For anyone that has missed the prior posts concerning the making and update of the flow through worm composting bin, here are the links which will open in a new window.

How to build a flow through worm composting bin for under $40.00

Homemade Flow Through Worm Compost Bin Update 1

The first picture illustrates a layer of brown material and mostly gone through green material underneath. You can see the cantaloupe seeds have been growing as I added one last week which is all about gone already. The worms can barely be seen in this picture; however they are doing well with a massive amount of juvenile red wiggler worms now surviving in the worm bin as well.

The next picture shows the underside of the flow through worm composting bin exposing the weed whacker line I used to support the bedding material and food scraps I have been adding. There is a little remainder of the layers of newspaper I used originally to support the base material I was adding. This is what you still see hanging on the left side of the picture below.

You can also see the vermicompost being supported by the weed whacker line. I originally did the scraping of vermicompost last week. When I checked the bottom of the flow through worm bin today, there was approximately two cups of vermicompost which had fallen to the bottom by itself.

This goes along with my theory that the weed whacker line is sufficient to support the material above as well as the weight. You will notice the bow in the weed whacker line, however figuring it is supporting well over fifty pounds of material at present, this is to be expected.

I will post further updates on this system down the road.

Bruce

I plan to carry this experiment a bit further than most should all go well with the first part. Once the plants are established and large enough, I plan to take some of the plants and transplant them in and around the garden area. For example, take the plants grown in clay and transplant some into clay soil while others into my mix of vermiculture, peat moss, worm castings… The idea will be to see if the transplanted plants to the castings soil will take off and flourish or will they remain more stunted…

The below picture is of the three planters used in this worm castings experiment.

The planter on the left contains organic potting soil I purchased at a local nursery. Yes, I really did buy some

The planter in the center contains some clay soil from the yard. I tried not to dig down but rather only grab the top inch of clay soil since this should be the most fertile part of the clay soil.

Lastly, the planter on the right contains a mix of different worm castings I collected last week.

I planted open pollinated beefsteak tomato plants in each planter. I doubled up the seeds in each hole with each planter having four holes for seed, evenly spaced.

Each planter will receive the same amount of sunlight and water during the span of the worm castings experiment.

I planted the seeds on March 9^th of 2010. The listed germination period for the seeds is 7 to 10 days, however would expect this to happen sooner with the current temperatures, especially in the worm castings and organic potting soil containers.

Well that’s all for now on the worm castings experiment. I will post more pictures as the seeds begin to germinate as well as throughout the experiment.

Bruce

]]> http://wormcompostingblog.com/worm-castings/worm-castings-experiment-part-1/feed/ 0 http://wormcompostingblog.com/raising-worms/worms-escaping-from-worm-bin/ http://wormcompostingblog.com/raising-worms/worms-escaping-from-worm-bin/#comments Wed, 02 Dec 2009 21:06:56 +0000 Bruce http://wormcompostingblog.com/?p=116 Lately I have received numerous emails where folks have had worms trying to escape from their worm bins; hence I decided to give some assistance to prevent these little Houdini’s from escaping

The first thing is to check a few things such as temperature, pH and moisture levels of your worm bin. If any or a combination of the previously listed are off, your worms maybe trying to get out of unfavorable conditions, in search of greener pastures. If this is true, you will want to rectify the problem so as not to end up killing off your worms.

Temperature plays a vital role not just in keeping your worms happy and the rate at which your food scraps will begin to breakdown permitting growth of beneficial microbes for your worms. An ideal temperature is 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit inside the bedding material of your worm bin.  If you add to many green products to your worm bin, raising the pH level, the temperature will also increase, heating the bin, potentially to high.

If your pH is off, usually the result of being too acidic, eliminate adding anymore green scraps to your worm bin for a while until you rectify to an acceptable pH level of 6 to 7. You could add some agricultural lime or crushed egg shells to assist in lowering and maintaining proper pH levels. Also add more brown products for a while such as shredded newspapers and cardboard.

Moisture levels are a common issue as the food scraps added to the worm bin release additional moisture as they decompose. This is especially true for certain fruits and vegetables such as cucumbers, melons… This is probably one of the most common reasons I hear from people having an issue with worms trying to escape. Moisture levels should be approximately 70% to 75%, no matter which type of worm you are raising, red wigglers, African nightcrawlers or European nightcrawlers.

