Worm Composting

Canadian Nightcrawlers

Bruce — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:48:22 +0000

Canadian nightcrawlers (Lumbricus terrestris) also known as Dew Worms are mainly thought to only be able to be raised in cooler climates such as Canada, the Appalachian Mountains with higher altitudes and colder climates.

Well as many of you know I am always up to a challenge. In fact when others stated you could not raise Alabama Jumpers in a controlled environment I set to prove them wrong and did. Well I did it again!

I recently went back on my notes which actually surprised me. Many websites state that to grow a Canadian nightcrawler to eight inches or so will take 7-8 years and cannot be grown in a controlled environment. Well I had to find out for myself what the actual growth rate was as this is the worm I originally started with when I was a teenager and knew it never took this long to grow out however never crowded my worm bin either as I was only raising enough for myself to fish with.

It was just two years ago I started raising Canadian nightcrawlers here. I originally placed 36 Canadian nightcrawlers in a five gallon bucket that I top fed. By late spring of 2009 I lost all my breeders as the temperatures rose to high in the uncontrolled building I had them in yet was left with numerous hatchlings running about ½” long. I decided at this time to place them outside in a test bed I had with Alabama Jumpers… To date I have a good bed of Canadian nightcrawlers running about 4” in length before stretching out. These same nightcrawlers were ½” long just one year and seven months ago.

Canadian Nightcrawler 1-10-2012

One of the fascinating observations I have found with this test bed is what worms are readily available to dig up based on the time of the year. For instance, during hot summer months I do not see the Canadian nightcrawlers, however late fall through early spring they are easily assessable. On the other hand, the Alabama Jumpers become thick towards the top six inches or so once the night time temperatures hover around or above 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

During spring and fall especially, the European nightcrawlers become more active towards the top layers and are more prevalent than during the cold winter or extreme heat of the summer here in South Carolina.

Below is one of the European nightcrawlers from the same test area which are prevalent due to the warm weather this week.

European Nightcrawler 1-10-2012

Now in order to raise Canadian nightcrawlers, much like the Alabama Jumpers, in hotter areas of the country one needs plenty of organic matter on top for which they will come to the surface to feed on when temperatures cool down and during the rain.

I also never allow this test area to dry out. During the warmer months I have a timer set to water the bed for one half hour every morning around 10am and again each evening around 9pm after the sun has gone down to allow the bed to remain moist and cool overnight.

We also feed weekly with some Purina Worm Chow as well as add Dolomite Lime (which is less harsh than other types of lime and contains a good amount of magnesium) once a month and water the lime in so as to prevent the worms from coming into direct contact with it as it will dry them out and kill off your worms.

Since Canadian nightcrawlers burrow down ten feet or more, it takes into consideration of digging down a couple feet in moist soil in the summer time. While the surface and few inches are warm, by the time you reach a couple feet the temperature drops dramatically. Basically it is the soils own natural air conditioner.

This brings me to another point. Canadian nightcrawlers do best in hard packed soil, even clay. I have not tried them in sandy soil but would imagine this would not be viable as their “skin” is not as tough as the Alabama Jumpers.

Organic Worm Farm offers nightcrawlers, composing and fishing worms.

Shipping or Purchasing Worm Castings During The Cold Winter Months

Bruce — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:37:48 +0000

Over the years I have stressed enough about first off placing worm castings in plastic bags as you render them useless for the castings contain beneficial aerobic microbes which require oxygen to survive. I have also stressed in the past the proper way to store worm castings since the beneficial microbes require certain temperatures to survive. Just for example some of the microbes in our worm castings survive at approximate range of 70-100 degrees Fahrenheit.

So this brings me to a valid point of shipping worm castings in extreme heat but more importantly cold winter temperatures.

The cargo holds on planes and the trucks utilized for transporting the worm castings are not heated or air conditioned hence are reliant on the ambient temperature at the time they are being shipped. It does not take long for the water content in worm castings to freeze hence killing off the beneficial aerobic microbes as well. The castings do not even need to freeze but rather drop to low in temperature will make them useless.

