Hello everyone, new here. I’ve got a question google has not really given an answer to. Feel free to scold me if the info is everywhere in front of me. Has anyone ever grown directly in an active vermicomposting bin, filled with worms and all? Does it work well or would the worms destroy the roots? Wondering if I could bring my bins indoors for the winter and keep them in my grow tent as my substrate. First time grower thats broke af until the sick goes away and I can start working again.
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I would think if your bins have balanced out it may be ok. I think I remember some much more experienced growers than me talking about active compost burning plants. I would wait for more experienced growers to chime in though.
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Hmm. I think that it would be too compact. The roots need good air and drainage as well.
More importantly though. I would suggest against bringing your outdoor bin inside as that invites a whole host of pest problems into your indoor environment.
Do you have a garage or covered patio? If it’s warm enough in there, I would overwinter them in the garage.
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Well I raise a few totes with red wrigglers in them, that is the only worm, I work with, so I do not all their habits.
Worms usually will not eat roots, unless their food source is lacking.
I feed my worms, all of our vegetable scraps, even some vegetables from the garden that do not fully ripen, at the end of the gardening year.
So, I see a lot of seeds sprouting, at when I open my totes for an inspection, or adding food for them.
Like potato peels, will throw a long root, or runner out on occasion.
I have top dressed my potted plants, with castings, fresh from the totes.
My totes do have bug life going on while they grow and reproduce, as the garden veggies, host them.
So I do a find a few slugs, and some insects, crawling about in there.
Plant some fast growing seed, like clover, rye, to see how that works, it will be great as green manure if they do grow, and I’m PRETTY sure they will.
I’d use it in steps, first myself.
I do hope, you get your health back, and garden is rocking hard for you!!
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Thanks! Ive actually got canadian crawlers, probably around 2k to 3k of them. Started raising them for my son to sell as a “lemonade stand” type thing because we live near lake erie. The cover crop is a good idea thank you, maybe ill just try it in one bin and see what happens
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I’ve not been up to Lake Erie fishing in a decade or so.
Hell maybe more.
Love fishing that lake.
Good luck in your project!
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As a full container, probably not ideal due to compaction…as noted 
… pH may be out of wack depending on inputs.
If you’re desperate to try it, mix it 1:1 with perlite or even 2 perlite to 1 ewc.
Steal some sand if you cant afford perlite.
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