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What do you feed your worms anywhyz?

the protege

the protege

Member
I definately want to see this thread keep going. I am planning a little garden and I plan on doing a couple bins to help amend the soil. This stuff is so good for the world! Please, keep up with the updates and any pics.

I will hopefully start mine in the next couple of weeks and I will take pics of every step for you.
 
G

Guest

Going a bit slow right now. But the bin smells "sweet" so no worries. Never did a small bin so I didn't want to over do it. Let the worms grow into the bin instead of going in for the kill. I got about three - four months untill I'll be trying this "flowering" castings. I needed more cuttin's before I try something like this. I'll do a side by side so if it don't work no big deal. I made that mistake allready when I went to organics. should have side by sided that, ended up with weak plant (only one mom here) that's just now back to health. Now I know just 'cus it works outside, doesn't mean you can do it inside. Ya indoors is kinda new too, wish I didn't have to do it. Shows how much I know though, using store bought("just what you need. You ain't doing it right untill you use this") on what I smoked but the right stuff with what I ate? If I started with organics inside from the start I would be learning now instead of running behide the car... I think I can hop in as soon as I get some wind. :bat:
 
J

JackKerouac

I put 3 catfish in my swimming pool that I don't use. As luck would have it, they got a bit randy and now I have (maybe?) a hundred fingerling sized fish. I usually give them a few pieces of bread a day, but do you think they would eat worms?
 
G

Guest

A worm a day...

A worm a day...

JackKerouac said:
I put 3 catfish in my swimming pool that I don't use. As luck would have it, they got a bit randy and now I have (maybe?) a hundred fingerling sized fish. I usually give them a few pieces of bread a day, but do you think they would eat worms?
Click to expand...

First off sorry for being "out of pocket" the past few, had to go to "West by God" in a hurry...

I don't fish for Catfish myself. But I've hooked quite few with the worm. So I'd say they'll eat worms. Over in Mississippi a few farmers use cat food also too save some bucks. So they say, feed your fish twice a day as much as they'll eat in fifteen minutes. Seemed like everybody over there had catfish farms, but me.

killa-bud

Great news on that "bug squirts". How does it feel to be outside of that "box". Keep us updated, like what your feeding them and such...

Posting a update later tonight.... "Stay tuned to W-O-R-M, It's the shitz"
 
R

Recycled008

New member
Ive been running worm bins for a few years now. Red wrigglers in particular and we love to use our food waste and newspaper waste in our bins.

We have aprox 12k worms in like 5 different bins. Actually need to divide the worms again or they will stop breeding if they feel overpopulated.



I hate looking for the worm coocoons when seperateing the wormcastings from the worms






But my son loves to help and it takes some time to do...

As for what in particular that we feed them, most any organic food waste as long as its not acidic. A cupple egg shells for calcium (breeding purposes) Shredded paper everywhere.

Thats all really, but makes a great additive to my organic soil mix.

 
J

JackKerouac

How do you screen your worms from the compost?

Or do you let them settle to the top and move them when the mix is toxic?
 
R

Recycled008

New member
We usually hand separate, as my son likes to get his hands dirty and play with the worms. but also sometimes cheat and use the stocking (onion bag trick) and top feed them fresh fruit and remove and replace. works well but takes along time as hatchlings still remain in the castings.
 
G

Guest

Cocoons

Cocoons



This is what I use to keep the cocoons out of my tea/soil. For the little I use this works fine. I'm gathering some things to make a bigger screen for the inside bin so I can store my castings for later use.

Recycled008

I am hopeing that by adding some ash I can keep the ph in check. Have you ever tried to run a "fruit" bin alone? So far the wigglies seem to be doing fine in mine.
 
R

Recycled008

New member
Fruit bin alone Imo would be difficult. newspaper in my bins soak up juices and keeps the pests down. When my bins get too wet I add more paper. If your running a top feed worm bin, with a worm tea collector, it may not be a problem. But the juices may turn rancid from non digesting and open aerobic factors may play a part. I have a tub I pre compost all our food waste and breads for a week or two. By the time they make it into the bins mold spores attack them and smells are not the natural humus/earth smell you want from your bins. I don't really like using it that way so I try to add the food waste as I collect it.
Other bug inf may also occur in non bedding composting



Can't see it but that pic has mites and assorted other nasty bugs attacking open food waste. I usually just add a no pest strip on top of same paper for a few days and it kills them off.