I always forget or become distracted to write this article however when shipping or purchasing worm castings it is vital for maximum potential that they be shipped with heat packs. Here at Organic Worm Farm, we ship all our worm castings with a 72 hour heat pack being Priority Mail is a two to three day service.

So if you are shipping worm castings, be sure they are in a breathable bag and you include a 72 hour heat pack. If you are looking to purchase worm castings, be sure to do so from a reputable worm farm that treats your worm castings as if they were for their own personal use!

Worm Bin Heater Update

Bruce — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:58:36 +0000

A couple years ago I wrote an article with pictures showing how you can make a simple worm bin heater. Since many have been asking how to keep their worms warm during the winter I thought now would be a good time to expand on this past article and how I modified a bit to insulate better, hence keeping the worm bin warmer.

The one issue with the worm bin heater in the past was the five gallon bucket containing the fish aquarium heater was not insulated hence a great variation of bedding temperatures. This was due primarily of the aquarium heater running around the clock trying to warm the water.

I have been monitoring the bedding temperatures for the last several weeks as this particular worm bin is located in an uncontrolled, drafty building. During milder temperatures, lows around forty-five or so and the highs in the mid to upper sixties, I have found the bed to maintain right around 64-65 degrees Fahrenheit. During colder weeks down around thirty two degrees and highs around fifty to fifty five, the bedding has been maintaining a temperature right at 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

Worm Bin Temperature

I decided to include a few extra pictures for setting up the worm bin heater here, basically not shown in my previous article.

The first issue was to resolve the heater from over working. I thought about wrapping the five gallon bucket in insulation, however if it ever got wet, it would make a soggy mess. I then found a larger bucket which would fit the five gallon bucket easily allowing plenty of room. I proceeded to add a couple inches of dry Sphagnum Peat Moss on the bottom of the larger bucket prior to placing the five gallon bucket inside to help insulate the bottom. Next was to fill and slightly pack dry Sphagnum Peat Moss around the sides of the five gallon bucket to insulate the sides. I then placed a small piece of light wood, also could use plastic to help prevent evaporation through the top hole even though minimal and covered with an old beach towel to help insulate the top of the five gallon bucket.

Next displays how to spread out the worm bin heater hose throughout the bottom of your worm bin. For the sake of showing up in the picture, one would be better adding approximately one inch of bedding material prior to adding the heater hose.

Laying Out the Worm Bin Heater Hose

Next was to cover the worm bin heating hose with approximately six inches of bedding material followed by adding the worms on the surface of the bed.

Worm Bin with Worm Heater

Lastly was to cover while still allowing air to flow to assist in blocking any windy drafts from directly blowing on the worm bed surface area. Note the space allotted so as not to crush the worm bin heater hose as well as allow air flow.

Covered Worm Bin with Worm Heater

Bokashi Worm Food Part 3

Bruce — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:47:34 +0000

Well after several months of testing with many various setups using Bokashi for worm food, I realized where the main issue arose. Keep in mind I have not been using food scrap Bokashi but rather a grain Bokashi which is used to layer food scraps in what is basically the (fermenting of food scraps)third step in the process if you start from scratch.

What I had found is that the type of Bokashi I use actually produced from using activated EM-1 and Purina Worm Chow as a grain source cannot be used as a food source for the worms as it is very powerful as well as acidic. This is similar to the grain mix one would produce or purchase.

By using as a food source, even when mixed ever so slightly with other food sources, the results remained the same. The worms began eating, and then stopped. In all four types of worms tested, the results were very similar. Once they stopped eating, the worms would hunker down towards the bottom of the worm bins.

What I did find on the positive note is that this type of Bokashi is exceptional for setting up an environment to assist in breeding and growing worms out more rapidly. Of course it is just a single component I have found trying to encourage worms to breed more rapidly as well as grow faster however it was a very noticeable improvement.

Hence why I should have titled “Using Bokashi to Setup a Worm Bin Environment”.

