Vermicomposters Unite! Official Worm Farmers Thread

Rasta Roy

Rasta Roy

Well-Known Member
DonBrennon said:
You got an pictures and plans for that?...........I think rabbits are my next project
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Here's the top level bin. You can see the hay from the rabbit's litter box, along with some little rabbit nuggets and some old soil thrown in. Buried underneath are my kitchen scraps. My wife and I juice and eat a good portion of veggies and I save all of waste in bags in the freezer before I throw them in the bin. This has caused the bins to be pretty moist though (probably the reason for the leachate, which my plants did like!). I threw in some cardboard and am gonna pick up some more rabbit litter from my boy tomorrow so that'll help dry it up.
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And then here's the bottom level bin. You can see they've already got some castings cooking. Can't wait for em to finish up this bin! These are for my personal garden but I'm gonna set up a much larger homemade bin to accommodate some larger scale gardens soon as the goddamn rain would stop. It's been three days straight now.
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cindysid

cindysid

Well-Known Member
Ok worm people....I have a question. I started a worm bin with totes about 6 weeks ago, and I've been adding kitchen veggie scraps, eggshells, cannabis leaves and the like. They seem to be doing fine. My neighbor has rabbits, so I asked her if she would save some of their poop for my worms. A couple of days ago, she brought me about 15 lbs of rabbit "litter". It has poop, but also pellets, hay, and even a little grain in it. I think the hay is alfalfa, and it seemed like a pretty "hot" mix to add to my bin. I put just a little, maybe a cupful into one corner. It seems to have warmed things up in there, and I'm a little concerned. Also, the bag of "litter", got a little damp and when I stuck my hand in just now, (ew gross), it seemed really hot. I don't want to burn my worms. What should I do with this stuff? Does it just need to sit and break down a little more?
 
Rasta Roy

Rasta Roy

Well-Known Member
cindysid said:
Ok worm people....I have a question. I started a worm bin with totes about 6 weeks ago, and I've been adding kitchen veggie scraps, eggshells, cannabis leaves and the like. They seem to be doing fine. My neighbor has rabbits, so I asked her if she would save some of their poop for my worms. A couple of days ago, she brought me about 15 lbs of rabbit "litter". It has poop, but also pellets, hay, and even a little grain in it. I think the hay is alfalfa, and it seemed like a pretty "hot" mix to add to my bin. I put just a little, maybe a cupful into one corner. It seems to have warmed things up in there, and I'm a little concerned. Also, the bag of "litter", got a little damp and when I stuck my hand in just now, (ew gross), it seemed really hot. I don't want to burn my worms. What should I do with this stuff? Does it just need to sit and break down a little more?
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The rabbit's manure won't make your bin hot but the alfalfa hay could if it's still green. Just let it sit out in the sun until it turns yellow or brown and you'll be good. I do rabbit litter in my bin along with my kitchen scraps and I have no trouble.
 
cindysid

cindysid

Well-Known Member
Rasta Roy said:
The rabbit's manure won't make your bin hot but the alfalfa hay could if it's still green. Just let it sit out in the sun until it turns yellow or brown and you'll be good. I do rabbit litter in my bin along with my kitchen scraps and I have no trouble.
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Thanks Rasta & Joe! I just didn't want to murder them off now that they seem to be doing so well. The litter is still in the bag so I will spread it out on something and let it get some sun.
 
MustangStudFarm

MustangStudFarm

Well-Known Member
Mohican said:
@MustangStudFarm - nice score on the rabbit manure! How are the worms liking it?
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I have 4 bins and the 1st one is coco coir and recycled soil, I started worms in 2x 30gal totes and dumped them in the first bin. The other 3 are rabbit manure. The #2 bin got chopped leaves and rabbit manure, the last 2 are just pure manure... It has been about a month and I do not see any side migration, but the 1st bin should still be full of food. I see healthy worms but they really have not populated yet!

I know that the rabbits were inside of a warehouse type setting, so the manure never got rain or sun. I imagine that the urine is keeping them away for now. I have been getting rain and I have not exactly covered it with a tarp or anything. I thought that some of the urine would wash out and provide a better environment??? Thoughts would be appreciated!

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#2
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Mohican

Mohican

Well-Known Member
I have heard rabbit poop is the best for worms and plants. Have you put any directly on any plants?
 
RuRu.The.Half.Elf

RuRu.The.Half.Elf

Well-Known Member
It begins. :-)

So I put the week long hydrated coir in first. Placed a 1/2 cup of white sand/grey dirt which is old aquarium cleanout that has been sitting on the side of my walkway for months. Had some green algae growing on it. :P Figure a 1/4 cup thawed scraps, mixed it in. Dump the worms ontop and blast a 42w cfl on them.
 
MustangStudFarm

MustangStudFarm

Well-Known Member
Mohican said:
I have heard rabbit poop is the best for worms and plants. Have you put any directly on any plants?
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I had a plant that was fading too fast, probably a N def, and it really brought it back quick with a top-dressing. I think that the manure had a decent amount of urine also which would be the quick release N. I mixed rabbit manure and EWC for the top-dressing. There were worms that were living happily in the top layer of the pot also... It was more of an experiment, but it did work well. I will probably use more very soon.
 
Rasta Roy

Rasta Roy

Well-Known Member
A question for my friends that compost and vermicompost!

I produce too many scraps for my worm bin to handle so I set up a couple rotating compost bins as well. Now I watched this YouTube video a while ago


They feed their compost to their worms to turn it into vermicompost.

Anybody else out there do this? Is the compost on its own really enough food for the worms?
 
RuRu.The.Half.Elf

RuRu.The.Half.Elf

Well-Known Member
Rasta Roy said:
Anybody else out there do this? Is the compost on its own really enough food for the worms?
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I just got off the phone with my mother (happy mother day!) And asked her about the big ol' compost pile she had in the backyard in my youth. She said the wild earthworms would migrate to it when the pile stopped cooking and they would be in every lump that got turned when more clippings got added.

Also, apparently worm farming is in my blood since my grandparents/great uncles did it for fishing bait in Wisconsin.

Well it's been 3 days since I started my bin and I decided to check on the action. I see no worms? Or bugs? Smells good inside though, like a fruit dressed earthy salad.. Put some shredded paper and egg carton cardboard on top and misted till damp since it should be dry out for the next week. I did find one rouge in the bottom leachate bin. Went to pull it out and stttrrreeeeetttccchhh, fast lil' guy.

I take it since it's in the sixties out, they're probably in the bedding. Don't really wanna disturb them. I guess wait till some food starts vanashing and then start feeding again.

A little off topic.. Or maybe not?
So.. I was unpacking old grow gear and I decided to replace the carbon from my filter. I wonder if a few small scoops would be OK for the bin. I read it raises the ph of soil. If not maybe when I have some lechate (if acidic pH) , soak the carbon and use it as top dressing? If leachate if alkaline, maybe for a ferment fertilizer to balance the pH and use that as dressing? Rather not just toss it if it has a use.
 
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