Introducing Compost Worms into Organic Soil for Veg and Flower

Boyd Crowder · Nov 30, 2015

Been a minute since I've posted a new thread, so here goes.

Ive come across some knowledge here in a related thread about the co2 benefits of having an active worm population in the medium
in my case, LC's#2.

I added around 50-100 worms to my 40gal totes and into some 10 gal girls about 50 each last week. I would like to know , given these volumes, whats the maximum I could add .

I was thinking a couple thousand each bin with around 500 per 10 gal.

That brings up another question, like , how do you feed these critters once in the bin? Do I use worm chow sprinkled across the soil between waterings ? Do I even need to feed them, given that I keep an aact on hand and water with it once a week?

Do I treat the soil like my worm bin and tuck in some bokashi fermented scraps and risk an infestation of bad guys ?

Thanks for your input here ICMag

trichrider · Nov 30, 2015

this has been bending my rainbow awhile too.

it's my conjecture that los needs worms to be viable, yet small containers do not seem to be able to maintain a population.

the size you suggest may well be better suited to support that population, imo.

...worms i've added seem to disappear.

they should have enough food from decaying root structure if you're doing no-till and burying bokashi beneath mulch sounds like a plan.

keep us posted.

Mikell · Nov 30, 2015

Don't know a whole lot on worms, but it was my understanding microbially (word?) active soils provide the majority of increased CO2 levels. Worms would contribute to a healthy living soil and so are linked, as well as expiring CO2 through respiration, and so may contribute more than one would assume.

Just spitballing.

amanda88 · Nov 30, 2015

I did try this once and I do approve of it, but my hassle has

been the little buggers didn't stay in the pot

preferring to sun themselves under the pot than in it

then leave their precious poo lying around

I like to keep a clean shop but house training 500 fucking worms has its limit ...lol

stoned-trout · Nov 30, 2015

you need a good mulch layer..put in some food for em now and then..otherwise they either die or bail out...yeehaw..red worms are more of a top layer feeder ..and we usually let our pots surface dry and their is no food..change them 2 things and worms will stay IMHO..along with no harsh chems ...mulch has been key for me...holds moisture and you can place some food under it for em...

VortexPower420 · Nov 30, 2015

Worms are what make the world and a living soil go round. Two things necessary are a mulch layer and food for them.

I like to keep a thick layer of hay or leaves and under that something for food.

My choices are any of the dynamic accumulator plants or any other green veggie for that matter. Lettuce, yup kale, please do. Cabbage sulfur please.

I don't add castings or compost anymore. They produce enough them self's. I'll add about 2 inces every flower cycle. Eazy peazy.

Well three things because you must keep the the airfare moist for them to thrive.

VortexPower420 · Nov 30, 2015

Trout you beat me to it.

Boyd Crowder · Nov 30, 2015

soooo, get some worm chow and sprinkle under the mulch after watering amirite ?

Weird · Nov 30, 2015

I have had worms in my containers for a couple years now, mulching in trim and top dressing keeps them happy

RustyShcklfrd · Nov 30, 2015

stoned-trout said:
you need a good mulch layer..put in some food for em now and then..otherwise they either die or bail out...yeehaw..red worms are more of a top layer feeder ..and we usually let our pots surface dry and their is no food..change them 2 things and worms will stay IMHO..along with no harsh chems ...mulch has been key for me...holds moisture and you can place some food under it for em...

This is almost exactly what i was going to say, minus the yeehaw, and plus a yall or two...all seriousness mulch the heck out of your containers. Any leaves you pull go right into the mulch, and your set. Ive seen nightcrawlers make it whole cycles in 4 gallon, as long as you listen to stoned-trout

Boyd Crowder · Dec 1, 2015

so my old trim as mulch and some worm chow we good ?

scaryharry · Dec 1, 2015

What is this "worm chow" you speak of? I think your question has already been answered. If you alternate green(trim) and brown mulch(hay or straw) you'll be fine. Are you running living soil? If so you're already supplying the right stuff

And while we are on worms , I've never added worms to my pots but I have worms in them now. My guess is the commercial EWC has worm eggs in there.

Also as Amanda was saying I did find that they do not always congregate at the top where the food is but often times I see castings coming from the holes at the bottoms of my pots. Pretty interesting.

Microbeman · Dec 1, 2015

Boyd Crowder said:
so my old trim as mulch and some worm chow we good ?

As long as you don't mean the actual commercial Worm Chow

I gotta say all y'all are sure getting smart. I can die happy now. :tiphat:

Medium Pimpin' · Dec 1, 2015

I've got a few soil beds going on 2 years with no till and worms.
Every defoliated fan leaf, sucker branches I trim off, old rootballs and stems and cover crops build a nice mulch in top of the beds.
I don't feed the worms anything else but vegetation scraps.
They like to chew thru whatever meals and dusts I reammend with for the most part.
I started out with 500 worms for 2 different beds.
I have thousands now everywhere.
Every time I move some surface mulch around, there's wiggles everywhere.
I never add castings to the beds, just some compost during a replant.

Weird and Lapides turned me on to worms, my LOS garden is bonkers with their help.

BusinessFactory · Dec 1, 2015

So red wigglers or night crawlers or both?

Medium Pimpin' · Dec 1, 2015

I've only used red wiggles from uncle Jim

Boyd Crowder · Dec 1, 2015

Yo , Microbe man , I was inspired by you from wading through someone else thread , and it got sidetracked an you and lapides? and a few others had professed the gospel of worms so I bought in.
Yes , I meant worm chow , commercial, but as this thread develops, Im learning my byproducts should be enough food as the mulch. Lord knows I got enough shake, root balls ,etc laying around waiting for a cold night to light the fireplace.... I knew i hung onto that shit for a reason

I have a wormfarm a few blocks away, I have been building my own bin and worm popuation using the bokashi tech but its not ready yeat. I was thinking Id hit the bait shop for 20 pounds of red worms tho, unless I can talk my wormfarmer into giving me a sweet deal, his worms are, after all , what my rols is built on

heady blunts · Dec 1, 2015

start making your own castings. you'll get plenty of juveniles and cocoons in your containers after topdressing.

worms seem to self-regulate their populations ime, so if you put too many a few will die off, and if you put less than your container can handle they'll just reproduce until they fill it.

i definitely have the same experience with mulch being important to keeping them happy and active.

Weird · Dec 1, 2015

Sometimes I lay kin a tub of worms just thinking of all the possibilities

trichrider · Dec 1, 2015

whaaaat?

Introducing Compost Worms into Organic Soil for Veg and Flower

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