My new vermicomposting venture....

I am happy to say it seems to be coming along fine. I have them all shoved over into 1/3 ofmy 4' x 2' x 18" high box that we have in our basement garage. The temp in the garage stays about 65º to 85º at the most. I put them in composted cow poop, with a scoop of sandy soil with a bottom base of shredded cardboard boxes... Then I topped it off with about 6" of nice wet shredded newspapers. I have had them for about a month... and actually "scooped" some of them up to have a look see and they are active little buggers to say the least... and it looks like I have a gaggle of baby worms too. I fed them for the first time today with some nice Romaine lettuce that I chopped up.... I made a little trench and layed in all right in there and then covered the whole thing back up with damp shredded newspaper.

I am very excited about this new venture... and really think it will help my tomatoes grow next year.

I still would like to get more worms... as I have extensive garden area that I want to amend with worm castings.. but starting really little was a great way to learn... and y'all have been great with all your fabulous advice... Bless Your hearts....

xoxox
Carolyn

Sounds like your off to a great start so happy for you. I have had my setup for almost 2 years now and love the castings I get. You will be suprised at how quickly they will devore that lettuce!

Well, I figure if I get too many of those lil red wigglers, I can always sell a few on Ebay.. LOL I was thinking of branching out with another 4' x 2' x 18" high box for Nightcrawlers..... any suggestions there...?

Do you feed them the same? Is raising them similar??

I think I gots the fever now... haha.. but I just got to be doing something... can't veggetate just cuz I got social security.. that is for sure..

thanks,
Carolyn

I hear ya as for the nightcrawlers they are pretty much the same but they have to be kept under a light source or they will try to escape. I'd rather stick with my redwigglers. Mine have multiplied so much that I have had to sell some running out of room for them. But it is a hobby I do enjoy although I wish I could find an easier way to harvest my castings that is the most time consuming part of it but well worth it.

Yeah, okayyyyyyyyyyyyyy.. now I should have asked before... but just how does one harvest the castings??

Years back I had a worm bed in an old coke machine.. you know the ones.. that when we were kids, had to slide the doors back and reach down deep inside to where the drinks were all in ice. Hubby had drilled holes in the bottom and sides... and when we had some back hoe work done, he had the fella sink it into the ground... and there they lived.....
I would just take a cup of castings, worms and all, and put them in the planting hole.... when planting tomatoes, or peppers and the like... grew like the dickens.. but I would rather harvest just the castings...

Carolyn

well I am sure people do it different ways but my method is slow I just go through the bin by the spade full I get a spadefull of castings worms and all and just pick the worms out and everything thats left I put in my castings bucket. I know not very efficient but thats how I do it I have read that other just take the top layer of their bind every so often but even in my top layers my worms are there so I figured I might as well go through the whole bin. The problem here is your egg capsules are going to be in those castings too so you will eventually end up with some worms in your casting bucket too. So I loose afew worms in this process oh well I have plenty. Maybe somebody will come along and give us some better advise.

If you have a screen you can put a shovel full on that and rinse it through with water. What stays behind is worms and wormy food, what melts into your catch bucket is some VERY rich worm compost tea. This is also a slow and not very efficient process, but you won't lose the eggs, either. I'm betting there is a faster, better way, so I'll check back and see!

Thanks Fellow Vol.. lol and Gardenza.... I was thinking of using a colander maybe...

I am so open to ideas...

Carolyn

Hve you been watering the heck out of your worms like I have it has been so hot here my beds are drying out like crazy. I'll be glad when we get some rain where is Linden anyway?

From Paris, we are South on Hwy 69, and than at Parson's turn Left and go across the TN. River, and there we are.. about 70 miles away..

My worms are in a basement garage area, so are not drying out quite so quickly as if they wood on the outside... but I just went to check on them, and I saw no sign of the Romaine lettuce I gave them the other day... and they have consumed some of the paper I had in there.. So, I added another 4 or 5 inches of shredded newspaper and wet it done some.. But they sure look good and no odor, no flies, and it smells nice and "earthy".. and it looks like they are muliplying like bunnies.. LOL I am going to bring them some more of the shredded romaine...
But I do give them a sprinkle of three a couple times a week... just enough to keep them damp, but not wet. They sure seem to be very happy...
We are looking forward to a bit of rain here too... My gardens are getting dry and so we have to water them... Our city water comes out of the Buffalo River, so we have plenty of that... so far anyway.. lots better than last summer at this time... At least right now we can cut the AC off and open windows...and it is so nice sleeping with the windows open for a change...

Carolyn

I'm enjoying reading your back and forth. Couple suggestions on harvesting:
1. pick a section in your bin and don't put any food or newspaper there - just load it up on the other side of your bin. The worms will migrate to the side with food and bedding after a day or so and you can harvest from the other end.
2. put some castings on a tarp outside during the day in the sun. Leave a think pile in the middle and spread it thin around the edges. The worms will migrate to the center and you can harvest from the perimeter (might loose a few to the birds this way though).
3. when your guys are multiplying like crazy, you either need to feed them more and give them more space, sell them, or throw em in the garden with the castings. In the garden they can go to work aerating your soil and moving the organic matter and castings down near the roots. Its like bread starter...goes on forever as long as you keep some in reserve in your bin!

I bought this worm "factory" contraption. It has 4 bins with holes that you stack one on top of each other. The directions are to keep filling the upper bins with newspaper and food. When the lower bin is done (all eaten), you put it on top of the bins without a cover. The worms don't like the light, so they are supposed to travel down to the bins below and then you can harvest the bin. I haven't got that far yet, but soon. The bottom bin looks like it is all "dirt". Boy is this fun!!!

It is indeed lots of fun. Many of my gal pas look at me real funny when I get to talking worms with some of the fellers at church... and just kind of smile... lol But they are wanting fishin bait.. and that I have... I would love to make a trade for some yummy crappies....

Carolyn

I looked at a site called Hobbit House that had plans for a vertical worm bed.
I will try to describe it.
Get a plastic barrel and cut it in half, up and down, keep the bottom half or use the top half for the bottom. I went to Home Depot and got a replacement barbeque screen, the Weber screens are chromed steel and will not rust as fast. The screen should fit inside the bottom after you have cut a circle out with about 2" of bottom or top remaining attached to the sides. Lower the screen inside the bottom and wire in place.
Build a top for the bin with a lip that hangs down so light doesn't leak in. You want to keep the top or the bin dark. The worms live in the top 3 or 4" of the bin.
Build a wood frame to hold the bin about 18" off of the floor or ground.
It is also a good Idea to build a plywood box to put the legs of the bin in.
Line the box with black plastic. This box will catch any liquid that will drip from the bin.
You can line the bottom of the box with several layers of newspaper to absorb the liquid. After you can spread the news paper around your planes as mulch.
Put about 4 layers on the barbeque screen to keep out the initial light and to support the first worm bedding. Add bedding to about 4". Begin to fill the bin with scraps as they occur.
After the worms have lived for about 2 to 3 months you can take a garden claw and scrape the castings out at the bottom through the barbeque screen.
You might have to put a light under the bin to keep the worms from crawling down and out. The light will make the worms stay up in the bin.
You will know when you are through the castings into the food. Things will begin to look different.
I am working on my own so I will publish pictures when done.
Lone Jack

lonejack, I'm looking forward to your pics. Always interested in a new type of worm bin.