Worm Composting Videos

Bentley
#3. October 26th, 2007, at 9:49 PM.

Hi Sandy,
Yeah I imagine some people must be wondering about that.
I wrote about this recently in my newletter, but should have also added something here on the site.

When it comes to stocking densities I tend to take a very conservative approach. I prefer to let the worm population grow into a system rather than stocking a new system based on recommended numbers (1 lb per sq ft is a common recommendation). Of course, this approach DOES require a decent amount of patience which can be challenging for someone chomping at the bit to start vermicomposting.

I guess if forced to come up with a recommend stocking density I might suggest 1/2 lb per sq ft, but if you set up the bin the way I’ve described (ie. letting it age for 1-2 weeks before adding worms) you shouldn’t run into too many issues with usual density recommendations.

B

Bentley
#4. October 26th, 2007, at 10:07 PM.

Hi Glenn!
Glad to hear that the video was helpful!

B.

Bentley
#7. October 29th, 2007, at 3:47 PM.

Diane/Janet,
You are very welcome. I enjoyed making the videos and am excited about my new video section in general. I think it will really help people to learn about worm composting.

Diane - Red worms (Eisenia fetida) have a pretty wide temperature tolerance so you shouldn’t have any problems in Arizona (indoors anyway). Just make sure to keep your bin out of the sun.

Janet - There is no such thing as a ‘dumb question’ - especially here. Aside from that, your question is actually an excellent one (I’m sure many others have wondered the same thing). Unfortunately I have to respond with an “it depends”. If you are just starting a brand new bin it may be at least a few months before you are able to use the compost, especially since it usually takes some time before worms get used to their new surroundings. Once your worm population is optimized (in terms of numbers) and fully adapted for a given system the vermicomposting process can proceed quite quickly.

What I would recommend is separating the worms from the compost (I will be making a video about this fairly soon) when the level of composted material (dark, soil like stuff) gets a few inches from the top of the bin. Will provide more information on this subject shortly (don’t want to make this comment into an essay! )

B.

Bentley
#9. November 15th, 2007, at 8:03 PM.

Thanks Julio!
Glad they helped.

B.

Bentley
#11. November 26th, 2007, at 12:30 PM.

Hi Carmen,
Sorry for the delay replying.
Thanks very much for your kind words. I can assure you I’ll be putting a lot more time and energy into the site in coming months - glad to hear that people are benefiting from it already though!

As for letting your bin (with food mixed in) sit for a week or two, while this is usually the best way to go, it certainly doesn’t mean you are doomed to fail if you haven’t done so. I would at least let things sit while you wait for the worms to arrive. Any microbial colonization will help. If you add the worms to a totally new system (new bedding + fresh food scraps) they may try to escape.

As for the amount of food to feed, I would be very conservative early on. You want to make sure they are eating what is in there already before adding any more. If you had a pound of food waste mixed in with the bedding when they arrived, that would probably get them started (again better if it’s partially decayed). Just keep an eye on it and if it looks like the worms are staying down in the bedding and the food materials are being consumed, then you can start slowly adding more waste materials.

B.

Bentley
#13. November 28th, 2007, at 3:39 PM.

Hi Carmen,
Wet food waste left to sit will rot and develop anaerobic (without oxygen) zones and cause stink! Worms are great because they move the materials around and consume the goopy rotting stuff, so worm bins (if well maintained) are typically odor-free!
It’s probably a good sign that it stinks - at least you know there will be a rich microbial buffet waiting for the worms when they arrive!

B.

Bentley
#15. November 28th, 2007, at 8:47 PM.

Hi again Carmen,
Definitely no worries about the questions. I’m here to help!
As for getting weird looks, I’ve certainly had my fair share of that. My neighbours must think I’ve a raving lunatic in fact, given my winter composting routine (my big outdoor worm bin is very visible from multiple directions ).
Oh well - more and more people seem to be getting interested in worm composting so it’s only a matter of time before the neighbourhood wants to get in on the action (ok - maybe not in the middle of winter - lol)

Anyway…

Excellent question re: when to feed next. I think this is where a LOT of people mess up early on. They are so eager to take good care of their new pets that they end up feeding them every day, as soon as they have them in their new home.
I would highly recommend simply letting the system chill out for awhile. You’ll want to check up on it to see if the worms are settling into the material, but definitely don’t add any more food - at least not until there isn’t any recognizable food material in the bin. You are WAY more likely to kill worms via overfeeding that under-feeding that is for sure.

As for using a light - if your worms seems like they are trying to make a mass escape, then sure - go for it. Hopefully given the fact that you have prepped the bin beforehand, they’ll really like their new home. But you never know. If they were raised only on manure, it may take them a little while to get used to rotting food scraps.

Anyway, if you have a lid simply put it on once you introduce them (after they burrow down into the material), then maybe check back in 20 minutes or so and see if they are still buried (if so, wait a few hours and try again). If they are still buried after 24 hours, and seem responsive (moving away when you move material) then you are likely good to go (ie no light necessary).

