Comments on: The Vermicomposting Trench http://www.redwormcomposting.com/large-scale-vermicomposting/the-vermicomposting-trench/ Red Wiggler Worms, European Nightcrawlers and loads of helpful Worm Composting Information Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:26:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: yoder http://www.redwormcomposting.com/large-scale-vermicomposting/the-vermicomposting-trench/comment-page-2/#comment-24747 yoder Tue, 16 Mar 2010 07:54:39 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/?p=205#comment-24747 hey... what's a "guest blog post". i might be interested. i'm learning a whole lot about soil happenings in school right now, and the funny thing is that worm castings still seem to trump everything in terms of reliability, efficiency and effectiveness. i try not to get too excited; i've still got a lot to learn. gotta keep the nose in the books, try not to think about the delightful smells emanating from the garden's various nooks. haha -- one of my compost piles cooked, cooled off, got rained on (some), and now is a gigantic worm nursery. i need some bait to lure the poor worms away from the stack before i distribute its contents amongst the trees and veg-beds. busy busy. photos soon, i hope. YES -- get that video out there man! these trenches are the solution!! oh yea, and the day that i wrote all that stuff responding to matt and jason, just afterwards i found your link to the youtube vid on the basics of vermicomposting. i thought, "wow, i just totally wasted everyone's time typing all that up." it's all there, more thorough, simpler and more organized than I could have ever put it. congratulations on that. it inspires me. woowooo!!! hey… what’s a “guest blog post”. i might be interested.
i’m learning a whole lot about soil happenings in school right now, and the funny thing is that worm castings still seem to trump everything in terms of reliability, efficiency and effectiveness. i try not to get too excited; i’ve still got a lot to learn. gotta keep the nose in the books, try not to think about the delightful smells emanating from the garden’s various nooks. haha — one of my compost piles cooked, cooled off, got rained on (some), and now is a gigantic worm nursery. i need some bait to lure the poor worms away from the stack before i distribute its contents amongst the trees and veg-beds.
busy busy. photos soon, i hope.
YES — get that video out there man! these trenches are the solution!!

oh yea, and the day that i wrote all that stuff responding to matt and jason, just afterwards i found your link to the youtube vid on the basics of vermicomposting. i thought, “wow, i just totally wasted everyone’s time typing all that up.” it’s all there, more thorough, simpler and more organized than I could have ever put it. congratulations on that. it inspires me.
woowooo!!!

]]> By: Bentley http://www.redwormcomposting.com/large-scale-vermicomposting/the-vermicomposting-trench/comment-page-2/#comment-24670 Bentley Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:40:34 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/?p=205#comment-24670 Matt - sorry for the delayed response! Glad to see that Yoder responded, and provided a great answer. Bottom-line, there is definitely no worry about the worms harming your plants. The only time I could imagine that happened is if the worms are being grown in the exact same system as the plants (and it certainly wouldn't always be the case - primarily only if there are small, delicate seedlings - the movement of the worms my disrupt their growth somewhat). Given the separation in the case of the trench, this would never be a concern. ----------------------- Yoder - Great to hear that you are doing well with your trenches! I will certainly be writing a lot more about mine again this year once i get a bit more active in the garden. Will actually be putting together a video about my trench systems soon as well. I'd love to see your photos, and if you ever wanted to share what you are doing in the form of a guest blog post, please let me know. I think a lot of people would be interested! 8) Matt – sorry for the delayed response! Glad to see that Yoder responded, and provided a great answer. Bottom-line, there is definitely no worry about the worms harming your plants. The only time I could imagine that happened is if the worms are being grown in the exact same system as the plants (and it certainly wouldn’t always be the case – primarily only if there are small, delicate seedlings – the movement of the worms my disrupt their growth somewhat). Given the separation in the case of the trench, this would never be a concern.
———————–
Yoder – Great to hear that you are doing well with your trenches! I will certainly be writing a lot more about mine again this year once i get a bit more active in the garden. Will actually be putting together a video about my trench systems soon as well.
I’d love to see your photos, and if you ever wanted to share what you are doing in the form of a guest blog post, please let me know. I think a lot of people would be interested!
8)

