Shelf life of earthworm castings?

[jaykush]

Sorry for the hijack: After a plant is harvested by clipping at the base, would the undisturbed fungal network die off, leaving only these fungal and bacterial spores? In other words, the fungal hyphae isn't going to be re-animated. It's dead like a dead plant stem I assume. Anything that comes back to life is coming from spores after a month, maybe.

how long a period before a new plant is planted? decpomposing(saprophytic) fungi will still be intact. the mycorrhizal fungi might die off and go to spore if you took to long to get a new root system going.

 

[mad librettist]

All bacteria? I know there are definitely species that can survive quite a lot, but I don't know that all bacteria are so gifted. Same with fungi.

I am sure some do better than others, but it's kind of prerequisite for being a soil microbe.

As long as things don't dry out too fast, the whole lot can go to sleep and wake up later. AFAIK there is not time limit.

Based on my own microscopy, bone dry compost makes a tea that looks pretty good.

 

[Useful Idiot]

FWIW, I will point out that dormant bacteria can survive indefinitely. Literally, you can wake them up in 10,000 years with no issues.

I was thinkin this as well.

 

[xmobotx]

wrong worms buddy, lawn worms are not the same species. they might decompose waste, but will not multiply and decompose at the same rate composting worms will (Eisenia fetida)

maybe so. i find these under horse manure. folks here call them manure worms. theyre little red guys not nightcrawlers

IDK that "wrong worms" is all that reasonable? they thrive in the horse manure and make real nice castings

at whatever rate my intention is that raising worms doesn't have to cost anything and it should be pretty easy to find some worms and get a bin going pretty much wherever one is AND, get superior castings to most store bought

 

[mad librettist]

quite likely, the answer to the question "what is the best worm bin worm?" is: diversity.

 

[xmobotx]

ive put nightcrawlers in but they disappear

 

[mad librettist]

so far I have african nightcrawlers and red wigglers.


There are other composting worms I could add to the mix.

 

[jaykush]

worms from the yard, and worms from a manure pile are two different things. manure worms will work, but yard worms ( lawn worms will not)

 

[SeaMaiden]

I am sure some do better than others, but it's kind of prerequisite for being a soil microbe.

As long as things don't dry out too fast, the whole lot can go to sleep and wake up later. AFAIK there is not time limit.

Based on my own microscopy, bone dry compost makes a tea that looks pretty good.

This is good to know because I'm an abuser of microbes. It's now just a question of how to wake them back up, then.

I come from the water, so this dry thing can be difficult to wrap my head around sometimes. Thank you.

 

[mad librettist]

This is good to know because I'm an abuser of microbes. It's now just a question of how to wake them back up, then.

I come from the water, so this dry thing can be difficult to wrap my head around sometimes. Thank you.

Many water organisms can pull off the same feat. Ever seen expired sea monkeys?

 

[SeaMaiden]

Ah yes, but it depends on the organism. One of my former nicknames was Sea Monkey. I sported a tri-bumped head, and a devilish grin (the guy who made this has never met me in person, yet he captured a look I'll get when I have one of my ideas).

 

[OZZ_]

Im in an apartment and I just harvested 15 gallons of worm castings ... no space is no excuse its the easiest damn thing Ive ever done. I got a paper shredder and in go all the monthly mail along with used coffee grinds and my left over vegetable scraps... easy as can be. I use 5 gallon buckets stacked on top of each other. I have a column thats 5 buckets stacked right now.

 

[SeaMaiden]

Pix or link showing pix...?

 

[jaykush]

yes if you cant make space for something that's as small as a worm bin can be somethings wrong, hell you can even put other things on top of it or under it.

as the saying goes, where there's a will there's a way. no will = dont bitch about quality.

i have a few bins now and one of them is in a small rubbermaid, which can be bought for under 10$ and are designed to take up less space. and itl produce more castings than a small grower would need for top dressings and ACT.

 

[mad librettist]

Ah yes, but it depends on the organism. One of my former nicknames was Sea Monkey. I sported a tri-bumped head, and a devilish grin (the guy who made this has never met me in person, yet he captured a look I'll get when I have one of my ideas).

True, it depends on the organism, but think about how easy it is for a single cell animal compared to a sea monkey.

The fact is, most bacteria can't move or can't move far. If new bacteria had to move in every time there was dryness, it would make droughts much worse. Also, riding on dust or in clouds is a great way to get around. So much so that rotifers have covered the globe without sexual reproduction (making for a peculiar genetic record).

As for protozoa afaik they all form cysts in dry conditions.

 

[Han Grolo]

Thanks for all the great info guys! Im feeling motivated to start wormin or "getting the wiggles" as they say.

I need to rephrase my past statement. when I said "I don't have the space" I really ment, "I could keep a bin inside but..don't they smell like shit?"

Any pics of these DIY micro worm bins would be most interesting.

Thanks again- Han

 

[mad librettist]

 

[OZZ_]

Zero smell bud, the only time mine smells is if I overload it with to much food. Even then you can only smell it when you take the lid off. I have it sitting in a spare bedroom and you would simply think its 5- 5 gallon buckets stacked in a corner. Takes up 12" of floor space lol and I just pulled 15 gallons of castings from it.

 

[rrog]

Wow Mad, what the hell is that?

 

[mad librettist]

that's what I use for a worm bin. it's a worm bin bag. Food goes up top, castings come out the bottom.

instructables dot com has a DIY