Yesterday – just for the fun of it – I decided to add the 3rd tray of my WF-360 system.
The level of material in the second tray has been getting pretty high, and I really want to see how well the Euros do in the system as additional levels are added.
What’s interesting is that I’m still not really seeing any Red Worms (even though it was a worm mix that was originally added).
I suspect that if I add food waste more regularly I’ll start seeing more of them (congregating in the zones where it gets added). This seems to be the case in other bins containing both varieties.
Before getting the 3rd tray set up, I decided to (carefully) look down into tray #1 as well as the reservoir to see what was going on down there. The material in the first tray looked well processed and compacted. I saw quite a few juicy Euros still down there but – once again – no sign of Red Worms.
In all honesty, I was expecting to find the reservoir loaded with Euros. As it turns out, I didn’t see a single worm down there!
I started the 3rd tray set-up process by first transferring a small amount of bedding from tray #2. I did this mainly so the new tray would nest in the lower tray a bit better. I then added in a (moistened) habitat/food mix I’ve been working on.
Next I added some frozen food scraps.
Lastly, I covered these up with more of the habitat/food material, along with a layer of shredded paper over top.
My plan is to start adding food wastes to this system more regularly. This should help with the processing of the remaining bedding materials in the lower trays, and (as mentioned) should also serve as a bit of a Red Worm “magnet”, helping me get a feel for the size of the Red Worm population in this bin.
Stay tuned!
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I got rid of my failure of a euro bin. I threw the remaining eros into my Worm Inn. Not a single one has dropped out of the bottom. The other day i was digging at the top and saw a few near the top zone.
A few months back, I purchased a worm inn (my first attempt ever at vermicomposting!), but wondering about harvesting..
I filled the lower 3/4 with bedding (99% coconut noir). While the top 1/4 is where I’ve put the food (99% carrot /apple mulch from my juicer)
My understanding is that you harvest from the bottom of the bag, but that is where all the bedding is at!
Since the reg wigglers are usually on top lumped around the fodo (or presumably chillin’ in the bottom bedding ), wouldn’t it make more sense to just carefully remove the compost from the top, leaving the bedding as-is?
Why is harvesting from the bottom recommended?
JOHN – sounds cool. Keep me posted on your progress with Euros in the Inn!
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BEN – I’m puzzled regarding your decision to fill the lower 3/4 with bedding – especially something like coco coir. My recommended set up involved adding a small “false bottom” of dry shredded cardboard, then a mix of bedding and food waste (which would likely take up 3/4 of volume), topped up with a thick layer of dry bedding. After a few months, much of the material down near the false bottom has been converted to vermicompost. The false bottom itself just drop outs the first time you harvest.