Dolldolphinfin
Member
If medium is to wet I've had my worms try to bail on me.
Show me your worm bins and compost
- Thread starter Mary's Confidant
- Start date
CanadianDank
Well-Known Member
Hey guys,
So I've had my worm bin going for a while now, definitely a decent amount of castings are building up.
I'm using the storage tote stacked style bin. I let them get well established and go for a while before doing anything with the top bin. About a week ago I laid out the bedding and put a couple scoops from my thriving bin into it, along with some food for them.
Things are going well and the top bin is becoming established.
What I'm wondering is, if I stop feeding the bottom bin will the worms migrate to the upper one on their own?
I've heard they will, but wanted the opinion of some real people before I starve them.
They've still got lots of bedding In the bottom bin, will they eat this first?
So I've had my worm bin going for a while now, definitely a decent amount of castings are building up.
I'm using the storage tote stacked style bin. I let them get well established and go for a while before doing anything with the top bin. About a week ago I laid out the bedding and put a couple scoops from my thriving bin into it, along with some food for them.
Things are going well and the top bin is becoming established.
What I'm wondering is, if I stop feeding the bottom bin will the worms migrate to the upper one on their own?
I've heard they will, but wanted the opinion of some real people before I starve them.
They've still got lots of bedding In the bottom bin, will they eat this first?
Nice to hear things are going well sir. I'm pretty sure you're not going to starve the worms down in the bottom bin, but I only use one feeding bin and only stack two bins for a short period. I am still new to the whole vermicompost scene as well and just pick up different tips along the way from these guys and just kind of let it do it's thing other than just keeping them fed, but i kind of do a two part harvesting method. I'll make a new bin of fresh bedding then throw some handfuls of finished castings (worms and all) into the new bin. I then stack it inside the finished bin for a week or two and let at least some of the migration happen naturally. I know that some of the worms migrate up through the holes, but definitely not all from my experience. Then I will go through the finished bin by hand and move the castings from the worm bin into a storage type bin (just a bin with a few more holes drilled into the sides for a little more aeration, other than that same setup as an active bin). I will pick out the remaining worms and add them to the new bin as I go through it, but I also leave a good amount of worms in the storage bin to continue working through the castings. I have also been feeding this bin a little oatmeal every so often for the first time. Just a sprinkling over the top, but I hope it helps with a more healthy cycle for the microbes in there. I'm only growing kale and aloe at the moment, so haven't been using as much castings as I was. Been playing around with cover crops and just overall plant/soil health for now, getting ready to start harvesting the kale so I'm stoked about that. Not sure if any of this helps, but just my process I've been doing.
How long have your worms been working the bins? I ask because I have only harvested my bin 3 times total so like I said, I am far from knowing a lot more than just keeping them alive at this point, but am never fully sure when to call a bin "finished". I started my first bin right around 16 months ago. So I guess I harvest roughly every 5 months. I'm sure everyone's set ups produce at different rates, but how long are you all letting your bins be worked?
CanadianDank
Well-Known Member
Hey loco thanks a lot for the response
I've had my bin going for about 6 weeks now, it's a slightly smaller than average storage tote (too lazy to check size) and I started with two medium freezer bags full of castings, works, babies and eggs.
Don't get me wrong, I know it's not ready yet, but it's moving along very fast!
I was thinking I could just leave the top bin on and over the next two months as the food becomes more scarce in the bottom one more and more worms would migrate upwards. I was hoping if I leave it like this eventually the bottom bin would be pure castings (more or less).
Either way I've already done set it up so I guess I'll know just how well it works soon enough haha
raggyb
Well-Known Member
I wonder this myself because I have just started. What seems weird is I thought you need larger holes in the upper bin for migration purposes. So I guess that bin is only good for that use and not for a long term bin. I was wondering if I made a sorta basket with a 1/4 screen bottom for them to migrate thru, instead of wasting a plastic bin for it, if that would work. I recall someone saying they go crazy for cantelope or the rind was it? That might be a good bait to get them up. Again, all conjecture on my part at this point. Can also confirm having read you should let the worms work it a couple of months after you stop feeding.
CanadianDank
Well-Known Member
I don't think you need a special bin for this, just drill bigger holes through the bottom of the bins, your bedding won't fall thru. My holes are 1/4 on the bottom and 1/8 on the sides for ventilation. No holes in lid. Bedding is newspaper and egg cartons torn up.
I've also heard to let the worms really work through the castings for a pure product.
Worms definitely love cantalope too, but mine don't all migrate to it like some peoples do.
I'm not in a rush yet, don't need the castings right away but I need to have my soil ready in about two months. Everything is cooking now but it only has store bought ewc that have been sterilized, so I'll need to hit it hard with some good conpoco tea when the time comes to mix my soil.
raggyb
Well-Known Member
Cool. I got 10 1/4 holes down to the drain bin. I know they go down through 'em but then they drop to the catch bin and can't go back. But that was when they were cold and looking for somewhere warmer. So I'm not sure how many would crawl up through a few 1/4" holes. I thought you might have to drill 1" holes for this purpose.
raggyb
Well-Known Member
Maybe it's too much trouble, but I wonder if you could reverse it, so the worms and the finished castings are in the upper bin, and the food is in the lower bin and it's a little warmer. And then only maybe 2 inches deep in the top bin and put it somewhere cool, so they want to go deeper to look for warmth and food. If there's a gap, they will crawl down and won't be able to crawl back up.