]]> By: yoder http://www.redwormcomposting.com/large-scale-vermicomposting/the-vermicomposting-trench/comment-page-2/#comment-24547 yoder Sun, 28 Feb 2010 00:03:32 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/?p=205#comment-24547 jason: i don't think worms will survive in fresh horse manure. i believe the worms eat stuff that bacteria (or fungi>??) have already inhabited and partially broken down. "rotten" would be a good word to describe worm food... though it does not have to stink or smell like anything at all. The worms also need a bedding, which is also a lot better if it's rotten. bentley's right -- you are best off making a bedding for them using materials that have been sitting around for a long time, getting moisture and darkness. think of a bale of straw left outside over the winter. you need a Carbon-heavy medium (straw, paper, leaves or, yes, manure) for the worms' bed. manure generally comes with bedding (C). Piled up, it'll settle down into a perfect bedding. in that bedding, you will be able to place food. the food will sit in that dark, moist environment and begin to rot. soon, it will be good worm food. the worms will flock to it and turn it into worm castings (plant food) and more worms. I've tried putting worms on a fresh horse manure pile. Actually, I think the pile may have even been a couple months old. Anyway, I found dead worms where I had left the live ones... Now, however, due to our mild & wet winters here, the redworms have somehow been able to spread all over the property. They pop up anywhere that's a suitable environment to them -- under boards, under a pile of weeds, in my (older) compost piles... I don't know how they do it; they must be very happy. Matt: worms eat rotten stuff. it has to already be dead. they will never kill any plants, only help them. bentley: hey, i built my first couple worm trenches this winter... they are successful, and i give you all the credit, because i got the awesome idea completely from you. anyway, the trenches are along beds that are also hugelkultur creations -- buried wood under the bed to store/provide moisture and oxygen. I constructed the 2 beds as part of a class presentation, so i've got photos of each stage of them. i'll send you the pics if you're interested for any reason. keep trenching! your technique is very valuable to me. it should be more well-known! jason: i don’t think worms will survive in fresh horse manure. i believe the worms eat stuff that bacteria (or fungi>??) have already inhabited and partially broken down. “rotten” would be a good word to describe worm food… though it does not have to stink or smell like anything at all.
The worms also need a bedding, which is also a lot better if it’s rotten. bentley’s right — you are best off making a bedding for them using materials that have been sitting around for a long time, getting moisture and darkness. think of a bale of straw left outside over the winter. you need a Carbon-heavy medium (straw, paper, leaves or, yes, manure) for the worms’ bed. manure generally comes with bedding (C). Piled up, it’ll settle down into a perfect bedding.
in that bedding, you will be able to place food. the food will sit in that dark, moist environment and begin to rot. soon, it will be good worm food. the worms will flock to it and turn it into worm castings (plant food) and more worms.
I’ve tried putting worms on a fresh horse manure pile. Actually, I think the pile may have even been a couple months old. Anyway, I found dead worms where I had left the live ones… Now, however, due to our mild & wet winters here, the redworms have somehow been able to spread all over the property. They pop up anywhere that’s a suitable environment to them — under boards, under a pile of weeds, in my (older) compost piles… I don’t know how they do it; they must be very happy.
Matt: worms eat rotten stuff. it has to already be dead. they will never kill any plants, only help them.
bentley: hey, i built my first couple worm trenches this winter… they are successful, and i give you all the credit, because i got the awesome idea completely from you. anyway, the trenches are along beds that are also hugelkultur creations — buried wood under the bed to store/provide moisture and oxygen. I constructed the 2 beds as part of a class presentation, so i’ve got photos of each stage of them. i’ll send you the pics if you’re interested for any reason.
keep trenching! your technique is very valuable to me. it should be more well-known!

]]> By: Matt http://www.redwormcomposting.com/large-scale-vermicomposting/the-vermicomposting-trench/comment-page-1/#comment-24260 Matt Fri, 29 Jan 2010 16:52:06 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/?p=205#comment-24260 Bentley, Sorry for the blank post above. Do you worry that the worms could migrate over to the plants and try and eat them. Do the worms only eat dead matter or? Bentley,

Sorry for the blank post above. Do you worry that the worms could migrate over to the plants and try and eat them. Do the worms only eat dead matter or?

]]> By: Bentley http://www.redwormcomposting.com/large-scale-vermicomposting/the-vermicomposting-trench/comment-page-1/#comment-23158 Bentley Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:40:06 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/?p=205#comment-23158 Hi Jason, Depends on just how fresh the stuff is. My favorite manure is the material that has been sitting outside for awhile. Not necessarily 'composted' - although I supposed it goes through partial composting when heaped up enough. I have had no real stink from the horse manure I've added (my food waste from the restaurant could get pretty ripe at times since there was so much of it to deal with!) Hi Jason,
Depends on just how fresh the stuff is. My favorite manure is the material that has been sitting outside for awhile. Not necessarily ‘composted’ – although I supposed it goes through partial composting when heaped up enough. I have had no real stink from the horse manure I’ve added (my food waste from the restaurant could get pretty ripe at times since there was so much of it to deal with!)

