Home produced worm castings and leftover cocoons..

[OZZ_]

So Ive got about 15 gallons of worm castings that are ready to be harvested. However, Im a bit uncertain as to whether or not I need to worry about the thousands of cocoons that are in the castings itself.

I am able to get most, if not all, the worms out of the castings by putting another tub on top with fresh bedding. Most of them migrate into the new bin and whats left over I can thumb through a bit.


However, Im curious for you guys that use your own vermicompost ....do you do anything to it to prep it for use?? Like drying it out or something??

These castings have thousands upon thousands of cocoons mixed in it theres no way I can get them all out. If I use it as is, Im sure they will hatch and Ild hate to have the worms munching on my plants roots.

I know people say most worms wont bother the roots, but if theres not much material in the soil they may and Ild rather not take the chance. My only thought is to completely dry out the castings for a week or so in hopes it will kill off the cocoons.

Any suggestions??

 

[SeaMaiden]

No suggestions from me other than getting a big sieve and sieving out the cocoons. I think the castings are better the fresher they are, though.

Plus, this serves as good bump.

 

[mad librettist]

So Ive got about 15 gallons of worm castings that are ready to be harvested. However, Im a bit uncertain as to whether or not I need to worry about the thousands of cocoons that are in the castings itself.

I am able to get most, if not all, the worms out of the castings by putting another tub on top with fresh bedding. Most of them migrate into the new bin and whats left over I can thumb through a bit.


However, Im curious for you guys that use your own vermicompost ....do you do anything to it to prep it for use?? Like drying it out or something??

These castings have thousands upon thousands of cocoons mixed in it theres no way I can get them all out. If I use it as is, Im sure they will hatch and Ild hate to have the worms munching on my plants roots.

I know people say most worms wont bother the roots, but if theres not much material in the soil they may and Ild rather not take the chance. My only thought is to completely dry out the castings for a week or so in hopes it will kill off the cocoons.

Any suggestions??

leave them in! your worms will NEVER munch on living roots, because worms don't eat living plant matter. In fact they don't eat dead plant matter either. They merely shred up dead stuff, and they get their energy from the microbes living in the dead stuff, using a special calcium based reaction (they have a special gland called the calciferous gland). Their position in the nutrient cycle is not as decomposer, but as predator. So I don't call worms decomposers since they are not truly saprophytic. I call them shredders and predators.

The worms have an arrangement with the plants - they assist in germination and tend to the seedlings via castings and aeration. I get more volunteer plants in the wormbin than anywhere else, and anything that grows in there is very hard to kill.

no worries, I triple promise. Just keep a good layer of mulch on top, and your worms will leave a nice pile of castings for your plants.

You are thinking of fungus gnats. But guess what? The more worms live in your pots, the less food there is for gnats.

 

[big_daddy]

Cocoons

Cocoons

So Ive got about 15 gallons of worm castings that are ready to be harvested. However, Im a bit uncertain as to whether or not I need to worry about the thousands of cocoons that are in the castings itself.

I am able to get most, if not all, the worms out of the castings by putting another tub on top with fresh bedding. Most of them migrate into the new bin and whats left over I can thumb through a bit.


However, Im curious for you guys that use your own vermicompost ....do you do anything to it to prep it for use?? Like drying it out or something??

These castings have thousands upon thousands of cocoons mixed in it theres no way I can get them all out. If I use it as is, Im sure they will hatch and Ild hate to have the worms munching on my plants roots.

I know people say most worms wont bother the roots, but if theres not much material in the soil they may and Ild rather not take the chance. My only thought is to completely dry out the castings for a week or so in hopes it will kill off the cocoons.

Any suggestions??

Even if you can't get them all, harvesting what you can would be a nice bit of extra cash. People will pay 25-30 bucks/1000 cocoons.

There is a local worm farmer in my area that sells cocoons all year long.........1000 cocoons = 4000/6000 worms which is a good way for a person to populate their bin for cheap.

Craigslist works well to market them.

peace,

b_d

 

[mugenbao]

I've never bothered to even try removing cocoons, and have never had any issues with using the castings with them in there.

 

[OZZ_]

Great, I wont worry about it then. I appreciate the input.