To begin drying the worm bin and to assist in keeping your worms from escaping, add some shredded newspaper to the top few inches of your worm bin. Worms prefer not to crawl through dry newspaper; hence usually this will keep many of them below the dry paper.

Another trick is to leave the lid off in a room where you can leave the light on. This serves a dual purpose. The first permits more ventilation, hence allowing your worm bin to dry out faster. Secondly, the light helps to keep the worms from poking their heads out as light disturbs them, hence keeping them down inside the bedding.

The last trick I have been meaning to post, something I tried a while back with effectiveness, is to build a flap under the lid of your worm bin.

Basically you need strips of newspaper approximately 6 inches wide. Next crease the strips in lengthwise so as the 6 inch strips now or folded in half, 3 inches wide as in the photographs below.

Tear off a few smaller pieces to cover your four corners. Then use longer strips for the remaining four sides of your worm bin.

Carefully place your worm bin lid on top and snap down into place.

Be sure to check daily for worms stuck up on the underside of the newspaper that are trying to escape. Simply place them back on the top of the bedding in the center of the worm bin.

If your worm bin is to moist or in the event numerous worms get caught up on the underside of the newspaper, replace the flapped newspaper when it becomes to damp, as it will lay down on the side of your worm bin, allowing worms to crawl out again.

Good luck in your vermiculture adventures,

Bruce Galle

Red Wiggler Worms - Great If Primary Purpose Is Composting.

Red wigglers, also known as red wriggler worms, are said by many to be the best composting worm. Realistically they are very prolific and are easy to raise in a bin since they will basically take to their new environment right from the start where as your nightcrawlers usually try to wander more until they settle in.

The red wiggler prefers temperatures of 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit and is the smallest of the compost worms. They will eat your basic vegetable and fruit scraps turning it into “Black Gold” or worm castings. They will survive well in simple bedding made of shredded cardboard and newspapers.

African Nightcrawlers – Great Worm If Primary Purpose Is For Both Composting And / Or Fishing.

These are a superior worm with a dual purpose. They not only eat more than the other red worms but also make an excellent fishing worm growing to lengths of 8 to 10 inches long. They are very prolific and one of the hardiest worms to raise.

African Nightcrawlers worm castings are different looking as well as feeling than other red worms. The castings are darker yet lighter and fluffier. There is no difference in the worm castings when it comes to microorganism’s growth or PH levels.

The African Nightcrawler is more heat tolerant and prefers temperatures between 75 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. They will eat your basic vegetable and fruit scraps turning it into “Black Gold” or worm castings. They will survive well in simple bedding made of shredded cardboard and newspapers.

European Nightcrawlers - Great For Those Who’s Primary Purpose Is Fishing.

This is one of the favorites of fishermen. They also do a good job composting your scraps; however they are not as good as the Red Wiggler or African Nightcrawlers.

These nightcrawlers grow to about 3 to 4 inches in length and can tolerate cooler water temperatures. The European Nightcrawler is also the only red worm which can survive a while being fished in brackish water which also classifies them as a hardy worm to raise.

European Nightcrawlers prefer a temperature range of 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. They will eat your basic vegetable and fruit scraps turning it into “Black Gold” or worm castings. They will survive well in simple bedding made of shredded cardboard and newspapers.

Alabama Jumpers - Great For Fishing & Yard… Garden Composting.

The Alabama Jumper is a unique composting worm being it does not do well raised in bins however prefers clay and sandy soils due to the tougher skin they have. This enables them to borough through hard packed clay without a problem.

They do not eat vegetable scraps but rather carbon based products, i.e. hay, shredded cardboard, leaves… Alabama Jumpers live up to its name by wiggling so quickly and violently it will actually leap out of your hand. With this type of action, think about what it will do when placed in front of a fish.

Alabama Jumpers will migrate eventually throughout your yard and or garden areas, leaving worm castings towards the surface. They will not harm plants or their roots however will aerate the soil.

Alabama Jumpers can tolerate as far north as Tennessee. When the colder weather comes, they will borough below the frost levels… These are a very easy worm to raise since they have minimal needs.

