Keeping stored Casts fresh?

AllenHaze

AllenHaze

Well-Known Member
Hey riu. I have some worm casting here and was wondering what the other worm farmers do to keep stored WC aerated while maintaining a healthy microbial population. I was thinking about adding some long fiber peat or maybe some expanded clay. I don't have any perlite on hand although I do have some Light Warrior. Do you think the Light Warrior's fungi would survive in the casts? Any ideas? :peace:
 
SpicySativa

SpicySativa

Well-Known Member
I just put mine in 5-gal buckets with plastic saucers(drip trays) laying over the tops as lids. They aren't air tight, of course.

While the castings are very much alive, there shouldn't be much active microbial action going on because their food source (your food scraps) have already been pretty well degraded. This means they aren't using/consuming a whole lot of oxygen, just existing in a sort of suspended animation waiting for more food (which you give them in the form of soil amendments, teas, top dresses, etc).

With the "lids" on there, the castings stay nicely moist until they get used up.
 
AllenHaze

AllenHaze

Well-Known Member
SpicySativa said:
I just put mine in 5-gal buckets with plastic saucers(drip trays) laying over the tops as lids. They aren't air tight, of course.

While the castings are very much alive, there shouldn't be much active microbial action going on because their food source (your food scraps) have already been pretty well degraded. This means they aren't using/consuming a whole lot of oxygen, just existing in a sort of suspended animation waiting for more food (which you give them in the form of soil amendments, teas, top dresses, etc).

With the "lids" on there, the castings stay nicely moist until they get used up.
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Sounds good. Thanks for the reply. I've been storing them in the same kind of container as the worm bin (plastic tote with holes drilled through the sides and wrapped in landscape fabric). I guess that will hold them huh? Might as well ask, what do you think about fungus gnat larvae? The compost that I've been using has a ton in it and I obviously do not want these little buggers going into my plants pots what do you think? In the past I've mixed diatomaceous earth into soil with okay results but it is minimally effective in moist casts. :joint:
 
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SpicySativa

SpicySativa

Well-Known Member
Do you periodically add small amounts of neem seed meal and crab meal to your bins?

It's not a quick cure, but over time your bin will start to foster chitin-degrading microbes which will take care of your gnat problem.

Gnats used to be a CONSTANT annoyance in my bins, but now they are 100% gone.
 
SpicySativa

SpicySativa

Well-Known Member
Are you seeing the larvae in your finished castings? If you stop feeding the bin for a couple/few weeks before harvesting, most of the fungus gnats will likely hatch and move on in search of a new food source.
 
AllenHaze

AllenHaze

Well-Known Member
SpicySativa said:
Do you periodically add small amounts of neem seed meal and crab meal to your bins?

It's not a quick cure, but over time your bin will start to foster chitin-degrading microbes which will take care of your gnat problem.

Gnats used to be a CONSTANT annoyance in my bins, but now they are 100% gone.
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Nice. Good stuff I have been meaning to get neem meal/cakes and crab meal but only have neem oil atm. I'll give the casts some time and just use them for tea while I order those. :smile:
 
SpicySativa

SpicySativa

Well-Known Member
Sounds like a plan.

You can also grind up mosquito dunks and mix/sprinkle them in the bins. That'll help kill off some larvae.
 
kountdown

kountdown

Well-Known Member
To respond to the first question, I just put the castings in an old plastic "wiggle worm castings" bag after I think they're dry enough to be put into said bag. I just roll the top of it up when not in use and it's worked pretty well. As for the other discussion, I have also had gnat problems in my worm bin, and the neem seed meal as made all the difference. I use crab shell in my soil but have never tried it in the worms. The neem works when used regularly over time but to clear up a bad infestation, I would buy some predatory nematodes and apply. Good luck.
 
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