If you try this with your own worm bins, one thing to keep in mind is that as mentioned above, this type of Bokashi is very powerful and will kill off worms if too much is applied. I have found that ½ teaspoon to one cubic foot of bedding material is more than ample to do the trick and must be thoroughly mixed into the bedding prior to adding worms. At the same time I add 1 tablespoon of dolomite lime (powdered form) to help neutralize any acid from the bedding and the Bokashi.

One of the first noticeable occurrences will be the establishment of a white fungus growth very similar to the texture of cotton candy for approximately the first week beginning within 24 to 72 hours. I basically have taken a garden claw upside down to disturb and mix just the top ¼” of the surface. I found by mixing the bedding too deep with the worms during the first week or so can be detrimental to the worms that are mixed up. Within a week or so the growth of the fungus begins to simmer down and grow at a much slower rate.

Fungus Growth From Bokashi In Worm Bin

It is at this time the worms appear to really explode in size as well as reproduction increases. Once again I have to state this is very noticeable however not the only thing I have been doing in these test bins. I have also been working on a food mix which has been tested separately also, consisting of numerous ingredients mixed into the bedding material so as to supply the worms with enough food for 28 to 30 days, hence eliminating daily to every few days of feeding them. This enables me to harvest the worm cocoons once a month, keeping all the new growing worms roughly the same age and size in each bin which also makes a difference in reproduction rates.

So while there are numerous conditions that effect worm reproduction and growth rates, I have found the Bokashi grain mix I am using definitely assists in the success of these better rates.

Bruce

Setup a Worm Compost Bin Now in Preparation for Next Year’s Crop

Bruce — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:49:19 +0000

Setting up a worm compost bin is something most anyone can do in the comfort of their own home without the smell of rotting garbage or attracting numerous flies while producing either vermicast (worm castings) or vermicompost (a combination of worm castings and partially decomposed organic matter)..

Across the country and the globe, weather has raised havoc on some areas from drought stricken areas to major flooding. This has left us with global shortages of some major crops such as corn, pumpkins, peanuts and even coffee beans. Hence the price of these products, by products such as animal feeds is soaring raising the end consumer costs on everything from vegetables, dairy products to beef.

I remember last year my wife could not even locate a can of pumpkin at Christmas time to make her pies. This year she is stocked up!

What amazes me is the fact many times the news states the high prices will remain in effect until next year’s crop.

What if next year the weather patterns remain the same or even worse?

Now being many of us are not going to be growing our own peanuts or coffee beans, you can offset some of the costs by planning now to plant your own vegetable garden or container garden on your deck this coming spring.

The process of composting vegetable scraps, newspapers… takes approximately 3-4 months to complete with a worm bin unless you are utilizing a system such as the 14 Day Worm Castings. Hence to insure you have plenty of organic fertilizer for your plants this coming spring, now is the time to start your own worm bin.

I do not recommend the multi-tray worm farm systems which can cost a hundred dollars or more, but rather a simple worm bin which can be made from a Rubbermaid style bin within a matter of twenty minutes or so for around $10.00 – $15.00. A homemade system will breathe better and allow more room for burying food scraps within. The following link you can find a previous post with simple step by step directions on how to build a worm compost bin.

I was shocked this summer when I was checking on prices of tomatoes at the local grocery stores which ran on average $1.99 per pound for regular tomatoes. Organic bell peppers were selling for $4.99 each! And the entire time I was picking them daily from our garden for free…

Below is a picture taken on October 19^th 2011 of a tomato plant over eleven feet tall still producing tomatoes using the Earthwormponics set up. In fact I picked the ripe one in the right hand side of the picture yesterday for my ham sandwich! I mention this as I was growing bell pepper plants and Romaine lettuce right beside the tomato plant in a five gallon bucket set up which utilizes a system with a constant drip and worms living within the rock growing medium.

Earthwormponics Tomato Plant Mid October

Based on grocery store prices, this one container saved us over $250.00 this past year alone!

The savings can then be applied towards items most of us will not be growing the primary ingredients for, i.e. coffee, peanut butter… which will most likely continue to soar for several years to come.

Hence now is the time to begin worm composting to insure you have plenty of vermicast and or vermicompost on hand for you spring plantings. To locate which worm may be best suitable for your needs, visit Organic Worm Farm where I have built a special program to help you locate the worm that is right for you!

