Worm Bed Potato Gardens – Update

The potato plants are thriving in this vermicomposting bed

One month ago I wrote about some experimental grow boxes I had set up to see how well potatoes and bush beans would thrive in an active worm composting system (see ‘Worm Bed Potato Gardens‘). I was initially a little pessimistic about my chances of success, since unlike the vermicomposting trenches – which are essentially separated from the actual main plant growth zone – the potatoes would actually be growing right in the composting mass. My worry was that the volume of material in the bin would not only continue to decrease, but would also be unstable in general – due to all the activity of the worms down below.

In all honesty, the bush beans have not really thrived at all. My suspicion is that this has something to with the fact that, as legumes, these plants rely on a symbiotic relationship with Rhyzobium sp – the specialized group of bacteria that help them fix nitrogen. Given the fact that there is no soil in these boxes, and that it is a microbially-competitive environment (likely favoring those species adapted for life in a compost heap), it’s not really all that much of a surprise. Interestingly enough, aside from showing fairly poor growth, the bean plants have been quite yellow in color – often an indication that a plant is deficient in nitrogen. I did attempt to inoculate the plants with some soil (and plants) from patch of Black Medic (Medicago lupulina) – another legume – growing in my lawn, and it actually seemed to work (it worked very well in some other bean grow boxes I will write about in another post). I think it was simply a matter of being too little too late however.

As for the potatoes…

One look at the picture above should tell you just how well they are doing! I am starting to think this method may actually be a REALLY great way to grow potatoes! Of course, the real test will be to see how the potatoes look once it is harvesting time, but I’m certainly feeling optimistic! One or two people mentioned (in comments after the last potato post) the fact that it actually helps to continue mounding up material around the stem of the potato plant as it is growing, since this can lead to the formation of more tubers. As such, all the sinking and layering of materials taking place in these boxes may actually be exactly what these plants need to produce more spuds.

Essentially, what I’ve been doing is adding aged horse manure then covering it with straw. Once the level sinks noticeably, I add more manure (on top of the straw), along with a new layer of straw over top.

Aside from seeing how the potatoes would grow, I also obviously wanted to see how well the system would function as a worm bin. Initially, I was a little worried that the worm habitat would overheat by sitting out in the sun all day long. I’m sure our relatively cool summer has helped, but in all honesty I think my fears were unfounded. The worms seem to be doing extremely well, especially now that they have a nice canopy of foliage to shade the bin.

All in all, I am super excited about the results of this experiment since it has far exceeded my expectations…so far!
Stay tuned. More updates on the way (I will write more about my other vermi-gardens as well)

Written by Bentley on July 30th, 2009 with 8 comments.
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Dryer Lint Worm Bin – Update #3

It has been a very long time (almost two months) since my last dryer lint worm bin update, so I figured I should check on the bin the other day to see how things are shaping up. It’s funny – a lot of people seem to stress out about making sure they don’t starve their worms, but the fact of the matter is that it is a LOT harder than you might think. I have tested this (without really thinking about it too much – haha) on many occasions – this lint bin being a prime example. Apart from the food that was added when the bin was set up initially (at the beginning of April), and the odd batch of coffee grounds since then (I think I’ve added about three coffee filters with grounds), this bin has received nothing in the way of inputs – yet the worm population seems to be thriving.

When I last wrote an update, it looked as though most of the lint was still intact. Well, it definitely looks like a lot more of it has decomposed now! There didn’t seem to be much in the upper few inches of the bin that looked like lint. Further down in the bin was a different story however – near the bottom on the bin I found layers of wet, compacted lint that looked as though it hadn’t undergone much decomposition at all.

Much of the original lint seems to have been converted to rich vermicompost

This is not surprising at all – I have seen this many times in plastic tub worm bins, and it is almost certainly due to the lack of oxygenation in the lower reaches of the bin (I don’t have holes down there).

All in all, I must say that I’m pretty impressed with lint as a worm bin bedding material. I think it would be especially valuable in a bin that also contains other bedding such as shredded cardboard, since it provides a bit more of a wet ‘habitat’ zone, while the cardboard etc would be valuable for soaking up moisture and more quickly balancing the C:N ratio in the bin. I think the next step will be to test this on a larger scale – perhaps I will try adding a bunch of lint to my big outdoor bin, or my trenches.

Anyway – I will certainly keep every one posted!

Previous Dryer Lint Vermicomposting Posts (oldest to newest)
Composting Dryer Lint
Composting Dryer Lint – Update #1
Dryer Lint Worm Bin
Dryer Lint Worm Bin – Update
Dryer Lint Worm Bin – Update #2

Written by Bentley on July 30th, 2009 with 1 comment.
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50 Cocoon Challenge – Update #4

50 Cocoon Challenge – the Next Generation!

Just thought I’d provide a quick (but important) update for everyone today. I had a look in the original 50 Cocoon Challenge bin yesterday to see how things were coming along, and not only did I notice that almost all the worms in the bin are now mature, but I actually found some new cocoons!