There you have it, the basic information needed when selecting “composting worms” which will work best for you!

Bruce Galle also known as “The Worm Expert“ has been involved with Vermicomposting and assisting others over the years. Bruce is also the founder of Organic Worm Farm, where he personally raises and sells several worm species for composting and fishing: http://OrganicWormFarm.com/store

Now there are more extravagant formulas, one which will be available online in the near future, however if you are anxious to try something the following will prove beneficial.

First, I feed my worms what my mother fed me that she claims made me so tall, greens! I do mix them up and limit starches such as bread and potatoes. I also refrain from using tomatoes and other high acidic fruits and vegetables.

I realize other sites will tell you that worms love coffee grinds, and they do, however if you add too much your bin will end up becoming acidic. Just as most of us were told growing up, anything is good in moderation.

For my trophy worms I use for fishing, I actually use a blender to liquefy the ingredients. Afterwards I mix in a little spent coffee grinds as well as peat moss to thicken the mixture. Now don’t go making it like a thick mud but rather just enough to keep the liquid from running off or ponding in your mix. Remember to allow it to sit in your garage or outside covered up for about 24 hours as the peat moss will continue to draw up the moisture.

Now one thing I do for the trophy worms is to freeze my mix as this modifies the molecular structure enabling the mix to break down even faster for quick consumption by the worms when I do feed them. Just be sure to thaw it out and warm up to room temperature before adding to your bin.

The Simplest Advanced Grain Formula Mix You Can Make:

As with any grain mix, sprinkle on top and even mist with some water. I personally leave my fishing worm bins uncovered; hence I place some moist shredded newspaper over my grain. Be consistent on feeding the grain as needed whether once a day or once every couple days.

The recipe:

2 Cups Oatmeal

1 Cup Cornmeal

1 Dozen Egg Shells

Many websites state you need to cook your eggs with the shells in order to use in your worm bin. I have never had an issue by rinsing cracked egg shells than have not been cooked with warm water thoroughly. Allow them to dry out well.

Add the egg shells to you blender and pulverize them to a powdery mix. Slowly add your other ingredients. You may need to shake the blender or rattle it back and forth as this is a dry mixture in order to continue mixing and breaking down to a powdery mix.

There are other formulas which will enable faster growth, without hormone shots which I will introduce in a couple weeks.

For now enjoy the site and sign up for the free worm composting newsletter if you have not already done so as well as the Organic Worm Farm Affiliate Program!

Bruce

Hence I went to the drawing board to come up with a solution for my own needs. It is actually a simple device that fits and spins manually in an 18 gallon size Rubbermaid bin. The main unit is built from a five gallon plastic kerosene can.

Keep in mind this worm harvester is for the small worm farmer. It works effectively for one to a number of bins, however once you begin to raise worms on a larger scale, you will want to replace this unit.

I used a stainless steel rod however one could use a short ½” copper pipe. I do recommend sliding end caps on the ends of the pipe so as not to cut oneself when working with the worm harvester. I slid the rod or copper pipe through ¾” PVC fittings on both sides of the bin as well as the five gallon can.

The neat part about this worm harvester is that I use a number of bungee cords to hold the screen in place, enabling myself to start with a 1/8″ screen, then a ¼” screen and finally a ½” screen. This enabled me to separate the worm castings, cocoons and small vermicompost particles effectively.

To work the worm harvester, simply place a small amount of worm compost into the bin, close up the screen opening with two bungee cords and spin the harvester one way then the other way. Once completed, open the screen, remove the left over material and place in a holding bucket or bin. Repeat until you have harvested everything from your bin and proceed to the next screen size and so on…

The other nice feature is when I was done using the harvester; I simply pulled the rod out and wrapped all three screens around the five gallon can, placed back into the bin and placed my lid on top.  Everything but the rod can be stored within the worm harvesting bin

Bruce

First, if I followed what numerous other sites state (which I did try originally) I would end up with nothing but a regular compost bin since my worms would be dead and decomposing.

