Comments on: Mark and his OSCR Worm Bin http://www.redwormcomposting.com/worm-bins/mark-and-his-oscr-worm-bin/ Red Wiggler Worms, European Nightcrawlers and loads of helpful Worm Composting Information Wed, 17 Mar 2010 11:17:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Jamas von Rockmann http://www.redwormcomposting.com/worm-bins/mark-and-his-oscr-worm-bin/comment-page-1/#comment-24108 Jamas von Rockmann Wed, 13 Jan 2010 09:24:18 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/?p=1413#comment-24108 Friends of the earth, Fellow Vermiculturist. Im enjoying your website, I presently am working 2 wigwams, 2 55ga. barrels cut down the middle ( trough like) these are butted together and covered with a hoop coldframe. I have pvc pipe serpentining through them coming from the heater room in my house. the water being pumped with a simple aquarium pump. Im in the Pacific Northwest of America, 20's 30's the low temps. the beds stay 70-75* I also am experimenting with a 3 w x 8 l x 3 d wood box bin with pvc pipe running thru horse manure heaps( composting heat) packed all around the bin. I've been at this almost 2 yrs. I started 15 breeder boxes 17in.x14in.these have 1/3 vc/horse, 1/3 peat,2cups cornmeal,1/3 topsoil(mature compost garden soil,chopped lettuce,squash,coffee grounds.) 1/2 pound worms. these I only keep damp, no food for 7-9 wks. I then pull the worms and the compost remaining is LOADED with eggs. I sell this for people to spread over their lawns, veg. gardens etc. the eggs can stay dormant for months at 45-55* so I stock up.sold and spread in the spring, at 65-70 they hatch and the results from last year incredible ! I've tripled my box count, once dumped I refill and put the worms right back in, their off eating and screwin righy away, laying eggs every 5-8 days. sorry to go on here, I've gotten most my book learning from Thomas J. Barrett and Dr. George Sheffield Oliver. I wanted to share this website with you, you may already know of it "journey to forever" this link will take to my favorite story. http://journeytoforever.org/farm_library/oliver/oliver_farm.html Enjoy !! Friends of the earth, Fellow Vermiculturist. Im enjoying your website, I presently am working 2 wigwams, 2 55ga. barrels cut down the middle ( trough like) these are butted together and covered with a hoop coldframe. I have pvc pipe serpentining through them coming from the heater room in my house. the water being pumped with a simple aquarium pump. Im in the Pacific Northwest of America, 20’s 30’s the low temps. the beds stay 70-75* I also am experimenting with a 3 w x 8 l x 3 d wood box bin with pvc pipe running thru horse manure heaps( composting heat) packed all around the bin. I’ve been at this almost 2 yrs. I started 15 breeder boxes 17in.x14in.these have 1/3 vc/horse, 1/3 peat,2cups cornmeal,1/3 topsoil(mature compost garden soil,chopped lettuce,squash,coffee grounds.) 1/2 pound worms. these I only keep damp, no food for 7-9 wks. I then pull the worms and the compost remaining is LOADED with eggs. I sell this for people to spread over their lawns, veg. gardens etc. the eggs can stay dormant for months at 45-55* so I stock up.sold and spread in the spring, at 65-70 they hatch and the results from last year incredible ! I’ve tripled my box count, once dumped I refill and put the worms right back in, their off eating and screwin righy away, laying eggs every 5-8 days. sorry to go on here, I’ve gotten most my book learning from Thomas J. Barrett and Dr. George Sheffield Oliver. I wanted to share this website with you, you may already know of it “journey to forever” this link will take to my favorite story. http://journeytoforever.org/farm_library/oliver/oliver_farm.html Enjoy !!

