FL zone 9 and vermicomposting

I bought 4 bunnies and plan to vermicompost. I would like to hear about other people in warm climates and how they set thier vermicompost bins up? I am afraid that the worms will cook here. I just started a pile of bunny droppings and other compost in a shady corner of the yard. I don't think I can keep the worms in any type of plastic bin here. I am wondering if I dig down a few feet and line it with boards with small drainage holes, then start layering the dirt, newspaper, bunny droppings etc., if that will keep it cooler? I would probably have to keep it covered with something to keep the critters out. Would a sheet of plywood work or should I construct a wood frame and use rat wire to make a top for it? Thanks
~Lenette

Hi Angel,
I don't think you will have any trouble with vermicompost in the shade. The only thing you need to remember is to keep the bin our of direct sunlight. Last summer I killed a bin when I had it on a shaded front porch and it got to 100 degrees. The worms were cone,
shriveled up and disappeared into the medium. I had to start over.
If you keep the bin in the North Shade it would be best.
You can use plastic worm bins in your climate if you use the above precautions.
Have fun worming.
Here is a worm bin I designed for the kitchen or laundry room. It won't stink and will have the bin close to the scraps.

Hi lonejack thanks for your reply. I am planning to keep it in a shady corner under an orange tree. It doesn't usually get above
100 F here but it is real humid and in the upper 90s often in the summer. It also rains most of the summer in the afternoons which makes it even muggier. I don't know if humidity makes any difference in vermicomposting? I keep a regular compost pile but I am a newbie to vermicomposting. I made worm compost tea out of some worm compost I bought last summer and the plants liked it so much I decided to start vermicomposting myself.
I like your bin design, that might be an option to keep one in the house, I hadn't thought of that. I also want to keep a larger one in the yard so I can use the bunny poo. It definitely stinks so has to stay outside :)

I don't think humidity will affect the worms at all. They live and love a humid environment.
In fact, if the ground dries out too much it is as bad as too wet. They look for a happy medium.
Worms are amazing creatures. They can take some pretty adverse conditions for a while. They aren't as delicate as you would think. Besides, you will probably kill a couple of batches before you get the hang of it.
You might look for an old blender. I found one for $2.50 at a thrift store. I use it to make a slurry of the food before I give it to my worms. I let the slurry sit and ferment, rot or whatever you call it. I mix my shredded junk mail from the shredder to get the right wetness. It should clump in your hand but you should not be able to wring any moisture out.
Paul.

If you bedding is sufficiently deep,kept moist, and placed out of the sun, the worms will do fine in Florida. We're in Central Florida and raise worms without problem. You must not let the bedding dry out.

angel- let me know how it works for you. I'm in Tampa, and have a commercial worm bin with the trays. We don't have a garage or carport, so we either have to keep the bin in the house (which makes it hard to harvest because it's heavy) or outside. I was afraid it would get too hot outside, so last year I did it in our laundry room during the summer months. It's on our three-season porch now, but it's getting REALLY hot outside there, since it's mostly glassed in windows with some screens. Even the cats don't stay out there for very long during the day. It's really inconvenient for harvesting the castings, having to make my husband carry the whole thing outside once a month. If it would really be okay outside, in shade, on the north side of our house that's a much better option. We've had our bin for over a year, and it's been fantastic aside from the inconvenience of location and harvesting.

I decided to build worm bins right under some rabbit hutches. I am leaving the bottom open and using wood sides. The whole area is covered with a large carport roof attatched to an outbuilding so it is shady in the summer.

Gee, since you live in Chickenville, why don't you just use chicken manure - redworms love that. I used to dig them (bare handed - UGGH!) for fishing bait when I was a kid.

Just kidding - rabbit pellets are great as we all know and chicken manure is pretty gross.

Paul

I am very curious about how your carport composter will do. I live in Central Florida and have been vermiposting for one year. I have kept my original batch of worms happy, but I keep the homemade bin in the house. I would love to move it outside, but I am concerned about the sun and heat, and I have very little shade. The North side of my house is the street side.

Dirt Digger, as a former Maitland neighbor of yours, I would recommend trying a small experiment with a few (volunteer?) worms and some of the soil in your working bin. Either paint the new trial bin bright white or shade it by wrapping with a piece of heavy duty Reynolds Wrap. As an added feature, put a small soaker hose on the top and a timer to run it as much as you dare. My small soaker is about 4' and came from Lowes, I think. Of course the water rationing cops may preclude this idea.

Finally, just build a temporary lean-to to shade your bin. (Go to Home Depot - "You can do it, We can help")



This message was edited Mar 22, 2011 6:20 AM