Hy.
I would add that I love where there is not enough of a freeze
for me to lose these sorts of things over-winter. I never consider
this when offering up my advice. I have no idea how hardy this
plant is....the idea is that this plant can be a nuisance...like a giant
crab-grass when it spreads by both seed and rhysome (sp?),
and that this cultivar is useful but more controllable.
I use it for the composting quality.
JD
DonBrennon
Well-Known Member
Just been adding some other plants to my new comfrey/mixed berry raised bed, I topdressed and mulched it while I was at it. I can't be certain if these are sterile or not, I'd have to assume not because I found them in a small wooded area next to an allotment, so unless one of the growers threw a root over the fence which took, it must've come from a seed. When I found it I simply hacked a big chunk of the crown off with a spade, took it home and divided it up.
The black bags around the wall are my dogs shit, my latest attempt at deterring next doors cats from shitting in my bed.
The other plants are Gooseberry, pink gooseberry, blackberry, raspberry, borage, yarrow, marigolds and a solitary nasturtium, probably not quite had the last frost yet, but shouldn't get anything too severe to do too much harm.
Getting ready for some explosive growth, it's a south facing wall so gets plenty of light. I've had potatoes in here in previous years which grew like something out of day of the triffids, I just hope I got all the spuds out
The black bags around the wall are my dogs shit, my latest attempt at deterring next doors cats from shitting in my bed.
The other plants are Gooseberry, pink gooseberry, blackberry, raspberry, borage, yarrow, marigolds and a solitary nasturtium, probably not quite had the last frost yet, but shouldn't get anything too severe to do too much harm.
Getting ready for some explosive growth, it's a south facing wall so gets plenty of light. I've had potatoes in here in previous years which grew like something out of day of the triffids, I just hope I got all the spuds out
Joe Blows Trees
Well-Known Member
I harvested worm castings today 
and happen to notice alot of mites running around on top. Not sure if they're predator or enemy so I put the harvest in the garage. Just dealt with an outbreak.
and happen to notice alot of mites running around on top. Not sure if they're predator or enemy so I put the harvest in the garage. Just dealt with an outbreak. 
Rasta Roy
Well-Known Member
I had some similar looking ones in my bin as well! I believe they're beneficial predatory mites, but man it's so hard to tell. If they're fast moving red or brown they're supposed to be good. I asked a similar question a few entries ago on this thread and someone posted a pretty helpful link of you scroll back a couple pages in the thread. I was thinking about just mixing some diatomaceous earth into the castings and my worm bin to deal with mine just in case they're bad and I'm diagnosing wrong. Probably later tonight actually. I just harvested from my first bin a few nights ago and I'm about to do my second bin in a little bit. Cutting down some plants in my flower room tonight too! It's gonna be a good night!
Rasta Roy
Well-Known Member
So jealous of your garden bed! We moved into our house over the winter so I'm building boxes for our yard now but our backyard is covered in shade from four huge trees. I'm gonna get a tree cutting service out to deal with it cause they're all running through the power lines that run to my house, and my neighbor's house respectively. Such a pain in the ass! Super stoked to get the veggie garden going though!
Blunted 4 lyfe
Well-Known Member
Hey Joe I thought I sent you the link where it explains the different mites in a worm bin which was good which was bad.
http://www.redwormcomposting.com/category/worm-tea/
Scroll down to the mites section, BTW I just checked and I realized I had sent you the site where I got my worms from northwestredworms.com
B4L
Organicgrow42
Well-Known Member
I didn't see a mites section. Will keep looking.
hyroot
Well-Known Member
Mites in the bin are usually predatory mites. They feed on the same organic material the worms eat. It just means you have too much uncomposted material. You over fed your worms a bit. Just don't add anymore food. The predatory mites will die off eventually once all the uncomposted material is gone. They're not harmful. They're beneficial anyway. . They eat other pests too. They will compete with worms for food though.
Joe Blows Trees
Well-Known Member
Good to know hyroot. Thought I wasn't feeding them enough until I saw the explosion in population of the worms. So many babies and eggs, I moved them to a bigger bin.
MidnightXTRCTS
Active Member
I just found this thread and read through a few pages. Just learned that people fed pot trim and stems and leaves to the red wrigglers! SO awesome.
Thanks for the interesting ideas Rollitup!
My question is, "Has anyone grabbed a handful of rich brown worm castings straight from bin and set it into a mesh bag for compost tea?"