]]> By: Mark from Kansas http://www.redwormcomposting.com/worm-bins/mark-and-his-oscr-worm-bin/comment-page-1/#comment-23806 Mark from Kansas Mon, 14 Dec 2009 23:37:46 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/?p=1413#comment-23806 Ron, The metal grid panel you speak of is not a panel at all and I'm not sure I should tell. OK I will. What you are seeing, from the first picture of me in the bottom, is 5/32 steel cable. I made a frame and drilled holes about 2 inches apart, threaded it through the holes, and stretch it. It was a lot of work. How many worms are you going to put in bin? Ron,
The metal grid panel you speak of is not a panel at all and I’m not sure I should tell. OK I will. What you are seeing, from the first picture of me in the bottom, is 5/32 steel cable. I made a frame and drilled holes about 2 inches apart, threaded it through the holes, and stretch it. It was a lot of work.
How many worms are you going to put in bin?

]]> By: Ron Thompson http://www.redwormcomposting.com/worm-bins/mark-and-his-oscr-worm-bin/comment-page-1/#comment-23766 Ron Thompson Mon, 14 Dec 2009 04:05:36 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/?p=1413#comment-23766 Mark, It looks like you did not use a nylon rope at the bottom, but used a metal grid panel, and I saw the same type metal panel at the OSCR website. Where did you get it??? Ron Thompson in San Jose Mark,
It looks like you did not use a nylon rope at the bottom, but used a metal grid panel, and I saw the same type metal panel at the OSCR website. Where did you get it???
Ron Thompson in San Jose

]]> By: Mark from Kansas http://www.redwormcomposting.com/worm-bins/mark-and-his-oscr-worm-bin/comment-page-1/#comment-23613 Mark from Kansas Thu, 10 Dec 2009 00:52:51 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/?p=1413#comment-23613 Rosita, What is also interesting is the volume of trash reduction. I hope to process 2000 pounds of trash into 200 pounds of finished Vermicompost. Just think how much landfills could be reduced by process and besides, a worm bin does not give off methane gas (an ozone depleting gas). Speaking of fertilizer, synthetic fertilizers are fossil fuel based, a NON renewable resource. Rosita,
What is also interesting is the volume of trash reduction. I hope to process 2000 pounds of trash into 200 pounds of finished Vermicompost.
Just think how much landfills could be reduced by process and besides, a worm bin does not give off methane gas (an ozone depleting gas).
Speaking of fertilizer, synthetic fertilizers are fossil fuel based, a NON renewable resource.

]]> By: rosita guinaat http://www.redwormcomposting.com/worm-bins/mark-and-his-oscr-worm-bin/comment-page-1/#comment-23583 rosita guinaat Tue, 08 Dec 2009 23:49:39 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/?p=1413#comment-23583 Wow! what an organic mind! The trend is we are going organic because the inorganic century has marked effects in the environment and climate change is now a global issue. your newsletter on worming the environment in lieu of synthetic fertilizers he he he will surely help resolve the global issue. But beware many fertilizer companies will run after you. hehehe. Don't worry nobody can put a good man down. Keep up with your good work! God bless. Wow! what an organic mind! The trend is we are going organic because the inorganic century has marked effects in the environment and climate change is now a global issue.

your newsletter on worming the environment in lieu of synthetic fertilizers he he he will surely help resolve the global issue.

But beware many fertilizer companies will run after you. hehehe. Don’t worry nobody can put a good man down.

Keep up with your good work!

God bless.

]]> By: catherine http://www.redwormcomposting.com/worm-bins/mark-and-his-oscr-worm-bin/comment-page-1/#comment-22901 catherine Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:30:12 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/?p=1413#comment-22901 Very low tech harvesting I'm afraid- I only surface feed, never bury anything, so all I've had to do is scrape back the top few inches to get good compost below. As the bin has only been running about 4 months and still hasn't a huge worm population, I'd say what I harvested is probably only about 50% castings at most. In spring, when every thing has warmed up again, and any cocoons have hatched, I plan to feed heavily for a couple of weeks, do a complete scrape off of the top layer, dig out the compost off the grate, and put back worms and top layer as bottom layer. I can't see myself producing enough waste to have to do this more often than once, or maybe at the outside, twice a year. I calculated that the bin could take about 1-2000kg of waste in a year (depending on worm population/ type of waste etc) and that will easily compress down into that volume. Very low tech harvesting I’m afraid- I only surface feed, never bury anything, so all I’ve had to do is scrape back the top few inches to get good compost below. As the bin has only been running about 4 months and still hasn’t a huge worm population, I’d say what I harvested is probably only about 50% castings at most.
In spring, when every thing has warmed up again, and any cocoons have hatched, I plan to feed heavily for a couple of weeks, do a complete scrape off of the top layer, dig out the compost off the grate, and put back worms and top layer as bottom layer. I can’t see myself producing enough waste to have to do this more often than once, or maybe at the outside, twice a year. I calculated that the bin could take about 1-2000kg of waste in a year (depending on worm population/ type of waste etc) and that will easily compress down into that volume.

