best worm bins avaiable

[mad librettist]

i use one of these. similar to smart pot idea except flow through. would love to see one scaled up. you would need a big sewing machine

 

[Microbeman]

River-Running - I do have extra 65 gal smart pots from this season. You might be on to something here.

As for the design you guys have been using, how are the castings from it? I want the most refined castings possible, only the best ya know? I know that depends on many factors and I have some books to read so that question might be a hard to answer.

Thanks again for the help everybody.

What do you mean by refined? There are the pretty castings which most are used to seeing; the ones which flow like sand or there are the jelly gooey type substance found in a worm bin left too long; neglected.

Some valid points from my worm guru, Kelly Slocum

Let's debunk this myth that worm castings are bad for worms. Worms need the most biologically active environment they can find in order to grow at maximum. The cast of the worm can be as much as six times MORE biologically active than is the OM they ingest. As such, castings are beneficial in the system since they increase the microbial activity. In fact, worms will reingest their own castings over and over again, even in the presence of a rich food source. Some of the most productive worm beds in the world are maintained by removing castings just once per year.

Worms thrive on five things:

Air
Water
Decaying organic matter (OM)
Time
Neglect

Kelly S

 

[big_daddy]

i use one of these. similar to smart pot idea except flow through. would love to see one scaled up. you would need a big sewing machine

ML,

Is that an actual worm product that is on the market? I thought I read a post you made some time ago about buying a bag like that at Ikea. It's a great idea for the apartment dweller for sure......

b_d

 

[mad librettist]

I made the first one I had, but I bought the more recent one. the frame I still did DIY

 

[Bullfrog44]

What do you mean by refined?

I just mean no bedding or other material, just pure castings. like your post pointed out however, the best EWC comes from a bin harvested once a year. I think that is really the answer I needed, thank you.

ML - I saw that bin while doing google searches. I wonder how much that would produce? Thanks for the post.

 

[mad librettist]

I just mean no bedding or other material, just pure castings. like your post pointed out however, the best EWC comes from a bin harvested once a year. I think that is really the answer I needed, thank you.

ML - I saw that bin while doing google searches. I wonder how much that would produce? Thanks for the post.

not sure on numbers, but the worm bin bags produce a fair amount of castings. While you are establshing it, you can let material out the bottom and mix it with new material. After a while what comes out the bottom is castings.

I am actually adding my DE chunks before composting, so that what comes out the screening is vermicompost amended with DE chunks. In other words, a medium ready to go.

If you had 3-4 of these, you could feed new stuff to the first, partially composted material to the second, and finish in the last two.

 

[heady blunts]

You can go the Home Depot and buy a drain or a faucet to extract the liquid from the run off container. I have had my bin going for 3 weeks or so now and will be splitting the bin in a week to make another. Harvest the first bin. I make tea from the run off twice a week now.

V

von-

afaik, run off (leachate) is not very biologically or nutritionally valuable (at least relatively to the compost).

also, if you are using uncomposted manures, the leachate can be a vector for disease.

 

[jaykush]

im with everyone else, build your own. itl be cheaper, more efficient. and it will be exactly what you want.

id also start composting outside, nice big piles in metal mesh bins. just because it aint EWC doesnt mean its shit. if its commercial pile compost, thats a different story. this is where the bulk organic matter comes from, the EWC provides a greater diversity in micro organisms. you can easily have 10 yards composted by spring if you are good at sourcing materials. which is the limiting factor a lot of the time imo.

 

[rrog]

That's what I'm doing. I have piles of grass / leaf all over. I have an entirely different perspective on this stuff this year

 

[vonforne]

von-

afaik, run off (leachate) is not very biologically or nutritionally valuable (at least relatively to the compost).

also, if you are using uncomposted manures, the leachate can be a vector for disease.

the manures are fully composted before the go in the bins. So there is no worry there. I just run the manure compost and humus to have finished castings quicker.

Got the idea from CC who attended a trade show and a commercial worm casting producer gave him some inside info on their process.