Bruce

Bokashi Composting For Worm Food Part 2

Bruce — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 20:48:31 +0000

After making some worm food using a Bokashi method, I was actually disappointed The initial results looked promising however as each passing day went by the results began to take a turn for the worse. For anyone that missed the original article you can find it here, Bokashi Composting for Worm Food Part 1.

I do believe that perhaps using a pinch of bokashi in the initial bedding setup may help to setup a better environment after all a well balanced garden soil has both, beneficial aerobic and anaerobic microbes.

After allowing the Bokashi to sit in an anaerobic environment for 4 weeks, the smell was right on and all looked well. I made two batches, one out of just shredded rabbit manure and the other out of Purina Worm Chow. Rather than dig a hole and place outside for several more weeks allowing the possible contamination of pests which I did not want since I was using for worm food, I proceeded to dry it quickly in shallow layers in flat bins.

Purina Worm Chow Bokashi

Shredded Rabbit Manure Bokashi

I first proceeded to feed it directly to the worms which they devoured overnight, the next feeding took two days, and the following took about four days for the worms to consume.

So next I went to plan “B” which was to break down the amount of Bokashi used to feed the worms by adding 5 parts Purina Worm Chow, Dolomite lime (since I knew the Bokashi was on the acidic side), Diatomaceous Earth and some dried shredded rabbit manure to 1 part Bokashi.

Once again the worms began to devour the food and slow down day by day on the amount consumed. After a total of two weeks I had lost just a couple worms from various species The worms had just about all but stopped eating the material. I could actually see the loss of weight in the European nightcrawlers and African nightcrawlers.

Uneaten Worm Food

I thought breaking the material down would help; however I can feed the same species of worms just a straight diet of Purina Worm Chow every day for the life of the worms with no issues as well as good growth rates. This is not to say that I am not trying different feed sources and am back to one I have been using with a twist. Rather than make a wet mixture which breaks down over time, I am trying the same mix which is made and stored dry with good results thus far!

In short, I found the Bokashi the way I made it, to be a waste of time and effort as a worm food source. As for using in the garden, this could be an entirely different result as I have not done so to date. Also, not to discourage others wanting to try composting using the Bokashi method to avoid the stench of a compost pile, I find by burying vegetable scraps… in a worm bin to be more effective means for composting on smaller scales. On a larger scale this can be accomplished with worm composting using a continuous flow worm bin and layering your materials, greens (vegetable scraps) always followed by browns (shredded newspaper, cardboard and even coffee grounds).

Bruce

Fertilizing Plants With Worm Castings In The Fall

Bruce — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 19:29:22 +0000

Many people think about using worm castings in the spring and summer months however forget one of the most important times of the year in order to “winterize” your prized plants. Much the same as you might winterize your outboard motor or add some additional antifreeze to your automobile to prepare for winter your outdoor plants need some TLC as well.

Whether it is your rose bushes, your favorite fruit trees, or other plants, it is important to use worm castings early in the fall while the plants are still green. Once they go dormant, they will not be able to utilize the nutrients effectively!

By adding worm castings now, you are enabling your plants to feed aggressively, much like a bear preparing for the long winter before hibernation, hence giving them the added boost not only to survive the long winter months but to thrive in early spring as well.

For smaller plants and shrubs it is best to pull away any mulch and sprinkle a cup to four cups of worm castings (depending on the size of the plant) before covering up with the mulch again. For larger plants such as fruit trees, it is best to pull away any mulch from the drip line (outer edges of the branches where the rain drips off the tree) and pour worm castings directly under the drip line. Cover with the existing or new mulch. Be sure to water thoroughly after applying to allow the nutrients to work down through the soil to the roots of the plants.

Another time to use worm castings is when you are planting your favorite fall flowers or vegetable gardens in order to obtain optimum colors and produce. Also when planting your bulbs later in the fall for next spring’s flowers be sure to mix worm castings in the soil before inserting the bulb as well as when covering it up. This will help to insure flowers next spring that will surely be the envy of your neighbors (Unless your neighbor is also reading this!).