B.

Bentley
#17. December 5th, 2007, at 2:24 PM.

Hi Irene,
Thanks for the questions. I got your email as well.
I have little doubt that one could keep worm bins successfully in Beijing (especially if indoors - more on that in a minute). I apologize if my video was confusing re: moisture content. Remember, all I was doing was preparing the bin in the video. Due to all the water-rich food wastes + the water I added, the moisture content in the bin should be decent by the time the worms are added (I haven’t actually added worms to either bin I set up that day, believe it or not - will do so soon though).

Moisture content is very important for successful worm composting so you do in fact need to make sure your bedding is thoroughly moistened by the time the worms are added (the wrung-out sponge guideline is a good approach when starting out).

As for strong odors and pests - the beauty of a well kept worm bin is that there is no odor at all. Worms in essence are ‘odor-eaters’ via their movment and consumption of sloppy, smelly waste materials.
Fruit flies on the other hand seem to be a rite of passage for all new worm composters. (and as I mentioned recently, the funny thing is that my bins from the videos ended up infested with them). To reduce the chances of an infestation you should cook or freeze and fruit scraps you add to the bin since fruit fly eggs can be found embedded in the skin. You will also want to use a lot of bedding material up at the top of your bin to discourage the movement of adult flies. If you happen to get an infestation you can make effective traps quite easily - simply put beer, wine or wine/cidar vinegar in a container and put plastic wrap over top. The simply punch a few small holes in the top (a fork should help). I recently did this myself and was amazed how well it worked (better than the traps I actually purchased).

As for finding red wigglers, I’m not 100% sure what to recommend there. I guess your best bet is to find out who is using composting worms there and see if you can get a hold of some. Sorry I can’t be of greater assistance in that department.

Just keep in mind that soil worms are not well suited for worm bins, so if you do try out some of the local worms, try to find them naturally occuring (abundantly) in compost heaps or aged livestock manure.

Hope this helps

B.

Bentley
#19. December 7th, 2007, at 4:02 AM.

Hi again Irene,
If you have access to a microwave oven that would work well. Really, it shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes (likely more quickly if you dropped into boiling water). As for freezing - you should be ok leaving the scraps in a freezer overnight.

The fruit fly trap should be outside the bin, but close by so that the flies don’t stray too far from the bin.

Your idea re: using bamboo steamers as flow-through bins is very interesting (sounds like a great idea). The worms themselves won’t ‘eat’ your bin components but bamboo and other organic materials will be gradually decomposed (by microorganisms) over time.

As for depth, it will be helpful if each tray is at least deep enough so that you can bury the food scraps under some bedding.

I haven’t heard of anyone using an aluminum container before, but it might work well given that its resistance to breakdown.

The 1/8 inch holes I cut in my bins were for aeration/drainage, not for worm movement (I actually wanted to discourage worms from moving down into the reservoir). That being said, worms have been known to squeeze through window screen so I have little doubt that you’ll do fine with a bunch of holes that size (make sure you clean them up so the worms don’t get hurt on the way through).

Worm bin contents don’t need to be stirred - the worms will do this for you!

B.

Bentley
#21. December 19th, 2007, at 12:38 PM.

Hi Graham,
Glad to hear that the videos have helped. As for “brewing” and “fermenting”, assuming you mixed the scraps with lots of bedding you shouldn’t have any fermenting (that process requires anaerobic conditions), so you shouldn’t have to worry about getting the worms drunk or anything like that.

Regarding the soaking of bedding in tea, I don’t see that as being an issue. I have never tried this myself (although I’ve been recently viewing leftover coffee in the same light myself - wondering if it might not make a good substitute for water.

Anyway, I’d recommend using it on a limited basis and seeing how the worms respond.

B.

Bentley
#23. January 7th, 2008, at 5:06 PM.

Hi Ida,
Thanks for stopping by - glad you’ve found the info useful.
Generally, if a bin is prepared ahead of time (and allowed to ‘age’) you shouldn’t have too much trouble with wandering worms. I always age my bins before adding the worms and rarely have an problems at all.
That being said, all of my indoor bins do have lids (that prevent curious worms from getting out).

I would suggest dividing your bins once you see lots of processed material (will look like soil) and the level of material is nearing the top of the bin. It is hard to say when this will occur with a new set-up. It will depend on the quantity of worms, temperature, how well the system is managed etc. It will likely be at least a few months before you need to split.

If you are planning to sell worms you can certainly harvest some and sell them, but I’d definitely recommend building up a number of bins before doing so. To split, simply remove half of the contents of a bin and move it to a new bin. To each of these bins you will now add fresh bedding/food (filling up the empty half). Alternatively, you can harvest all the worms and simply add them to two completely new bins (will help if they have been aged somewhat).