Most of the manure compost I get has been sitting for years. I live in the farm capital of the US now. We have lots of compost shit here. lol

The run off is safe. No worries there. And also it is just a part of what I use. Also in the bin is part of my soil mix either new of used but always a part.

V

 

[mad librettist]

That's another advantage of the bag design - no runoff

 

[vonforne]

That's another advantage of the bag design - no runoff

The bags are way too small for what I want. Good for a small operation with limited needs.

By the new year I hope to be running 2 to 3 reactors. For now it is large rubbermaid bins.

V

 

[mad librettist]

The bags are way too small for what I want. Good for a small operation with limited needs.

By the new year I hope to be running 2 to 3 reactors. For now it is large rubbermaid bins.

V

Like I said, id like to see someone scale it up. As in make it much bigger.

I find that one of these replaces 2-3 much larger bins due to faster turnaround.

The lack of runoff is due to evaporation.

 

[vonforne]

Like I said, id like to see someone scale it up. As in make it much bigger.

I find that one of these replaces 2-3 much larger bins due to faster turnaround.

The lack of runoff is due to evaporation.

Are you working on another design?

I do not have much run-off. A little moisture yes but no biggie. I just looked at my bin......I like to dig around and see what is going on. Newspapers almost gone......2lbs old salad gone.....leaves gone........and the texture has changed.

I will leave it in there for a few months and then see where it is then.

 

[Bullfrog44]

Well, I decided to just use some Rubbermaid containers for now. My municipality is selling the can-o-worm bin for 60$ as a promotion to compost in our area. I might swoop that after the holiday's, but I wanted to get my worm count up.

The bin I bought is (L x W x h) - 23.5 x 18.25 x 16.0, I was thinking 2000 worms? I really want to harvest around .5-1.5 yards of compost a year, and I don't think this is going to do it. However, it is a start.

 

[jaykush]

The bin I bought is (L x W x h) - 23.5 x 18.25 x 16.0, I was thinking 2000 worms? I really want to harvest around .5-1.5 yards of compost a year, and I don't think this is going to do it. However, it is a start.

take note that in a few months, one bin can be split into two, later on two into four. which can increase production greatly and reducing the amount harvested at once. i think 1.5 yards is no problem in a year.

 

[vonforne]

Well, I decided to just use some Rubbermaid containers for now. My municipality is selling the can-o-worm bin for 60$ as a promotion to compost in our area. I might swoop that after the holiday's, but I wanted to get my worm count up.

The bin I bought is (L x W x h) - 23.5 x 18.25 x 16.0, I was thinking 2000 worms? I really want to harvest around .5-1.5 yards of compost a year, and I don't think this is going to do it. However, it is a start.

Also BF if you want to speed things up use the idea CC turned me on to. Get some composted manure....chicken or steer. I have the steer and use it instead of raw foods. It will be ready in about 1 month.

I put leaves down for bedding, some new soil with all the fixins and a bag of composted steer manure and humus. I added 2000 + worms and cocoons. Mine is nearly finished in a month. I did however add some coffee grounds on one end to draw the worms around the bin.

CC learned this at a trade show from the pros who produce commercial casting forsale. It is how the speed up their production.

V

 

[Bullfrog44]

So you put finished compost into the worm bin? I have some compost from the city dumps that they give out for free, would that work also?

 

[vonforne]

Yep that will work fine. It is most likely not finished like the manure compost. 2000+ worms will work that in no time. And remember with the worms comes cocoons......each has 3 offspring in it so the 2000 will be 4000 real fast. and they never count out to exact numbers. Where I got mine the lady said there were closer to 3000 most likely. Cool by me!

I like to add some of my pre-mixed soil and add it to the compost. makes it a little lighter and it has rock powders and all in there. I also add GRD and char to the bin.

V

 

[organicterra]

what about cutting the bottom off one of those compost saks and putting it on a frame of some kind. Just tie a string or rope around the bottom to create the funnel effect.