Comments on: Worm Inn Journal – 11-10-08

By: Bentley

Bentley — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 17:58:42 +0000

Interesting approach, Patricia! Thanks for sharing.

By: Patricia

Patricia — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 06:48:44 +0000

After reading about the different types of bins people are using I have one more to add. I can buy covered cat litter boxes at our local thrift store. I used to buy them for my hens as nesting boxes but now I use them to house my worms. I have 8 of them and I don’t secure the lids so I can get into them quickly. I fill them to the rim with manure and put a piece of cardboard on top of that to keep the sun off and then place the lid on top. Drainage holes drip into plant trays. This way I have both batch and continuous bins.

By: Bentley

Bentley — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 17:55:23 +0000

Hi Kim,
Rubbermaid tubs without lids can also work very well – definitely sounds like you have the right idea. Truth be told, I’ve actually decided to use open Rubbermaid tubs on my shelving unit since two fit nicely on each shelve (whereas only one of my black trays fits on each shelf. My black trays will now sit elsewhere (will likely write more about this at some point).

“Worm Hammock” – hehe, that’s a great name!
As for drainage, I don’t really need to worry about it. I have a false bottom of shredded cardboard in the bottom, plus it just seems to dry out so quickly that my greatest challenge will be keeping it moist. Worst cast scenario, I can always attach a small ziploc bag to the bottom where the drawstrings are (using an elastic or cable tie) should any liquid start to drip out.

A dresser drawer would be a great worm bed – an old dresser in general would be great for holding a lot of worms (although you may want to rig up some LED lights inside to make sure the worms don’t start crawling out when the drawers are closed). I honestly don’t think you would need the plastic liner though. Wood ‘breathes’ quite well, and as long as you had absorbent material in the bin and didn’t add too much water at once (if at all), I don’t think you’d see any drainage.

BTW – my trays do not have drainage – they definitely don’t need it given how shallow they are.

By: Kim from Milwaukee

Kim from Milwaukee — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 15:54:39 +0000

Bentley, I have the Rubbermaid setup, but I don’t keep the lid on. I found it holds too much moisture, so I just have a piece of cardboard resting on top, which allows more air flow, it seems.

What is the drainage like in your new worm hammock? And do you have drainage in your new trays as well? I’m thinking of converting a dresser drawer into a bin, just lining it with a heavy duty trash bag and having an open system like the trays you’re using. What do you think?

By: Vermifan

Vermifan — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 07:05:30 +0000

yeah I am very curious in how it performs as a womery and if fabric is a better material to use for a womery.

By: Bentley

Bentley — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 14:41:46 +0000

Hi Kim – there IS in fact a detachable screen for the top of the Inn. It doesn’t keep moisture in – it’s intended to discourage flying pests. You may also recall that I am now a proponent for open systems (see my post about ‘Vermicomposting Trays’), so I actually appreciate the fact that the Worm Inn has so much more air flow than a normal worm bin. The vermicompost will be higher quality and will be produced more quickly than in a standard Rubbermaid type of tub. I will be feeding the worms a wet blended food material, and if that doesn’t add enough moisture I will simply spray the system with water.

Vermifan – even if you are not wowed by the gorgeous camo design of my Worm Inn (haha), I’m sure you will be impressed with the results.

By: Vermifan

Vermifan — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 08:11:13 +0000

I am not really attracted to the look of this wormery and so will be interested in how effective it is as a wormery.
Keep us posted!

By: Kim from Milwaukee

Kim from Milwaukee — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 22:39:23 +0000

I’m surprised there’s no cover for this, Bentley….not even a piece of cardboard to keep the moisture in???