]]> By: Jason http://www.redwormcomposting.com/large-scale-vermicomposting/the-vermicomposting-trench/comment-page-1/#comment-23111 Jason Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:01:31 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/?p=205#comment-23111 I have access to as much free (uncomposted) horse manure as I want and am thinking about putting some in a vermicomposting trench. How bad does horse manure stink in these trenches? I live in the city and don't want to offend my neighbors... I have access to as much free (uncomposted) horse manure as I want and am thinking about putting some in a vermicomposting trench. How bad does horse manure stink in these trenches? I live in the city and don’t want to offend my neighbors…

]]> By: yoder http://www.redwormcomposting.com/large-scale-vermicomposting/the-vermicomposting-trench/comment-page-1/#comment-22429 yoder Thu, 17 Sep 2009 20:08:28 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/?p=205#comment-22429 darcie, have you heard of those sound-emitting "gopher chasers"? they're basically metal stakes filled with D batteries and equipped with sound-makers... they beep periodically, like every 25 seconds. it's audible above ground to about 15 feet away, if i remember correctly. anyway, i've seen them work, and i've also seen them not work. worth a try, i'd say, if you've got underground rodents. i'd research a bit and see what the word is as to which brands are best, because there are many. i think i've read they're supposed to work at a range of 1/4 or maybe even 1/2 acre, but i don't believe they're that effective. good for a few trenches, though, i imagine. link: http://www.nextag.com/gopher-chaser/stores-html i see they have solar ones too... good luck. darcie, have you heard of those sound-emitting “gopher chasers”? they’re basically metal stakes filled with D batteries and equipped with sound-makers… they beep periodically, like every 25 seconds.
it’s audible above ground to about 15 feet away, if i remember correctly. anyway, i’ve seen them work, and i’ve also seen them not work. worth a try, i’d say, if you’ve got underground rodents. i’d research a bit and see what the word is as to which brands are best, because there are many.
i think i’ve read they’re supposed to work at a range of 1/4 or maybe even 1/2 acre, but i don’t believe they’re that effective. good for a few trenches, though, i imagine.
link:
http://www.nextag.com/gopher-chaser/stores-html
i see they have solar ones too… good luck.

]]> By: Joel http://www.redwormcomposting.com/large-scale-vermicomposting/the-vermicomposting-trench/comment-page-1/#comment-22408 Joel Tue, 15 Sep 2009 21:03:09 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/?p=205#comment-22408 Hi darcie, Sorry, I mean 2x8 lumber(1-1/2x 7-1/2 finished). U can nail it on the corner or use wood screws & a drill. Hardcore organic gardeners do not use treated wood, but I do not think it will hurt the worms. You could use hardie broads, but the price goes up. Lowie or Home Depot can help U with cost verses life of wood. Moles stay at ground level to get worms/ roots so you should be fine. If I can help or clear up my fumbling around, gave me a yell. Good luck! Hi darcie,
Sorry, I mean 2×8 lumber(1-1/2x 7-1/2 finished). U can nail it on the corner or use wood screws & a drill. Hardcore organic gardeners do not use treated wood, but I do not think it will hurt the worms. You could use hardie broads, but the price goes up. Lowie or Home Depot can help U with cost verses life of wood.
Moles stay at ground level to get worms/ roots so you should be fine.
If I can help or clear up my fumbling around, gave me a yell.
Good luck!

]]> By: Darcie http://www.redwormcomposting.com/large-scale-vermicomposting/the-vermicomposting-trench/comment-page-1/#comment-22405 Darcie Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:48:29 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/?p=205#comment-22405 thanks for your suggestions, they give me some ideas to try.. Joel can you describe your frame a little more clearly for a non carpenter such as myself? do you build it out of plywood or 2x8 lumber? thanks thanks for your suggestions, they give me some ideas to try.. Joel can you describe your frame a little more clearly for a non carpenter such as myself? do you build it out of plywood or 2×8 lumber? thanks

]]> By: joel http://www.redwormcomposting.com/large-scale-vermicomposting/the-vermicomposting-trench/comment-page-1/#comment-22400 joel Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:54:01 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/?p=205#comment-22400 HI Bentley/ Darcie, It is my understanding that moles are a pest when U have Junebug(jap. beetle or a fruit beetle, not the same beetle) larav in the soil. Remove the larav, you remove the moles.As for a barrier, if the landscape fabric does not work;try 2x8 frame before U dig your trench. Put the frame about 5" deep, leaving 3" out of the ground. When U dig the trench, throw the soil behind the frame,not on the frame. The frame, like a rased garden bed, should be at least 6" back from trench wall. The frame will help you keep the trench straght & square. Please let us know how this truns out Darcie. Thank You for this site Bentley! HI Bentley/ Darcie,
It is my understanding that moles are a pest when U have Junebug(jap. beetle or a fruit beetle, not the same beetle) larav in the soil. Remove the larav, you remove the moles.As for a barrier, if the landscape fabric does not work;try 2×8 frame before U dig your trench. Put the frame about 5″ deep, leaving 3″ out of the ground. When U dig the trench, throw the soil behind the frame,not on the frame. The frame, like a rased garden bed, should be at least 6″ back from trench wall. The frame will help you keep the trench straght & square.
Please let us know how this truns out Darcie.
Thank You for this site Bentley!

]]>