Come and show off those worm bins!

[StrapAssassin42]

hey guys... i have quite a bit of leachate coming out of the bottom of my bin...anything productive i can do with this?

also... my bin stays pretty moist but do they need fresh water every so often?

thanks for your input!

 

[Bullfrog44]

I am not the worm expert by any means, but I did read about this. People will tell you both ways, feed with the leachate or not. For cannabis, I would lean to no. You could pour it over trees, ferns, flowers. If you decide you don't want to deal with the leachate then one trick I read was to buy a coco coir cube and leave it in your bucket with the draining leachate. It will soak up all the juice, and if any worms fall through they can stay and feed on the coir. Hope this helps.

 

[Harry Hoosier]

hey guys... i have quite a bit of leachate coming out of the bottom of my bin...anything productive i can do with this?

also... my bin stays pretty moist but do they need fresh water every so often?

thanks for your input!

Your bin is probably entirely too wet if you have enough leachate to measure. I would get the moisture level in the bin under control by not feeding wet food so often. Or, if you have a cover on your bin, remove it and let some air flow through.

The leachate can be dumped onto your compost heap.

Hope this helps...

Harry

 

[StrapAssassin42]

ok...thanks guys.... i chopped up a whole pumpkin and put it in there about a couple weeks ago...i imagine that had quite a bit of moisture in it.

i will leave the lid off for a bit...thanks again.

 

[HidingInTheHaze]

Well after years of being an outdoor compost fanatic I have finaly bitten the bullet and bought a worm bin and 2000 red wigglers.

I burn thru a few hundred pounds of EWC a year hopefully my own worm farm can lessen the amount I have to buy.

 

[NWNR]

Hey guys, looks like a little bit of an old thread, but I was wondering if anyone had experience with wood worm bins as well as plastic. I've been reading that plastic ones might retain too much moisture. Not looking to collect leachate.

 

[NWNR]

First worm bin

First worm bin

Got bored tonight and ended up making my first worm bin. Let's see how it goes. After all the reading I had done I made a hybrid type bin given what I thought was best.

I started with just two layers, one for castings to collect and one for active worm wigglin'. I figured if side to side feeding doesn't work well I can always add a stack on top for a third level.

Started with two 10 gal totes. I liked that they had some gap distance when stacked.

Cut out most of the bottom because I had a screen I wanted to repurpose for the castings to collect/filter through. Cut the screen with tin snips and made a snug fit. Drilled 1" holes along the top where it would be exposed from the first bin for air flow. Changed the bit and made smaller holes along the lid.

I had some insect netting left over from the outdoor grow, so I cut out small squares and used a hot glue gun to adhere them over the 1" holes. I did this mainly so gnats wouldn't get in.

I covered the screen with a few layers of newspaper. Then added a good layer of soil from my 4yr old no til garden beds. Then some large mushrooms that were growing in the soil. I then added a thick layer of brown fall leaves, 1/4 cup kelp meal, a whole rotten banana, 5 ground egg shells, and some cilantro. Might let this sit a month before adding wigglers.

Let me know what you think. Might do an update post.

 

[NWNR]

Here are the rest of the pics.

Showing the screened holes once the second bin is in place, final top bedding, and cardboard "top." I made a handle for easy removal as I'm assuming over time the cardboard will get gross. I went with the cardboard for now because it is free but might change it out for some burlap or something. As most of you know, version 1 gets modified in time. Also considering building a wooden bin set.

 

[growingcrazy]

Looks nice NWNR!

I am curious to see if anybody gets out through the mesh. The newspaper covering the bottom will be gone fairly quickly once the bin gets into full swing.

I use totes just like yours with a bunch of 1/8" holes drilled all over the sides and bottom.

I have a 6 bin system atm. 1 that is being filled with scraps, 1 filled that is decomposing without worms, 2 working bins with worms, 1 screened and near complete and 1 that is current use for garden.

1 bin harvested per month, 40 lbs of castings on average. I fill 50lb feed bags with my excess.

 

[RiddleMeThis]

Looks nice NWNR!

I am curious to see if anybody gets out through the mesh. The newspaper covering the bottom will be gone fairly quickly once the bin gets into full swing.

I use totes just like yours with a bunch of 1/8" holes drilled all over the sides and bottom.

I have a 6 bin system atm. 1 that is being filled with scraps, 1 filled that is decomposing without worms, 2 working bins with worms, 1 screened and near complete and 1 that is current use for garden.

1 bin harvested per month, 40 lbs of castings on average. I fill 50lb feed bags with my excess.

Very interested in your setup...

6 stacked bins? Or all separate bins?

 

[NWNR]

Looks nice NWNR!

I am curious to see if anybody gets out through the mesh. The newspaper covering the bottom will be gone fairly quickly once the bin gets into full swing.

I use totes just like yours with a bunch of 1/8" holes drilled all over the sides and bottom.

I have a 6 bin system atm. 1 that is being filled with scraps, 1 filled that is decomposing without worms, 2 working bins with worms, 1 screened and near complete and 1 that is current use for garden.

