I clearly buggered my whole project. Thanks for the insight…I should have done much, much more research.
Thanks all for the help this far…round 2 should be…better?! Poor worms…now too kill the ants…DE!!!
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Reds do have a wide range of temperatures They can live in ,I’d say anything in a 90*+ range they may start getting pissed off In the winter I’v had them covered in 0* garage with them on styrofoam (thick) and covered in heavy blanket And they have done alright.
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Have had a chance to read “ worms eat my garbage” ? Good read plus some helpful tips in there IIRCC
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… 
@Tappy all of the things you did seem fine to me, temps, etc. And starvation wouldn’t likely do it…they’ll survive off the peat if needed. I wonder if you got bunk worms from someone?
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Perhaps…there were only, like, 10 in the little cup I was gifted. Lady said they would multiply like crazy…unfortunately mine did a disappearing trick.
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Man 10 isn’t much especially if they weren’t mature Enough to produce Babies but yes definitely more material is needed
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They were really small…didn’t even think about this, but all the nightcrawlers were gone too! If they died in the bin there would definitely be signs if bodies or something. I’ve got to pull out everything out of that bottom grow space and move my garbage and see if I can find them somewhere. This is bizarre.
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Oh it would maybe stink but sounds like they flew the coupe more than likely , start over and if I’d have a tip for ya it would be “ think like a worm and what makes me happy “
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Just decomposition alone and they would disappear in a few days … mostly water and. Bit of meat on those little guys
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Hey All. I recently started a new vermicompost experiment. I wanted to play with flow through composting and had a simple idea I wanted to try.
The bin is composed of:
1x 106 L Plastic Tote with lid ventilated with holes
2x 50L Fabric Pots
2x Thick plastic cutting boards with 1/4" holes drilled through them
2x Thin plastic cutting boards
2x Spacers to keep the cutting boards in place - more smaller cutting boards
1022 Perforated Tray
1x Spigot
1xPaper Bag
1/2 lbs Local Red Wrigglers
I started out with shredded paper and cardstock from my paper shredder for bedding, left over supersoil for grit/base nutrients, left over coir from our microgreens with root mass with some guard leaves and microgreens past their prime as food. I layered the soil/coir combo over the paper bedding inside one half of the 1 fabric pot. I placed the holey and solid cutting boards to limit the dispersion of food/worms, and a spacer behind that to keep the divider upright. I used the moistened and folded paper bag as a lid. I placed the fabric bags over the perforated tray so that A) the worms don’t drown in there and B) I can harvest worm juice easily via spigot I installed into the one end of the tote.
First day! I pulled the sticker from a ORG Avo out of there after the snap
As this portion of the bin fills, I simply repeat the same process of bedding, soil and food to the unused portion and remove the thin solid divider and leaving the holey divider in place. After a week of feeding the other side, I will carefully harvest the castings from the original side and slide the solid divider back in.
After a few days, I threw in an Orgy inducing Avocado, it’s been a few weeks now and seems as though all is well. I will take some more pics as things develop.
Lots of interesting setups and info here so thought I’d take a seat! Cheers
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I’ve been running the new model since Christmas. I’ll have to take some photos. It has been hard for me to keep the moisture up. I think I like the 50 gallon static smart pot better.
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Nice you like so far as harvesting? What do you do ? Just a gallon out of a watering can?
My out door 25gallon smart I just turn the garden hose on them shower setting in make 4-5 rounds on the perimeter
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A hell of lot cheaper! That’s for sure ! I think anyone getting into vermacomposting should not even consider Plastic and just do with smart pots.IMO
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Man that sounds like some serious shit harvesting my 25 are plenty big but I run a two of them , when it’s time I’ll bet that weighs a good 150lbs or more!
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I love my worm inn… it’s simple to use,and I like the flow through design. Plastic can work, but needs lots of aeration.
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When I was a kid I raised worms for fishing. I never realized until recently just how good the castings were for soil. It’s definitely something I gotta get back into ASAP. All these photos of worm crap are inspiring
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Here worms! Dinner is served. Tonight’s menu hamster bedding, potato peels, moldy coffee grounds, moldy strawberries, moldy cherries, and some soggy salad.
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Nice, that looks like my bin. I’ve had that thing for years.
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There is nothing quite like fresh worm castings. I’m happy to see so many people embracing permaculture and healthy organic gardening.
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Honestly that is why I am not running a static bin currently. I did two 50 gallon pots two winters ago and I have one whole tote left in the basment. It made a lot of worm castings. I thought I would need more castings for making my 25 gallon pots in my tent. I only use a few handfuls of castings when I “reload” after a grow.
Another little idea I have for castings. If I topdress something like kelp, I like to cover it with a nice layer of castings. It seems to help break down the material for the microbes and thus the plant can get to it faster.
Usually I let the beds go so far…there aren’t many worms left. But, when I harvest a bed, I cut the bottom of a 5 gallon bucket out and then zip tied a piece of 1/4 inch hardware cloth to the bottom of the bucket. I scoop the castings into the bucket and shake over a large Rubbermaid tote. It’s a workout.
Edit: Holy Moly I’m High!
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