]]> By: Bentley http://www.redwormcomposting.com/worm-bins/mark-and-his-oscr-worm-bin/comment-page-1/#comment-22893 Bentley Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:12:48 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/?p=1413#comment-22893 WOW - the response to this post is just mind-boggling! Thanks everyone! (and of course, THANKS to Mark for sharing). Well Mark has certainly been doing an outstanding job responding to comments here, so I won't add anything further. I did however want to jump in and tell Catherine how cool her bin looks! Very nice indeed. You mentioned not having a breaker bar - do you harvest with a rake/broom, or something like that? Cool stuff! 8) WOW – the response to this post is just mind-boggling! Thanks everyone! (and of course, THANKS to Mark for sharing).
Well Mark has certainly been doing an outstanding job responding to comments here, so I won’t add anything further. I did however want to jump in and tell Catherine how cool her bin looks! Very nice indeed.
You mentioned not having a breaker bar – do you harvest with a rake/broom, or something like that?
Cool stuff!
8)

]]> By: Mark from Kansas http://www.redwormcomposting.com/worm-bins/mark-and-his-oscr-worm-bin/comment-page-1/#comment-22887 Mark from Kansas Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:12:20 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/?p=1413#comment-22887 Dearest Catherine and Mike, Your concerns are very valid, one can't be too careful. I choose the heater cable from Vermico because they have worked hard to be a reputable company. I don't believe they would sell a product that they did not believe in first. When I purchased this cable, I felt that if the cable would start a fire, Vermico would have pulled it from their shelf. This is actually the second winter I used this cable so, I have tested it. If you look close at the pictures, the heater cable is attached to .083 weed trimmer cord.That green cord is stretched tightly to reduce sag. I believe a small risk maybe possible. A ground fault intercepter would reduce to the fire risk to almost zero. Catherine, I set my thermometer in different zones in the bin, the temp stays even at 80 degrees F. Warm air rises and I have decided to turn the fan on for 1 hour a day. You guys ask some tough questions, Please keep them coming. Best always Mark Dearest Catherine and Mike,
Your concerns are very valid, one can’t be too careful.
I choose the heater cable from Vermico because they have worked hard to be a reputable company. I don’t believe they would sell a product that they did not believe in first. When I purchased this cable, I felt that if the cable would start a fire, Vermico would have pulled it from their shelf. This is actually the second winter I used this cable so, I have tested it. If you look close at the pictures, the heater cable is attached to .083 weed trimmer cord.That green cord is stretched tightly to reduce sag.
I believe a small risk maybe possible. A ground fault intercepter would reduce to the fire risk to almost zero.
Catherine, I set my thermometer in different zones in the bin, the temp stays even at 80 degrees F. Warm air rises and I have decided to turn the fan on for 1 hour a day.
You guys ask some tough questions, Please keep them coming.
Best always
Mark

]]> By: Mike from Delaware http://www.redwormcomposting.com/worm-bins/mark-and-his-oscr-worm-bin/comment-page-1/#comment-22879 Mike from Delaware Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:07:11 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/?p=1413#comment-22879 Catherine: thanks for confirming my concerns. I have the plans for the OSCR bin and was confused about where the heat cable is supposed to be. I thought it was supposed to be below the cables/ropes. Vermico told me that the cables they sell go in the bin just like I'm seeing here. I have heard of a number of worm farms having fires and got concerned. There are dry spots in the bin and I don't want the heat cable to start a fire. So, I decided to go with the 5 gallon bucket with aquarium heater and waterfall pump. Installed it last night. It took time for the little heater to bring the water temp up but it's running now with a water temp in the low 70's. I can sleep at night without worrying. Catherine: thanks for confirming my concerns. I have the plans for the OSCR bin and was confused about where the heat cable is supposed to be. I thought it was supposed to be below the cables/ropes. Vermico told me that the cables they sell go in the bin just like I’m seeing here. I have heard of a number of worm farms having fires and got concerned. There are dry spots in the bin and I don’t want the heat cable to start a fire. So, I decided to go with the 5 gallon bucket with aquarium heater and waterfall pump. Installed it last night. It took time for the little heater to bring the water temp up but it’s running now with a water temp in the low 70’s. I can sleep at night without worrying.