Most sites state to feed your worms one pound of food per one pound of worms a day. If you took a bin with 2,000 red wrigglers, roughly 2 plus pounds, you would need to add a ten bag pound and a 5 pound bag of potatoes weekly. You would need to be a magician to add this weekly

I took some time to do a comparison, weighing the food I was adding each week and watching to see what happened. One bin I placed a pound of food per pound of worms, the other, half a pound of food per one pound of worms. I fed both bins with the same food, simply cutting it in half for the second bin.

The results were that a pound of food per pound of worms in a basic worm bin is too much as it begun to make the worms try and escape from an uncovered bin with a light over the top, hence telling me something was definitely wrong. The bin began to get soggy and loads of mites appeared, even though the bin was uncovered. I found very few cocoons and could not find any hatchlings.

The bin with only half a pound of feed per pound of worms is excelling! In fact it is loaded with cocoons, new hatchlings and the larger worms look real healthy!

When raising worms feed half a pound of food scraps per one pound of worms daily. Of course this will vary for different types of worms as one pound of European Nightcrawlers equals approximately 300 – 400 worms while a pound of red wrigglers would be approximately 800 – 1000 worms. This does not mean you need to feed your worms daily, as you can accumulate food scraps and add three to three and a half pounds once a week to one pound of worms.

A good signal that either your worm composting setup is either too wet or has too much food is a large population of mites. A few mites are not usually harmful; however an explosive population means you need to correct your bin. To rectify the situation, try adding dry newspaper and/or cardboard and mixing some in. Take additional and place on top of the composting bin.

Remember as your vermiculture population grows, you will see that more and more food will be required in small increments.

I have read where numerous people run their worm bin food through a food processor prior to adding to their worm bin hence making a soupy mix. Do not even waste your time! Worms have been around for millions of years and God does not use a giant food processor to feed his worms in the wild

You can add food scraps to the freezer and freeze prior to adding to your worm composting bin. Freezing the food actually modifies the molecular structure hence allowing your scraps to break down faster in your worm bin. You will notice once thawed out prior to adding to your worm bin that some, especially items like lettuce will already be breaking down and becoming slimy. This allows bacteria growth faster, hence delivering food to your worms that much sooner. I personally use this method when first starting a worm bin. Once you have been adding food to the worm bin for a while, you should be able to just throw scraps into the bin directly as organic matter you have been adding should be in various stages of decomposition.

Yes, red worms love coffee grinds, however do not add too much. Coffee grinds along with tea bags do create heat as they decompose. The other setback is that they are very acidic, hence why I use some around the azalea bushes each year as they love an acid based soil! If you add too much to your worm composting bin, you can kill off your worms.

If your acid level becomes too high, how do you bring it back to the correct PH level of 6 to 7? If your acid level begins to get too high, you need to get it back as soon as possible.

I have read where many folks are using ground up agricultural lime by sprinkling on top of their bins. This can create a major kill off as when worms get into the dry lime; it dries them out, hence killing them. Here is a little trick I have used, if done in moderation.

Mix about 1 teaspoon of ground agricultural lime to a quart of water and shake well. Now use a mister to apply mix over the top surface of your wet bedding and keep wet by adding a mist of plain water as needed. I do not recommend over doing this process as there is another way to help maintain PH balance within your red worm bin.

Egg shells added to your worm composting bin can help maintain your PH but only if done correctly. Simply throwing whole egg shells or crushed egg shells will not do the trick. According to test ran at Clemson University a while back, finely ground egg shells actually help maintain a PH level within soil. By adding one or two ground egg shells every 10-14 days will help maintain a proper PH.

Items to ovoid feeding your red worms include meats, dairy products, oily food scraps, human or pet waste.

In moderation coffee grinds, tea bags, starchy foods such as bread, rice… ground egg shells.

Organic matter that can smell when added to your bin, so you may wish to avoid all together or add very little include broccoli, onions, garlic.

Things your red worms will love to vegetables, shredded newspaper, brown cardboard, melon rinds… aged animal manure (already heated and in moderation, use only in outside bins).

If using manure, be very careful of the heat generated but any medicines that the animals creating the manure are on can kill off worms, including de-worming meds.

Keep away from chicken mash and such as these can and will leave small deposits of salt that will end up killing your red worms in time.

Bruce