Both those pics where actually poorly maintained bins. Way too wet, and not enough airflow.
Sometimes I skip 2 weeks and my worms pay for it :badday:
 
G

Guest

Recycled008

Ya I'm using both peat and newspaper for bedding. What I really meant was just feeding the worms "fruit" skins. Stuff with high P/K but low in N like apple peals, cucumber skins, citrus skins but still just scraps not whole fruit. I plan on using these castings for a "Flowering tea". I have another bin that now get all the high N scraps like tea and coffee grounds, hair, nut shells. Later on when the "fruit" bin gets cooking I got some dried skins to feed with if things get too wet.

Back a page, at post #59 I'm making a list of foods for both bins. Still alot to add but gives a idea.

Using this NPK list from over at the OFC.
 
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Chiefsmokingbud

Chiefsmokingbud

Slap-A-Ho tribe
Veteran
back to the catfish post, throw them some chicken livers.........that's a delicacy.

Anyone here have any experience with Belgian nightcrawlers/European nightcrawlers?

I have a couple thousand of those on the way that should be here by the end of the week. The writeup said they are by far the most veracious composters of them all.

I have a stackable system and they can co-exists with red wigglers....just that they are more of a bottom feeder rather then top feeders.
 
J

JackKerouac

Chiefsmokingbud said:
back to the catfish post, throw them some chicken livers.........that's a delicacy.
Click to expand...

This week I have been feeding them peanut butter sammiches that I pinch off and throw in.

I did a test with some red wigglers from the bait vending machine. They musta been hungry, because it caused a feeding frenzy. I think this DIY may work.

Chicken livers? Ew. But dogs eat grosser things.

Aren't eggshells supposed to cut the skin your wormies? How do you crush them properly?
 
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G

Guest

Where did I put that brandin' iron...

Where did I put that brandin' iron...


Added about two inches of bedding tonight. Shredded newspaper misted with water. I would guess the worms have at least doubled since start up. Going to start feeding every other day and see if they keep up.

JackKerouac

I use a $1.00 yard sale blender, myself. Add scraps/egg shells with just a little water, Fappe', strain with that screen I got and feed. I save my "blender juice" in the fridge and use to water the worms once a week. Just let it warm up before useing. Some folks just throw there scraps right in the bin, I did before getting that blender. The worms seem to like the "pre-chewed" food better and it's less likely to "sour" I think.

Ya I forgot 'bout them livers, folks use them for catfishing down here. Seems a bit costy for feed though. Worms are as close to free as it gets. They eat what you've been throwing in your trash or down your drain.
 
Chiefsmokingbud

Chiefsmokingbud

Slap-A-Ho tribe
Veteran
LOL, i had a large 75 gal tank one time and i would throw any smaller sized bass i caught in there and eventually they would eat from your hand. Anyway i would go to the pet store and buy about 50 minnows and throw them in......talk about a frenzy. looked like a bunch of pirannah
 
G

Guest

Road trip

Road trip

Well Looks like a road trip back to "West by God" today. I'll be gone for aleast four days. The wive's dad took a turn for the worst, they don't think he's going to pull through after all. The last twelve hours have been rough around here, I must get her to her daddy ASAP. Just waiting for your youngest to get here then "Road Racing". Twelve-fourteen hour drive this time of the year, gotta love it.

Sucks that just a few days ago the doctors said "Don't worry he'll be fine, everything went smooth, Looks like we got it in time..." How it's "Oh it's a lot worse then we thought, we've done all we could, now all we can do is just pray".

We could have stayed, instead of just turning around three days later, aleast we still have the "winter road trip kit" in the car.

Peace, Love... Allways
 
J

JackKerouac

Good luck JS. Best wishes to you and your family.

Has anyone used "Yesterday's Mews"? It is a fluffy litterbox material for cats made out of powdered and clumped newspaper. I would almost rather use that than hand shredded newspaper for compaction purposes. It also works for growing mushroom sclerotia.
 
Smurf

Smurf

stoke this joint
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Hey Jackson, thats not good mate, I just hope things turn out for your family.
Spewing I didn't know about this thread..... so when were you gonna tell me JS.
Probably not the time to be horsing around.
pm me when you're back safely mate.
Take care JS

edit: This is a kick arse thread.

​
 
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Smurf

Smurf

stoke this joint
ICMag Donor
Veteran
those are the Lumbricus ruebellus, aka Reds or Red Wriggler, I think they're native to the Amazon.... excellent for making babies. lol
 
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