I did it today with some blood meal, molasses, and kelp. Put it into a 5 gallon bucket with a 2 inch cylindrical air stone pushing some bubble action.
Is this a good use of the rich castings or am I better off working them into the topsoil of the garden?
I love my crazy worms! I think cleaned, dried, smashed eggshells in the worm bin makes them happy. There always seems to be more eggs and tiny baby worms after adding the eggshells. Just my observation, no science involved.
Thanks for the interesting ideas Rollitup!
My question is, "Has anyone grabbed a handful of rich brown worm castings straight from bin and set it into a mesh bag for compost tea?"
I did it today with some blood meal, molasses, and kelp. Put it into a 5 gallon bucket with a 2 inch cylindrical air stone pushing some bubble action.
Is this a good use of the rich castings or am I better off working them into the topsoil of the garden?
I love my crazy worms! I think cleaned, dried, smashed eggshells in the worm bin makes them happy. There always seems to be more eggs and tiny baby worms after adding the eggshells. Just my observation, no science involved.
Rasta Roy
Well-Known Member
I'm sure fresh castings would be great for a compost tea just don't throw in any worms! I would skip the blood meal though my friend! I like to use it in soil mixes but in an aerated tea I don't think it's high salt content would be good for your microbe population imo. You should be getting nitrogen from your castings anyway. Fish emulsion or hydrolyzed fish fertilizer is a better way to add nitrogen if you need more.
MidnightXTRCTS
Active Member
Thanks Rasta!
I'm going to listen to you on that blood meal tip. Didn't realize it had high salt content.
I've only gotten compost tea from our local farm supply store that give away samples from an expensive set up they sell. This was my first attempt at it. After reading more I realize I'm better off with just the castings and a little molasses to keep it simple.
I like the idea of feeding the worms scraps from my garden and using their castings to make a tea to support the garden soil. It's a circle of life in my very own yard...
Your right about checking for worms! I spent an hour picking out tiny tiny babies out of the handful of castings with a pin. I didn't want to drown them of course, they're so cute!
I'm going to listen to you on that blood meal tip. Didn't realize it had high salt content.
I've only gotten compost tea from our local farm supply store that give away samples from an expensive set up they sell. This was my first attempt at it. After reading more I realize I'm better off with just the castings and a little molasses to keep it simple.
I like the idea of feeding the worms scraps from my garden and using their castings to make a tea to support the garden soil. It's a circle of life in my very own yard...
Your right about checking for worms! I spent an hour picking out tiny tiny babies out of the handful of castings with a pin. I didn't want to drown them of course, they're so cute!
Yodaweed
Well-Known Member
I have mites, red ones are very common and are part of the decomposing process, they compete with your worms for food, so if they are out of control you can open your bin let it dry a bit, they hate the dryness, they prefer a wet environment, lots of them also means your bin could be too wet. If you want to get rid of them put a melon rind in there, they flock to it, take it out each day and clean it off under some really hot water then put it back in, you can kill a crapload that way. They also are attracted to potato peels.I had some similar looking ones in my bin as well! I believe they're beneficial predatory mites, but man it's so hard to tell. If they're fast moving red or brown they're supposed to be good. I asked a similar question a few entries ago on this thread and someone posted a pretty helpful link of you scroll back a couple pages in the thread. I was thinking about just mixing some diatomaceous earth into the castings and my worm bin to deal with mine just in case they're bad and I'm diagnosing wrong. Probably later tonight actually. I just harvested from my first bin a few nights ago and I'm about to do my second bin in a little bit. Cutting down some plants in my flower room tonight too! It's gonna be a good night!
Rasta Roy
Well-Known Member
Hell yea, keeping it simple is usually the best route.
I set up multiple bins because I couldn't decide what to feed my worms! I got one for kitchen and garden scraps, one for garden amendments, and I recently started another one with some locally sourced rabbit manure from a friend.
Gonna send samples to MSU for testing (I live right by it) and run some side by side comparisons in my gardens.
Organicgrow42
Well-Known Member
@Rasta Roy you and I are the same person in our journey right now I feel lol
I currently have another bin I'm setting up and going to also be running results through MSU cuz I live right by it haha
I'll be running my outdoor veggie garden and my indoor cannabis garden first then running worm bin stuff.
Great minds think alike I guess!
I currently have another bin I'm setting up and going to also be running results through MSU cuz I live right by it haha
I'll be running my outdoor veggie garden and my indoor cannabis garden first then running worm bin stuff.
Great minds think alike I guess!