I tracked down at least a few just to make sure that I wasn’t finding old cocoons that didn’t hatch. Aside from the fact that there were multiple cocoons (that hadn’t been noticed the last time I looked in the bin), I am quite confident these are new ones simply based on the appearance. Recently laid cocoons definitely look different than those that have been sitting for awhile. Generally they are firmer and lighter in color, and the ‘neck’ zones (where clitellar mucus ring becomes constricted and closes) tend to be more pronounced.

Just as an aside – I also quickly checked the manure bin yesterday and was not able to find any newly hatched worms. I’ll be sure to let everyone know when that happens.

I should also mention that I’m thinking about starting up yet another 50 cocoon challenge – this time using only moistened cardboard. This was a suggestion from one of our readers, and I think it will be a fun one to test out as well! These cocoon challenges are getting addictive!

Previous 50 Cocoon Challenge Posts
The 50 Cocoon Challenge
50 Cocoon Challenge – Update #1
50 Cocoon Challenge – Update #2
50 Cocoon Challenge – Update #3
50 Cocoon Challenge – Horse Manure

Written by Bentley on July 22nd, 2009 with 4 comments.
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Are Pineapple and Papaya Harmful to Worms?

I received an intriguing email recently from Janet Walker, who is a member of the Earthworm Interest Group of Southern Africa (a group I am now actually an ‘international member’ of), and a vermicomposting professional in South Africa. I asked if I could share what she wrote, and she happily obliged.

One of my worm clients recently came to see me at our Organic Market to tell me that she had gone on holiday having fed her worms well to make sure they did not starve. She was away for ten days, and on her return she did not find any worms in her system. On asking what she had fed to her worms, we have now discovered that leaving a WHOLE pineapple, cut in half, is a worm digester. I did not know that pineapple contains one of nature’s best digestive enzymes, as does papaya and the poor worms got completely digested.

This is really interesting, and not something I was familiar with. I know that pineapple is extremely acidic and have always basically considered it in the same category as citrus as far as adding it to worm bins goes (ie only in moderation). I have never heard of it completely wiping out a population of worms however, nor was I aware of the fact that it contains digestive enzymes. I have heard that Papaya can be good to eat with meats for this reason, but again haven’t really thought too much about the potential dangers of adding it to your worm bin – it definitely does make sense though!

Anyway, I will be curious to see if anyone else has experience with these two potentially-dangerous worm foods.

Thanks again to Janet for sharing this info with us!

Written by Bentley on July 22nd, 2009 with 16 comments.
Read more articles on General Questions.

Composting Worms In Turkey?

Looks like the ‘Share Board’ is starting to come back to life again. I received an email from Jennifer who is trying to track down someone to send her Red Worms in Turkey. Here is her original msg:

I am a Canadian living in Turkey for the next few years and there is
no recycling here… which bothers me. So I have decided to do some
vermicomposting. The problem is that I am having trouble finding
suppliers in Europe and like you write on your site some suppliers can
be fairly shady. So I was wondering if you could maybe point me in
the right direction?

Thanks a lot for any help,

Jennifer

As I told Jennifer, unfortunately I am not all that familiar with the European worm composting scene, so I really have no idea myself. Hopefully one of our readers will be able to lend a hand though. If you have some thoughts on the matter, please send me an email with a related subject title, or simply leave a comment at the bottom of this post.
Thanks!

Written by Bentley on July 21st, 2009 with 1 comment.
Read more articles on The Share Board.

Texan Vermi Squash Garden

One of our readers, Megan, wrote in a little while ago and shared her experiences with growing squash this year – with the assistance of some of her wiggly friends, that is! I was really impressed with her info and the photos she provided, and asked if she’d be ok with me sharing her email as a guest post here on the blog. You can probably guess what her response was!

I thought I’d share with you my first results with using vermicompost in a garden. I’ve never grown summer squash before so I don’t know how these photos compare to non-composted squash, but let’s say I didn’t plan on the plants growing quite so large. The tiny row contains a couple of Zucchini plants (Straiata d’Italia and Golden Zucchini) and some Crookneck squash (Early Golden Summer). I’ve had to cut a bunch of stems and leaves off to keep the plants from smothering the neighboring vegetables. We might move in a month or two, so I don’t know if I’ll be able to harvest anything, but I’m impressed with the results nonetheless. In the future I’ll remember to give squash *much* more room! (I probably should grow fewer plants, too.)