Early fall is also a good time to broadcast worm castings across your grass areas, usually recommend at ten pounds per one hundred square feet of area. A word of caution to any lazy folks out there… A couple years ago I planted Rye grass seed for the winter in South Carolina and utilized worm castings when I seeded in the fall. I ended up cutting that area of yard approximately every two weeks all winter long!

By using worm castings early in the fall will give your plants a head start come next spring. Once again, usually towards the middle to end of spring, you will want to re-fertilize your prized areas to help insure they do well in the warmer summer months.

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Nightcrawler Worms Grown in The USA

Bruce — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 19:21:05 +0000

Over the years I have noticed an increasing trend when it comes to “worm farms” offering nightcrawlers for sale online. As I have mentioned in earlier posts, one of my favorites is the African nightcrawler which many do not raise as the time factor involved growing them out to full size.

However what I have noticed over the years is the increasing sales of European nightcrawlers shipped in weekly from overseas. Just for example anyone who was looking to purchase these worms back in April of 2010 had a difficult time finding any to purchase. This was due to the fact that the Iceland volcano had erupted encapsulating the flight paths in ash, shutting down major airports in the UK, hence eliminating any shipment of European nightcrawlers to the United States for a number of weeks! In fact from some research I have been doing online, I have found somewhere around 90% of the European nightcrawlers sold in the USA are imported from Europe at one point or another. Some import and sell directly, while others broker through these same companies either directly or purchase from them to sell themselves. Still others use third parties to ship for them and usually the worms have originated… you guessed it… from Europe!

To date I do not know anyone personally raising Canadian nightcrawlers in the USA either. These are usually dug up by some using low cost laborers up near the Canadian border and trucking them back or shipped in weekly from countries such as Canada.

I mention this because of today’s economy, and I personally believe buying American goods whenever possible since I do live in this great Country. Also locally grown worms in the USA are usually healthier… For instance, many worms which are shipped into the country are usually crated and sent out to overseas airports over the weekend. Some arrive on Monday morning which are picked up and bought to their destination. They are opened, repackaged and shipped out later the same day to your home or business hence placing a huge stress on the worms.

I ran a test recently on a comparison of European nightcrawlers which I raise here personally and purchased some which were sent in overseas through a third party that receive regular shipments on a weekly basis. I started with 300 European nightcrawlers in each worm bin, used the same bedding mix, same amount of moisture, same type and amount of food in each, all worms being approximately 2grams and observed them for the past week in a controlled environment. The results actually surprised me as I had figured I would lose some of the imported worms for a day or two. However I have been losing an average of five worms per day (36 in seven days to be exact) in the bin containing the imported Europeans while losing “zero” which have been raised on our worm farm. Even this morning, one week later, there were four dead and dying Europeans on the surface of the bin containing the imported worms.

There could be several reasons for these results, first being the stress upon which the worms go through from being shipped out twice within a matter of days as well as perhaps the environmental conditions they are raised in overseas versus how we raise them here. One of the major differences we normally overlook is the availability of bedding and or feed supplies available from country to country.

Bruce

My Favorite Worm

Bruce — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 15:00:44 +0000

Frequently I am asked which worm I prefer out of the worms we raise. Over the years the red wiggler has been the worm to get for composting and some fishing such as for brim, however not as good for larger fish as they are too small for larger hooks. There is one worm which has been overlooked during the years which in my eyes makes an almost perfect worm, encompassing the benefits of numerous worms for composting, worm castings and fishing all in one!

African nightcrawlers are my worm of choice being it can accomplish all these things in a variety of ways. The one drawback to this worm is the fact it must be raised in warmer conditions (70 degrees Fahrenheit or better is best) compared to the red wigglers or European nightcrawlers which can be raised at much cooler temperatures.

When it comes to consuming most waste, the African nightcrawler can outperform the other three worms we raise, red wigglers, European nightcrawlers and Alabama Jumpers. The reason I mention most waste is the fact they do very well with vegetable scraps, shredded newspapers… however one of the things I noticed is that they do not do as well as some other worms on shredded corrugated cardboard.

