I imagine a fungal act wouldn't hurt. Compost made from straight leaf mold has been cool to look at when I've cultured it. One was like a forest of spores.
Worming 101
- Thread starter Suby
- Start date
ooo good idea!
Mezz Mezzrow
Member
My finishing bin is getting about done I guess. Is it good to keep the bits of leaf and branches in it or should I screen those out. I'm sure this has been answered before, but come on - the search function is a joke and it is potentially much faster to just ask. Thank you!
I screen out twiggy stuff, if theres leafs its not ready imo.
I let mine get to coffee ground consistency and color before harvesting, only variance is the white from eggshells.
I let mine get to coffee ground consistency and color before harvesting, only variance is the white from eggshells.
Mezz Mezzrow
Member
I've been hand-sifting it starting with larger twigs and pieces of egg cartons and whatnot. Now I'll work my way down.
I add coffee grounds to my bins every day and sometimes I am not sure if it's grounds or castings I am looking at. These bins have grown from a handful of compost and worms to three recycling totes full in a year. I should be patient and let them really finish up I suppose. I want to use this stuff now though!
I have two I am adding scraps to regularly and one that I am removing larger items from and not adding anything. All I'm doing is digging up the worms and castings on the bottom layer and replacing it with the former top layer. I figure the worms will settle back down to the bottom and finish that material. Am I correct in my assumption that this is how to finish a bin?
if you aren't sure... probably coffee grounds
Mezz Mezzrow
Member
I guess I'll just keep doing what I'm doing. Thanks for the info?
S
Stankie
I put some collected European Earthworms in my flow through bin about a month ago. . . They are going to town!! I dug around today, they are up eating with the red worms and I found a few cocoons in the upper part. Good addition, IMO.
where did you get those?
GivaDogaBone
Member
This should be a STICKIE!
This should be a STICKIE!
My
cut n paste
Please feed your worms these items :
Leaves are great for bedding and also as a food. Vegetable scraps of all kinds ( if you can chop them up it will help them be processed quicker ) Fruit scraps and peels (mold/rot is fine) But do take note that banana peels can take a while to disappear , don't be surprised if it stays for a while . Bread and grains are great for them. Teabags, manure esp. rabbit and horse ( be sure its not to fresh it can get to hot for the worms ). Non-greasy leftovers. Coffee grounds and filters. here is a recommendation ---star-bucks gives there used coffee grounds away for free for the asking . The worms just love used coffee grounds . Crushed egg shells to help the little guys digest their food ( they have no teeth so they need the shells for the grit it provides ). Dog food the dry kind ( be sure to wet it first ). Cardboard not paperboard (the worms love the glues that bond the cardboard together ).
Please do not feed your squirmers these items or at the very least feed these items sparingly :
Don't overfeed citrus( orange lemon etc ) —should be no more than 1/5 of worm food ( the acid is hard on the worms and the bin ). Meats, fish , small amounts are o.k. though do keep in mind it can stink. Greasy foods. Dairy products ( again harder for them to digest quickly so you may get a very unpleasant smell ). Twigs and branches (these will take forever to break down ). Anything non organic like, metal, plastic, or containing chemicals.
This should be a STICKIE!
My
cut n paste Please feed your worms these items :
Leaves are great for bedding and also as a food. Vegetable scraps of all kinds ( if you can chop them up it will help them be processed quicker ) Fruit scraps and peels (mold/rot is fine) But do take note that banana peels can take a while to disappear , don't be surprised if it stays for a while . Bread and grains are great for them. Teabags, manure esp. rabbit and horse ( be sure its not to fresh it can get to hot for the worms ). Non-greasy leftovers. Coffee grounds and filters. here is a recommendation ---star-bucks gives there used coffee grounds away for free for the asking . The worms just love used coffee grounds . Crushed egg shells to help the little guys digest their food ( they have no teeth so they need the shells for the grit it provides ). Dog food the dry kind ( be sure to wet it first ). Cardboard not paperboard (the worms love the glues that bond the cardboard together ).
Please do not feed your squirmers these items or at the very least feed these items sparingly :
Don't overfeed citrus( orange lemon etc ) —should be no more than 1/5 of worm food ( the acid is hard on the worms and the bin ). Meats, fish , small amounts are o.k. though do keep in mind it can stink. Greasy foods. Dairy products ( again harder for them to digest quickly so you may get a very unpleasant smell ). Twigs and branches (these will take forever to break down ). Anything non organic like, metal, plastic, or containing chemicals.
anyone think i could add bird poo to my bins? i have several birds . disease free seed eating mofos.
i tried euros in my last bin . they got over run by the wigglers
GivaDogaBone
Member
Bird poo into worm poo?
Bird poo into worm poo?
So, yes is the answer.
Bird poo into worm poo?
My first reaction was, yea why not? It's all organic. Slowly I turned and "blink", the light came on. Bird poo is already fertilizer, but can benifit from the extra break down into simpler forms.
So, yes is the answer.
Hi wormers, I have had a couple bags full of organic matter which i turned into a worm bin at the start of last year. The worms where all collected from compost piles of clients gardens i maintain. I would say i have a few kilo's of worms now cant be certain for sure. i feed them anything organic based i find and so far everything seams to been eaten by them or broken down by the microbial community.
I have had a very mild winter till now on the coldest day -5 i checked a few days later to find the worm in one large ball. But now i face a whole week of -5 to possible -10+ and winter is far from not over yet. So i have decided to build a flow threw system out of a large bin. and i hope to move my worms tomorrow.
Should be a large harvest of WC + lots of worms (hopefully not already frozen to death!!!!)
I have had a very mild winter till now on the coldest day -5 i checked a few days later to find the worm in one large ball. But now i face a whole week of -5 to possible -10+ and winter is far from not over yet. So i have decided to build a flow threw system out of a large bin. and i hope to move my worms tomorrow.
Should be a large harvest of WC + lots of worms (hopefully not already frozen to death!!!!)
G
greenmatter
there is no way a bin would make it through the winter in an unheated shed in colorado. worms don't need much help, but they need to be kept warm (unfrozen)