B.

Bentley
#25. January 20th, 2008, at 5:43 AM.

Hey Brody,
Glad you found the info useful. Hopefully your worms start to settle in to your system!
Don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any questions along the way.

B.

Bentley
#27. February 11th, 2008, at 4:33 PM.

Hello!
Thanks for stopping by.
You are right - freezing (like cooking) is a great way to render food scraps more microbe- (and thus worm-) friendly.

As for Miracle Grow soils, I would personally stay away from them myself. Commercial potting soils send to be largely made up of peat moss which is perfectly fine as a bedding material, but provides no grit. Garden soil on the other hand has lots of fine stone particles in it.

Also, the commercial fertilizer in the commercial soil may irritate the worms as well. Are you just layering it across the top of your bin contents? If so, this might not be an issue (would be more potential for headaches if it was your main bedding material).

B

Bentley
#29. February 27th, 2008, at 1:54 AM.

Hi Jen,
Once your worms arrive and you add them to your aged bin, the next thing you’ll want to do is simply monitor the bin. Definitely don’t add any more food scraps for a little while - just let your worms settle in and feed on what’s there. Eventually (maybe a week later) start adding scraps again (preferrably after they’ve been aged in a separate container) a little bit at a time. As they are consumed add more - gradually you will get a feel for the amount they can process (and this amount will definitely increase over time).

I think the problem is that most newcomers tend to overthink things and want to keep “feeding” the worms to make sure they don’t starve.
The fact is, worms are far more likely to die from overfeeding than starving.

As for feeding worms to turtles - that’s a good idea, but just make sure you don’t cut back your worm population too badly. They breed quite rapidly, but still need to be left to their own devices for awhile if you plan on harvesting decent numbers of them.

Harvesting some for feeding could be easily accomplished by hand.

You can even start using some of the worm castings to help fertilize your lettuce!

Bentley
#32. April 9th, 2008, at 6:47 PM.

Thanks Bill!
Glad to hear you found the site!
Despite what some might suggest, citrus scraps are perfectly fine in a worm bin - BUT I do recommend that you use them in moderation, and make sure to add more bedding material any time you add them.
If you have huge quantities of citrus, you might think about making a big hot compost pile with it first, then try feeding the partially composted material to the worms after a few weeks.

B

Bentley
#34. April 14th, 2008, at 4:16 AM.

Hi Ramon,
Having lots of garden worms is actually typically a sign of having high quality soil (rich in organic matter). If anything, I would say they’ll likely help your garden - they’ll help to aerate the soil and will produce lots of worm castings, which are an ideal natural fertilizer for plants!

B

Bentley
#36. June 2nd, 2008, at 8:39 PM.

Hi John,
Sorry for the delay responding!
I have wondered about that myself. I generally let my water age before using it, whether it be in larger holding bottles, or simply in my water sprayer itself. I also avidly collect rainwater - I definitely would prefer using it for most things (other than drinking - haha)

Thanks
B

Bentley
#38. August 20th, 2008, at 3:38 AM.

Hi Nino,
1) Manure piles can be a great source for free (or at least cheap) worms. I’d recommend checking them out to see if they are indeed red worms. Only thing to keep in mind is the fact that they may need some time to get used to food scraps since they’ve been raised on manure. This hasn’t been a mjor issue in my experience.

2) I would think of the area in terms of one tray at a time, at least when starting out. Some people start with all trays operating, but to me this kind of defeats the purpose of having flow-through bin.

3) Margarine containers with holes drilled in them should work just fine - nothing fancy needed - just make sure not to overstock or overfeed these small systems.

B

Bentley
#40. August 27th, 2008, at 2:34 PM.

Hi Bryant,
What drains down is known as “leachate” - not to be confused with worm tea. To harvest worms, I’d recommend starting a new top bin (letting it age just like the first one), then laying a perforate garbage bag over top of it (directly on the surface of bin materials). Dump the vermicompost with worms from the other bin on top and simply let it sit. The worms will migrate down to the new bin.

Bentley
#42. September 1st, 2008, at 2:29 AM.

Hi Mary,
Don’t be so quick to assume that your approach is “wrong”. I’m definitely not a “my way or the highway” kinda guy.
There are LOTS of different ways to vermicompost!

I get the feeling you haven’t read my articles about trench vermicomposting - this is pretty much what you are describing. ie simply tossing waste materials into the garden and keeping the composting worms in the area with additions of organic matter (food waste, grass clippings, straw etc). I wouldn’t ‘toss it around the garden’ (the compost that is) however - simply because the trench is part of the garden (plants feeding on it directly) and I also don’t want to lose the worms.
I would suggest forgetting about the tub - just do it directly in the ground (tub might actually be good if you were planning to remove the material/worms at some point - just make sure to add lots of holes).

Ok - think you have another related comment somewhere. Going to go track that down.

B