Squash a few weeks old

Squash two and a half weeks later (vermicompost has been buried near plants)

Squash three and a half weeks later, now huge and taking over other plants. Whoops.

Squash leaf size (around eleven inches stem to tip)

Baby squash. I don’t know how long it takes to reach maturity.

Squash plants, now overgrown

I planted more squash than recommended because I assumed I’d lose some plants, so I should have thinned them by now. They’re so intertwined now that it would be difficult to remove a plant without damaging others.

I have the worm bin (plastic) outdoors in full shade, so the worms do fine in our Texas heat (it’s around 90 to 95 each day). The resulting vermicompost is fine-textured and crumbly; there isn’t any sludge at the bottom of the bin, but there’s enough moisture in the bedding that I don’t worry about the worms getting too hot. I check them often right now to make sure the bin hasn’t dried out, but other than that they’re pretty carefree.

Megan sent me an update recently, informing me that she was indeed moving – to an even HOTTER part of Texas apparently! Nevertheless, she is looking forward to getting her garden set up again next year and experimenting some more with the use of vermicompost for growing plants. Hopefully she will write in and share those results with us as well. Thanks again, Megan!

If you would like to write a guest post on the Red Worm Composting blog about something vermi-related, be sure to send me an email with “guest blog post” in the subject line.

Written by Bentley on July 20th, 2009 with 4 comments.
Read more articles on Gardening and The Share Board.

Using Worm Bin Leachate

An interesting question from Jake:

I am confussed. I see people s[ell] worm tea and stuff and
that is the reason i bought a [w]orm factory thing. But the other day i
drained a little bit of the worm tea mixed it with a little bit of
water and sprayed it on my plants. My pomagrante tree it seemed over
night got these yellow color to some of the leafs?

Is there a wrong way to use the worm tea? i even saw one website that
said it was toxic and not to use the worm tea liquid on plants. What
is the deal?

Hi Jake,
This is an excellent question – thanks for writing in.
I’ve written about this topic numerous times, but it’s definitely one that deserves to be revisited from time to time.

Unfortunately there seems to be misleading information provided by some worm bin manufacturers (and website owners). The terms ‘worm tea’, ‘worm compost tea’, ‘castings tea’, or ‘vermicompost tea’ should actually refer to the liquid fertilizer created by steeping (soaking) quality castings/compost in water (often aerated) for a period of time. The problem is that many people refer to the liquid that drains out from a worm bin as ‘worm tea’, when the proper term for this is actually ‘leachate’.

Obviously, we’re only talking about words here so it probably seems like I’m splitting hairs, but keeping the distinction between these terms is actually quite important. While leachate can certainly have value as a liquid fertilizer (especially when drained from a mature worm bin), it should be treated with a lot more caution than good quality worm tea. As water passes down through a worm bin it can pick up all sorts of unstable metabolites (various products/intermediates of the decomposition process) – if for example, you can some fairly anaerobic zones in your worm bin, you can end up with various phytotoxic (plant harming) compounds in your leachate.

Finished composts are much better to use for worm tea creation because they are much more uniform in composition, and the vast majority (if not all) the potentially harmful compounds have been converted into something more stabilized. The microbial community present in these materials tends to be more beneficial as well.

Again, I’m not trying to say that leachate is “poison” and should never be used – I just recommend taking some extra steps, or at least using it with caution. I would probably dilute it and aerate with an aquarium air stone before using it myself. You can probably get away with using it outdoors and with hardy plants, but I certainly wouldn’t recommend putting it straight on houseplants or using with plants that tend to be a little temperamental.

Anyway – I hope this helps to clarify things for you a little, Jake.

Written by Bentley on July 18th, 2009 with 3 comments.
Read more articles on Reader Questions.

50 Cocoon Challenge – Horse Manure

Another batch of Red Worm cocoons, ready to be put to the challenge!

In my last 50 Cocoon Challenge update I mentioned plans for my next 50 cocoon experiment, involving horse manure rather than the typical home worm bin set up (i.e. food scraps plus bedding). Typically, when I announce these ideas/plans they end up falling by the wayside, or at least delayed for weeks/months.

Well not this time!!

I guess the results of my first trial were exciting enough to make me want to keep testing! Aside from that, the experimental set-up for our second round was so dead simple that I really had no excuse not to get it up and running right away.

For those of you just joining us (or who need a refresher), the idea here is simply to see how long it takes for Red Worms (Eisenia fetida) to mature in various food/bedding set-ups. I know I wasn’t the only one who was surprised by the fact that I was able to find some mature worms in my ‘regular’ bin within 6 weeks from the time the cocoons were added – so it’s going to be a lot of fun watching the process all over again in the new manure bin.

My prediction is that the worms will mature even more quickly in this material, since it is basically their ‘ultimate’ food/habitat – but we shall see!

