Comments on: The Vermicomposting Trench

By: Bentley

Bentley — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:40:06 +0000

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

Jason — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:01:31 +0000

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

yoder — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 20:08:28 +0000

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

Joel — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 21:03:09 +0000

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

Darcie — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:48:29 +0000

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

joel — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:54:01 +0000

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!

By: Bentley

Bentley — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 13:19:06 +0000

Hi Darcie,
Good question. I don’t have moles around here (thank goodness), but there are definitely small rodents that live in my yard. I don’t THINK they are harmful to the worms but am not 100% sure. In your case (where you know there are moles in the area), setting up some sort of protective barrier would be very important since the trench would basically represent and all-you-can-eat buffet for moles. Several layers of tough landscape fabric MIGHT do it – not sure how strong/sharp their claws are. Maybe that combine with some sort of small-hole chicken wire.

By: darcie hull

darcie hull — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 06:06:17 +0000

I am intrigued with the trench vermicomposting idea & have been wanting to try it, but assumed you would need to line it somehow to keep out underground critters like moles/voles who might just love to lunch on well fed worms. they eat the underground parts of our potatoes & beets, I know they are well established in the garden.. have you ever had trouble with critters that want to eat your worms? Thanks, I really appreciate the how to do it info.

By: Bentley

Bentley — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:59:34 +0000

Hi Joel,
That ‘chaff’ material sounds interesting – I have a feeling it would be a good worm composting food/bedding. My recommendation however is to skip the soil and sawdust – neither of these are good materials for a vermicomposting system. White paper also isn’t ideal, so you should probably using it in moderation – too much of it can potentially irritate or harm the worms (since chemicals are used to bleach it). Try substituting shredded cardboard if at all possible.

By: joel legrand

joel legrand — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 03:40:13 +0000

Hi everyone/Bentley ,
Love you trench Ideal, I was going to do a pit 24″ diaX 36″ deep this fall & put gourds,pumpkin in it( May of 2010) this coming spring.Now I willput in the redworms too.
If you have eaten the red skined peanuts,when you finished you would have a little flakes from the roasted nuts left in the bag. Hope we are on the same page here, because coffeebeans have the same skins, called CHAFF. I have got about 6000.lbs of this chaff in the last 6monthThe chaff is really hot in the coffee roaster so to keep it fromm burnnig it is flooded with water after it leaves the coffee bean. So I get wet Chaff that is at least half water, but it has began to break down at this time. Do you think the red worms can handle it if I mix it 25% chaff/ 25% soil/ 25% sawdust, dry leaves, straw/ 25%tablestrapes,manure,white paper?