DIY Worm Bin for dollars.

[happyhi]

great thread, thanks to all contributors and happy new year. now i understand
why my worm bins are not really working like expected, it's only been a couple of months
maybe since i set it up and the worms are alive but it isn't really consuming much.
They are round trays made by "can of worms" seems like a very good design, simple and
you can add up to three trays.
what do the experts consider are the top five foods for producing the best
castings?
peace/hh

 

[ehonda187]

what do the experts consider are the top five foods for producing the best
castings?
peace/hh

The goal of the work bins is to break down organic matter into something easier to work with. To limit the list down to just foods is a no no.
Coffee grounds work like a champ. Use sparingly because of the nitrogen contained within the grounds.
fruits and veggies. (not too many onions and such)
horse manure
Rabbit manure
Leaf litter/grass clippings.

The smaller you can grind up the food ,the faster it will be broken down in the long run.

Got a new bin and it is going a little slow? I like to add another pound of worms to the party.

Need an Idea on how your worms are composting? Watch the sides of the bin for "dirt" buildup on walls of the bin. That stuff that looks like dirt is actually worm castings. I like to clear off one side and see how active the worms are within the bin a day or two later. Lots of castings means lots of food moving through their gullets.

 

[jjfoo]

Any food scraps mentioned above works well. Old fruit works like a champ. I have access to apples and bananas daily so I just let them all sit in a bag at room temp.

So you put the same stuff in the bag that you feed them. I was thinking yo used something else. For example, I don't put bread in my bin (I don't eat bread), but if you lay a few slices on top it seems to really attract them.

 

[jaykush]

what do the experts consider are the top five foods for producing the best
castings?

my top 5 list is

1. rock powders
2. forest mulch
3. leaf mold
4. fresh garden scraps
5. coffee grounds

 

[jjfoo]

do worms eat rock powder? From what I have understood, they only eat organic matter. I agree that inorganic rocks and stuff and pass through their gut but I don't think it changes form.

My worms eat a lot of banana peels, leafs, flowers, and coffee

 

[ehonda187]

They will use the rock powder in their gullets to help grind the organic matter. This in turn will add beneficial minerals to the castings.

 

[Kaneh]

Where you guys get rockpowder? Anything I should pay attention when using it?

 

[Kaneh]

Nevermind, I found the soil reminerelization thread:
https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=133648
I got all the info I need and more...

 

[jaykush]

Where you guys get rockpowder? Anything I should pay attention when using it?

if you cant source it locally, do a search for azomite.

 

[Morose Jessebel]

these guys are going nuts for azomite and corn on the cob. ok just the cob.

 

[happyhi]

thanks

thanks

The goal of the work bins is to break down organic matter into something easier to work with. To limit the list down to just foods is a no no.
Coffee grounds work like a champ. Use sparingly because of the nitrogen contained within the grounds.
fruits and veggies. (not too many onions and such)
horse manure
Rabbit manure
Leaf litter/grass clippings.

The smaller you can grind up the food ,the faster it will be broken down in the long run.

Got a new bin and it is going a little slow? I like to add another pound of worms to the party.

Need an Idea on how your worms are composting? Watch the sides of the bin for "dirt" buildup on walls of the bin. That stuff that looks like dirt is actually worm castings. I like to clear off one side and see how active the worms are within the bin a day or two later. Lots of castings means lots of food moving through their gullets.

funny you mentioned adding worms, after i set it up initially with the first batch of worms i went out a week later and bought another pound of em just to help the process.

the castings on the bottom tray look pretty good, there is not much left in it that hasn't been decomposed, but it is pretty much still filled with worms. I have tried putting some food in the corner hoping they would all move to the corner but that hasn't happened. Can i simply take the castings out and pick the worms out by hand and put them back in the bin?

What constitutes the right time to harvest the castings?
If i remove most of the castings does that mess up the
process? Do i need to leave any of it in the bin?
Sorry if the questions have been asked and answered.

peace/hh

 

[Morose Jessebel]

this is why I use the worm bin bag...

here is what I do in my "tray" bins I made from ikea thingies: I stop feeding, and when it gets all black and spongy at the surface, I gently scrape it off with my hands, picking out most worms and cocoons that I see.

that only works for small amounts.

 

[mrworms]

I was also having trouble in harvesting worm poop from my bin and I didnt want to disturb their momentum in making some more black gold. I searched online to get techniques in segregating poop from the composting worms so here's an article I find really useful:

Worm Composting: Harvesting Worm Castings

 

[treefrog]

Make a pile of material, that is, dump out everything on a piece of plastic, shape the pile like a mountain, and shine a light on the worms. They will go to the bottom to avoid the light. Scoop off the worm free casts from the top, repeat.
Anyways, that's one way to do it.

 

[jaykush]

i find the pile and light method takes waaay too long.

best to just trap them out with fresh material in a mesh bag.

let it sit a few days and dump the trap bag into new bedding. simple as that.

 

[mad librettist]

I like a multiple bin technique. I feed all bins, and as the level goes down I scrape some off one and put it in another bin. Then I feed all bins. So basically I am using half finished castings as bedding. Eventually when you peel off layers the ones below get to be quite mature. Harvest it or keep using it as a base, then start over with half finished casting.

I still use bedding a bit but not that much. And I am getting away with bran as a bedding, which I am not sure would work in a new bin.

 

[treefrog]

This is actually the system I use. I make these myself, but am interested in the flow through, bag system that some around here use... ML


When the casts start looking done, these don't, but when they do, you add another box on top with new bedding and something the worms go crazy for, say pumpkin, then the worms migrate through the 1/4" screen. Ever notice how just after Halloween there are pumpkins all over the place? I put as many as I can in my freezer. One can make a similar system out of plastic bins too.


Here's another level added.. The 1/4" galvanized screen that is on the bottoms of these levels is great for separating worms from casts. The pile under the light method I suggested because it is a cheap, easy method, but one of many.