1 bin harvested per month, 40 lbs of castings on average. I fill 50lb feed bags with my excess.

Thanksfor the feedback. Do you feel 1/8 holes allow enough castings to fall through or do you harvest castings from side to side? I haven't added worms yet. I have also seen some bins include "worm ladders" for fallen worms to climb back up. Do you have pictures you could share? Please

It seems like your levels also include time for decomposition before the worms get to them. Do you feel like that is a key to your system?

Thanks, Northwest Nug Run

 

[growingcrazy]

Thanksfor the feedback. Do you feel 1/8 holes allow enough castings to fall through or do you harvest castings from side to side? I haven't added worms yet. I have also seen some bins include "worm ladders" for fallen worms to climb back up. Do you have pictures you could share? Please

It seems like your levels also include time for decomposition before the worms get to them. Do you feel like that is a key to your system?

Thanks, Northwest Nug Run

When I harvest castings I screen with a 1/4" screen first to get any bulk debris. Let that dry a bit and then screen again with 1/8" mesh. Everything that doesn't go by the screen goes back to a bin.

This system works for me because my family produces enough waste to fill an 18 gallon tote rather quickly, combine that with leaf mold and general plants and weeds and it gets moving quickly. I like to fill a tote and then let it sit for a couple weeks before any worms are introduced. Once I screen a finished bin, those worms go into the few week old bin.

I think the pre-digestion does help the process but I still feel the most important aspect is diversity. I fill a bin with about 50% waste and 50% weeds/leaves/paper to soak up all liquids. I don't ever have run-off from my bins. Generally they are put a lid on and collect castings at the end. Simple.

I will grab some pictures. Just 6 bins in a basement lol

Peace
GC

 

[NWNR]

Minor update

Minor update

So it has been a week since adding basic bedding to my starter bin. I poked around and the mushrooms are starting to mold and moisture level seems perfect. After letting it sit, I sourced a local worm farmer and got 500 worms for $15. Not bad considering I couldn't get them through trade. I am willing to start small right now until i get into the swing of things and the worms populate fast enough i'm not worried about it.

I added the worms and the small amount of bedding they came in to the bin. Saw good size variation and eggs so I know there will be a decent population establishing. I will leave them alone for about a week to acclimate and eat what they want until starting to feed additionally. I have looked into a lot of different methods and for now because my bins are small (trying to stay on the laundry room shelf) I am going to feed side to side. If this proves to be a pain, mainly in collecting castings, I will consider adding a stacked tote and go for a vertical feed.

One thing to mention is I will be freezing and blending (magic bullet) food waste before feeding. I feel this will speed up the process the best. Maybe I can get more casting quicker as well as processing food more quickly. If I can achieve this on a decent level I might not need larger bins.

I am trying to be relevant here and provide something that hasn't been posted a hundred times. I know this was a semi dead thread, but I am also just trying to get some posts up in order to change my avatar. Maybe I should start this in a journal? Hope you all don't mind. Any feedback or questions must appreciated.

Here is the v1 bin's current home and side art for your amusement.

 

[Avinash.miles]

i grow in organic soil in 100 gallon (or more) kiddie pools (5ft diameter, about 12-15 inches deep).
i've added live worms (red wigglers and night crawlers) at different times, been doing no till in them for 3 runs now
so many worms, like thousands, right in the same bed my plants are growing in.

i'll grab some pics....

 

[NWNR]

A week in and I've gone worm crazy. I changed the design a few times and made new bins, 4 total, each bin differnt and now I'll see what one I like best. I'm looking for air flow and a less goop-like consistency in castings. Considering adding europeans in addition to the reds for better aeration and larger casting size and variation. In a few weeks I'll add worms to the new three and be off the the races.

Question: are 10gal bins big enough to house reds and euros or should I keep them in separate bins?

 

[growingcrazy]

10 gallons will be fine. How long is it taking for your worms to break down a feeding?

Avinash: Know of anywhere to get the kiddie pools this time of year?

 

[Avinash.miles]

here is a shot of my soil beds loaded with worms:

 

[heady blunts]

nwnr---

if youre feeding your worms kitchen scraps you will notice fruits and veggies are comprised of mostly water.

removing some of that moisture before adding to your bin will improve the moisture levels, which will in turn improve the metabolic and reproductive rates of your worms.

the fastest path to a healthy worm bin and excellent castings IME has been to feed my worms compost rather than raw plant material. get a compost tumbler and process your kitchen & garden waste in there first, then use that to feed the worms, and youll find the bins pretty much take care of themselves.

 

[HazyBulldog]

I stopped with the kitchen scraps a while ago.

Now I use chicken mash, bio live from down to earth, plant clippings, leaf mulch. Created about 5 yards of EWC last year, and it's all ready for this year. Millions of worms! I just put my worms in a smart pot, fill it with coco/peat/soil/compost and let her rip. Right now I have 4 - 400's and 1 200 smart pot filled with fresh castings and worms. Easy peasy.

 

[growingcrazy]

Were either of you using any Lacto cultures on your food wastes? I notice a much quicker turn around when the digesting bin has lacto added to each layer during assembly.