Stay tuned!

Previous 50 Cocoon Challenge Posts
The 50 Cocoon Challenge
50 Cocoon Challenge – Update #1
50 Cocoon Challenge – Update #2
50 Cocoon Challenge – Update #3

Written by Bentley on July 14th, 2009 with 18 comments.
Read more articles on Fun Stuff.

50 Cocoon Challenge – Update #3

Mature Red Worm – one of a handful now present in the ‘50 Cocoon Challenge’ Bin

I’m starting to think I must have some sort of internal ‘50 cocoon challenge update’ clock inside my brain. For whatever reason, I had the urge to check up on the bin today and write about it here. Checking back on the date of my last post it looks as though exactly two weeks have elapsed yet again.

Well, as you can see I have some good news…but I also have some bad news as well. The good news of course, is that we now have mature worms in the bin. The bad news (also “of course”, given my track record – haha) is that I’m not really sure when the first worm matured.

That being said, I DO know that it was almost certainly somewhere between 5 and 6 weeks from the day I first put the cocoons in the system, since I couldn’t find any mature worms when I quickly looked through the bin last week.

I am really impressed with these results to be totally honest – even if worms had hatched the day after I put cocoons in the bin – which obviously didn’t happen, since I was not able to find any worms until June 25th – that would still be a relatively short period of time. Add to that the fact that the temps in the bin (~ 20C / ~68F) have been below those reported as ‘ideal’ for worm growth (25C / 77F), and this leaves me with the conclusion that Red Worms reach maturity faster than I previously thought.

As mentioned previously, I am planning to do this experiment again using aged manure as food/bedding. I suspect that maturation times may even shorter in that material.

I will of course continue to let this bin develop in the meantime. I’m interested to see how quickly another set of cocoons appears in the system, and how quickly the worm population grows in general.

It seemed like there were a lot more worms in the bin than the last time I looked, but this is obviously due to the fact that they have grown in size. I would still say that most of the worms are immature, but as mentioned in the caption above, there are at least a ‘handful’ (maybe 5-10) of worms showing clitella.

Stay tuned! More updates to come.

Previous 50 Cocoon Challenge Posts
The 50 Cocoon Challenge
50 Cocoon Challenge – Update #1
50 Cocoon Challenge – Update #2

Written by Bentley on July 9th, 2009 with 10 comments.
Read more articles on Fun Stuff.

The Coffee Grounds Conundrum

These Red Worms seem to be loving the wet coffee grounds in their bed

Back in April, I wrote about the giant box of coffee grounds I received from a worm farming friend, and how I subsequently used some of the grounds for my ‘Coffee Grounds Worm Garden‘. As some of you may recall, I was really excited about the material, and quite impressed with the results of some initial testing (namely, feeding it to worms in my large ‘winter worm composting bed’).

Fast forward a month or so, and I was not nearly so impressed with coffee grounds as a vermicomposting ‘food’. My dad and I ended up with serious over-heating issues in the winter bed, and it seemed next to impossible to keep the material nice and moist. In my coffee grounds worm bed, the worms continued to avoid the material for what seemed like weeks. I ended up dumping aged horse manure over top and basically forgot about the whole thing. All my remaining grounds have simply been sitting in (partially open) tub in my backyard ever since.

Fast forward to the present, and I really just don’t know what to think about this material!

I was inspired to write this post after digging around in my coffee grounds garden yesterday and coming upon a zone that was absolutely writhing with Red Worms!

And the material they were in? Drum roll please…

COFFEE GROUNDS!

I should explain that we’ve had a LOT of rain in the last few days, and the grounds were nicely saturated with water. When it comes down to it, that – along with at least some aging – seems to be the key to making this material appealing for worms.

Something I’ve observed many times with concentrations of wet coffee grounds simply left to sit outdoors, is that they dry out quite quickly and start to look like they’ve undergone some sort of combustion (see next image). My dad is in fact convinced that this is what is happening (either via hot composting processes, or spontaneous combustion). I disagree, and actually think the material is being rapidly colonized by some sort of mold, which gives it the lighter colored, powdery appearance.

One thing is for sure – I’m definitely looking forward to finally putting the rest of those grounds to the test. Now that they’ve been sitting outside (and in the rain numerous times) for so long, I suspect they will be a lot more appealing to the worms…as long as I can keep them wet!

Something else I should mention – all grounds added to my indoor, enclosed plastic bins seem to stay nice and moist, and the worms have no reservations about moving into the material. Hmmm…

Anyway, I’ll be sure to keep everyone posted on my continuing trials and tribulations with coffee grounds!

Stay tuned.

Written by Bentley on July 3rd, 2009 with 17 comments.
Read more articles on Home Vermicomposting.