Worm Composting » Purina Worm Chow

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

How Much to Feed Red Wiggler Worms and Nightcrawlers

Bruce — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:54:30 +0000

I get asked many times a month, how much food I should feed my red wiggler worms as well as African and European nightcrawlers. There are many variables which come into play, hence each environment is different.

For example, if your worm bin internal temperature is at 60 degrees Fahrenheit your worms will be less active, hence eating less food. This is also a reason I do not recommend refrigerating red wiggler worms, African nightcrawlers, European nightcrawlers or Alabama Jumpers. As they become less active and eat less they begin to get thinner and leaner, which is not what fishermen and women want.

Moisture and pH levels will also affect your worms and how much they will eat.

Red wigglers can eat half their body weight per day in decomposed food scraps, shredded paper products… under the correct conditions. So one pound of red wiggler composting worms can eat half a pound of food a day under ideal conditions in a homeowner style worm bin. In a larger style bin, 32 square foot continuous flow system for instance, under ideal conditions; red wigglers have been known to consume more food per day.

Now your African nightcrawlers and Alabama Jumpers are probably your most ferocious eaters. The ones on our farm indoors are fed daily under ideal conditions. Now I do not feed these guys food scraps but have shifted to Purina Worm Chow as their main diet. I do not have to run out constantly to pick up scraps and manure from local vendors some of which is smells pretty bad. African nightcrawlers are not as big a composting worm as the red wiggler on food scraps; however are excellent manure worm. I do not recommend chicken manure, however rabbit manure is superb as it does not require the process of heating. Horse or cow manure is also excellent however be sure the manure has been heated prior and that the animals have not been on de-wormer.

Now grain mix differs from food scraps as you do not want to feed your worms ½ a pound of Worm Chow per one pound of worms. You simply sprinkle on the surface area and do not mix in or the bin will become sour and begin to kill off your worms. Not only do the African nightcrawlers devour the chow, but damp shredded newspaper which we keep on the surface area and replace as needed. This ends up turning into the dark, rich worm castings known as “Black Gold”.

European nightcrawlers one of the favorite worms by those that fish, are also another good manure worm and are not as great on food scraps as the red wiggler. They also do not have the ferocious appetite as the African nightcrawler. I feed them with the grain mix by Purina, however anywhere from once every day or two while maintaining less feed in each bin compared to the African nightcrawler. The European nightcrawler bin is probably the easiest to sour by adding too much food. Do not expect these worms to eat as much, however they are extremely prolific and do produce a nice worm castings.

This should give you a good basis as where to begin feeding your worms, however keep in mind the conditions of your worm bin due play a large role in how much to feed your worms.

African Nightcrawlers Worm Castings and Size Comparisons

Bruce — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:14:12 +0000

African Nightcrawlers are one of the best composting worms as well as make an excellent fishing. These worms are also highly prolific however take longer to mature as well as reach full size. This is why most websites prefer to sell the red wigglers as they mature faster; hence the turnaround time on them is quicker.

African Nightcrawlers are raised by some just for the castings. The African Nightcrawlers worm castings are darker in color and fluffier than other composting worms. There is no difference in the microbes or quality of the worm castings other than the looks and feel.

The macro photograph below does not really do the worm castings justice; however you can make out the African Nightcrawlers castings on the left, which are darker. The worm castings on the right are red wiggler worm castings.

Both worms were fed the same diet and were raised in the same bedding materials.

Some worm farms and brokers sell African Nightcrawlers in counts of 600 to 1,200 per pound. These are bed run, usually very small African Nightcrawlers which are still good for composting; however do not make a very good fishing worm as many are the same size as red wigglers at these counts.

Many others offer a 200 to 300 count per pound African Nightcrawlers. These are approximately eight month old worms which run about 6 to 7 inches in length without being stretched out. These make an excellent fishing worm in the warmer weather as African Nightcrawlers are a more heat tolerant worm.

Organic Worm Farm offers the latter, 200 to 300 count per pound as well as the super large African Nightcrawlers, 180 to 225 count per pound! These monsters are approximately 10 months old and run up to 10 inches before being stretched out. If you are looking for the largest, active worm to fish with, these are the worms you want. The Canadian Nightcrawler will run larger, however is not nearly as active as the African Nightcrawlers.

The below photo shows an average 200 to 300 count African Nightcrawler on top with the super large African Nightcrawler, 180 to 225 count per pound below it.

The monster, super large African Nightcrawlers were raised by feeding them Purina Worm Chow. It is a food formulated especially for worms which is fortified not only with grains but minerals and vitamins as well. To raise the largest, fattest worms as well as the most prolific worms, there is nothing that beats using Purina Worm Chow as either a diet supplement or as a sole diet for worms.

Bruce “The Worm Expert” Galle