]]> By: catherine http://www.redwormcomposting.com/worm-bins/mark-and-his-oscr-worm-bin/comment-page-1/#comment-22878 catherine Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:48:36 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/?p=1413#comment-22878 Hi Mark- Great looking bin- I have one similar, but not nearly as high tech, and outdoors. I gave up on the idea of a scraper bar to harvest, though because I just wasn't handy enough in the tool shed! I wonder about your heat cables- is there not a danger, even though you've raised them on the metal bar, that they will be dragged down by the compost as it forms and is weighted from above? Even a grape stem (or any kind of plastic string/ bag which contaminates waste) could catch around it and as it continues downwards bring the cable with it. Where it could meet another crossed cable. Also, maybe my conditions in general aren't as good as yours- but if I get any kind of warm spot in my bin- the worms all cluster there! Not sure if they're after the heat or the increased microbial activity associated with heat. I tried heating a can-o-worms (stacking wormery) last winter just by heating up a microwaveable mud heatign pack and wrapping it loads of newspaper. It stayed warm to touch for 24 hours or so. One thing I noted was that the heat worked much better at the top- (presumably by helping the food to rot), but to my surprise, the lower layer compost was also much more friable when heat was applied from the top. I can only assume this was because the hot air rising out of the top of the wormery drew air in at the bottom (I leave the sump tap open). I don't have the OSCR plans, so I don't know where they apply heat, but applying from the top (and insulating above) might solve the danger of wires crossing. You could simply fix the wire to a cloth in a wavy non crossing pattern and then stiffen by sticking the cloth to some kind of insulating board. Sorry- this is probably just about as clear as well processed vermicompost! Just thinking out loud.... Best of luck with the bin and looking forward to updates. (I have a picture of my bin <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_tH5Menbjaw0/Su7dO3uWz9I/AAAAAAAAAGU/2h3g82jfWQo/s1600-h/giant+flow+through-+small.jpg" rel="nofollow">here</a> Hi Mark- Great looking bin- I have one similar, but not nearly as high tech, and outdoors. I gave up on the idea of a scraper bar to harvest, though because I just wasn’t handy enough in the tool shed!
I wonder about your heat cables- is there not a danger, even though you’ve raised them on the metal bar, that they will be dragged down by the compost as it forms and is weighted from above? Even a grape stem (or any kind of plastic string/ bag which contaminates waste) could catch around it and as it continues downwards bring the cable with it. Where it could meet another crossed cable.
Also, maybe my conditions in general aren’t as good as yours- but if I get any kind of warm spot in my bin- the worms all cluster there! Not sure if they’re after the heat or the increased microbial activity associated with heat.
I tried heating a can-o-worms (stacking wormery) last winter just by heating up a microwaveable mud heatign pack and wrapping it loads of newspaper. It stayed warm to touch for 24 hours or so.
One thing I noted was that the heat worked much better at the top- (presumably by helping the food to rot), but to my surprise, the lower layer compost was also much more friable when heat was applied from the top. I can only assume this was because the hot air rising out of the top of the wormery drew air in at the bottom (I leave the sump tap open). I don’t have the OSCR plans, so I don’t know where they apply heat, but applying from the top (and insulating above) might solve the danger of wires crossing. You could simply fix the wire to a cloth in a wavy non crossing pattern and then stiffen by sticking the cloth to some kind of insulating board.

Sorry- this is probably just about as clear as well processed vermicompost! Just thinking out loud….

Best of luck with the bin and looking forward to updates. (I have a picture of my bin here

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