So I was reading about some different worm bin methods and was thinking bout this thread. How's everything coming along for you guys?
I still have a few worms pop up in my bottom leachate bin, but not as bad. I think the inputs I had been adding caused a little too much moisture below the feeding zone for the worms. I started drying out some of the peels and skins for a little while, also squeezing and draining the frozen additions a little more rigorously after they thaw. I started burying the feeds at multiple depths to try and promote more activity to the "soggier" sections. I started thinking a lot of it could have to do with the worms constantly working the top half of my bins. I don't bury to the bottom, but dig down into the 6 of so inches every couple of banana peels now. My bin is getting to the point of being completed, I'm thinking I might feed a good portion of some pumpkin, a little sprinkle of some oats, and a little layer of some partially composted leaves over the top and let that be the final feeding before harvesting sometime towards the end of march.
Anybody have any advice on how to water em-1 onto an outdoor compost pile? My pile came to halt this past month, we've had a lot of rain/snow and freezing temperatures this past month. I think watering in some em-1 that I just activated along with some more alfalfa/crab meal might help kick start it again before the warmer weather comes back. I have a half gallon of the activated em-1 I need to use up, but am not quite sure how much I can add at a time. I'd like to get out there and turn the bins this weekend and maybe splash some in the middle layers as I'm turning it.
I still have a few worms pop up in my bottom leachate bin, but not as bad. I think the inputs I had been adding caused a little too much moisture below the feeding zone for the worms. I started drying out some of the peels and skins for a little while, also squeezing and draining the frozen additions a little more rigorously after they thaw. I started burying the feeds at multiple depths to try and promote more activity to the "soggier" sections. I started thinking a lot of it could have to do with the worms constantly working the top half of my bins. I don't bury to the bottom, but dig down into the 6 of so inches every couple of banana peels now. My bin is getting to the point of being completed, I'm thinking I might feed a good portion of some pumpkin, a little sprinkle of some oats, and a little layer of some partially composted leaves over the top and let that be the final feeding before harvesting sometime towards the end of march.
Anybody have any advice on how to water em-1 onto an outdoor compost pile? My pile came to halt this past month, we've had a lot of rain/snow and freezing temperatures this past month. I think watering in some em-1 that I just activated along with some more alfalfa/crab meal might help kick start it again before the warmer weather comes back. I have a half gallon of the activated em-1 I need to use up, but am not quite sure how much I can add at a time. I'd like to get out there and turn the bins this weekend and maybe splash some in the middle layers as I'm turning it.
CanadianDank
Well-Known Member
Hey man glad to hear your bins are doing good.
I've never had too much moisture, always the opposite for me. My stacked bins are directly beneath a heat trunk in the basement that dries them a bit.
I mist about a half oz of water max a day. It's not bad. It's actually good because they are reproducing like crazy. Must be the ideal temp for them.
I don't really moniter what I throw in, but I do put a consistent amount of coffee grounds and filters in there. Fair amount of banana peels and apple cores too.
I also put some old rootballs recently from soil that had fertilizer salts run through it, didn't seem to bug the worms.
I don't bury my scraps, I just feel back the top 4" layer of bedding and put them on top of the castings.
Sorry I can't help with your em1 question, I have no experience with this.
Although I'm sure it could not hurt, just not sure if it's worthwhile as your compost probably has all the microorganisms it needs already.
Greenthumbs256
Well-Known Member
OK sadly I didn't take any pics this time, but I just finished another Harvest of ewc, and I wanted to share this thing I bought to make my life much easier! it fits right on top of a 5g bucket! works perfectly! although I may Try out some different sizes! it's more than work the money!
Greenthumbs256
Well-Known Member
that's a dam good looking bin!
Pa-Nature
Well-Known Member
Thanks
Kushash
Well-Known Member
What is the 1300 ppm and the 8.0 on the bag of poo?
Is that a slurry test of the castings?
Pa-Nature
Well-Known Member
yes at 2 cups per 5 gal 1 teaspoon of molasses
it raised my ph 1.0 from 7 to 8
raggyb
Well-Known Member
It's too bad this thread died off. I think all my worms died too in my basement bin. Last time I saw some was when the heat went out. Some crawled through the drain holes like they do to try and escape from the cold. I fished them out and put them back in like usual. I don't know what went wong. I'm going to check pH. Temps never went below 50F. Maybe a little dry. It doesn't smell bad, food scraps all disolved. But no workms.
DankTankerous
Well-Known Member
I hope you try again, I’m sure you’ll do fine if you try again. Good luck
dang, hopefully they still in there man and just hiding. I would try and feed a banana peel or avocado skin (had an avocado peel sit on top for a week or so in a position hard for the worms to get in it and it grew some thick white mycelium in it) on top and see what happens. if nothing else, you'll feed the microbes and add to the overall compost you have in there already. I'm always open for discussion on compost or worms, I just don't have much experience with all this.
I haven't really been paying much attention to my bin, just throwing some food on top here and there. yesterday though I dug around a little and noticed it was far too wet down towards the bottom. I gently turned it all over and sprinkled in some wheat germ and a tiny bit of alfalfa to bring the worms back up top. also a few old strawberries. we'll see how it goes. I think I'm going to add some crushed dried leaves and work them in the top little by little to help with the moisture build up. any thoughts on this for a short term solution? I'm going to start a fresh bed sometime soon as this one has been going for a while now.
here's a couple pictures of my finished compost bin that is just storage and my active feeding bin right now.