The reproduction rate can be faster under good environmental conditions than the other worms raised on Organic Worm Farm. In fact many times when harvesting in two weeks time, not only do we collect a number of cocoons but find a few that have been laid and already hatched within the same time period. To grow a large African nightcrawler up to eight inches does take longer than some other worms to grow out, up to eight months time, however can grow out quicker under ideal conditions.

The worm castings, when a proper bedding material is used, such as those outlined in the 14 Day Worm Castings eBook, come out more like mice droppings, shape and size rather than a fluffy like peat moss. This makes it possible to actually use a seed or fertilizer spreader to cast around your yard and garden areas as well as makes it much easier to mix when making your own potting soil.

African nightcrawlers make a superior fish bait in a couple ways. First they offer a better presentation to the fish than most worms by illuminating blue fluorescent stripes running throughout its body especially in clearer waters as the picture below depicts, catching the fish’s attention more readily.

Blue Fluorescent Stripes on African Nightcrawlers

They can be used for a variety of species, i.e. 2”-3” worm for brim, 4”-5” are becoming popular in some areas throughout the country for trout fishing, 6”-8” are a favorite of catfish and other fish such as bass.

As anyone familiar with targeting catfish will tell you an odor can be instrumental and why many folks even make their own “stink baits” for catfish. It appears the African nightcrawler puts off an odor when stressed similar to that of the red wiggler hence why catfish literally go crazy for this worm.

As for trout fishing, while raising the worms in warmer conditions is necessary, they can survive quite a while in colder trout waters.

Unbeknownst to many anglers is the fact that the African nightcrawler can survive brackish water (mixture of fresh and saltwater). The only other worm I have heard but not tested is the European nightcrawler which supposedly can also survive brackish water. Further testing on a variety of worms is planned for the future!

Raising the African nightcrawlers for worm castings or fishing does not require the concept of composting with food waste… but can be done by top feeding with the use of products such as Purina Worm Chow which also helps to fatten the worms up for fishing.

By raising these worms, an angler can have a full array of sizes for different fish one wishes to target from two inches up to eight inches plus on any given day.

Being this worm spreads well over the spectrum of different reasons for raising worms, makes it a favorite of mine.

Bruce

Earthwormponics Update Part 1

Bruce — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 14:47:58 +0000

Well as many know already, we had some family issues over a five week period or so which I kind of neglected my earthwormponics. The past couple weeks I began working with it again and made a modification last week which apparently has helped in bringing it all back again.

Anyone unfamiliar with the start of this system can visit the earthwormponics main page.

The modifications include adding one capful of liquid organic seaweed (iron) and one capful of activated EM-1 (effective microorganisms) along with the regular feed I have been using for the worms.

From the picture below you can see this tomato plant is now towering over the roof of one of the buildings. The plant itself is at nine feet tall and still growing. This is from where the stem comes out of the growing medium to the top of the plant and does not include the bucket itself. In fact there are new blossoms which opened and another bunch which should be opening just above these up in the next day or so.

9 foot Earthwormponics tomato plant

The tomatoes, bell peppers and lettuce I have grown using this process have a superior taste, even over regular organic plants in the soil not just by my input but from others I have given some to try. In fact two of the three people who have tried the produce grown in the system have come back to purchase their own earthwormponics kit!

I have also planted some new seeds three days ago for Romaine lettuce inside under a fluorescent light so as to take pictures of these as they grow. For leafy vegetables such as lettuce there is no need for a fancy, high priced lighting system, just a basic fluorescent light does fine!

I did start the new lettuce off by adding the capful of activated EM-1 and organic seaweed as well.

The astonishing fact I found while growing lettuce is just how fast it grows cutting down the time it takes to grow in half. While growing Romaine lettuce in the ground takes 60 – 65 days to produce, the earthwormponics system takes just 30 days and produces a thicker healthier leaf! In fact even though I started this to be able to grow organic lettuce for my rabbits year round inside they do not get it all as I have to make some salads for myself using the lettuce and tomatoes grown in the system!