Winter Worm Windrow – 01-27-10
Things have continued to chug along quite nicely in our Winter Worm Windrow for the past week. The remote temperature probe has consistently been displaying readings in the 15-23 C (59-73.4 F) range for the most part. We are finally now getting back into some real winter weather so I figured I should be proactive and get some more material heaped onto the bed this afternoon.
I’ve had a bunch of containers of manure taking up space down in the basement so I thought I’d start with those.
The total volume of manure would likely be in the range of 50-60 gallons (I don’t know the exact volume of the Rubbermaid tubs so I can’t say for sure) – so not a massive amount by any means, but still enough to help keep things nice and warm in the bed.
When I first pulled back the tarp (before adding the manure), I took some temp readings using my long-stemmed thermometer and was happy to see 20 C + (68 F +) throughout much of the bed. Things definitely seem to be balancing themselves out quite nicely.
Rather than burying the manure, as I had done with the first two buckets (added back when I first received the material), I decided to simply dump it across the top of the bed, and then to add a thick layer of new straw over top.
Sometime fairly soon, I will pour some more molasses water onto the bed to help ensure that there is enough moisture up in the manure layer, and to provide the microbes with some more “fuel”.
I know my over-confidence tends to come back and bite me when it comes to winter composting (haha), BUT I just can’t help but feel a LOT more optimistic that this experiment is going to end up being a success (i.e. we’ll be able to maintain warmish temperatures in the bed for the remainder of the winter).
February tends to be the coldest month of the year up here though, so we shall have to wait and see!
Previous Winter Worm Windrow Posts
Winter Worm Composting Windrow
Winter Worm Windrow – 12-03-09
Winter Worm Windrow – 12-09-09
Winter Worm Windrow – 01-12-10
Winter Worm Windrow – 01-13-10
Winter Worm Windrow – 01-16-10
Winter Worm Windrow – 01-20-10
Technorati Tags: winter composting, composting, vermicomposting, worm bed, worm composting, red worms, red wigglers, manure, windrow, composter
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Written by Bentley on January 27th, 2010 with
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