Comments on: Plastic Worm Bin Follow-Along

By: Bentley

Bentley — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 17:15:01 +0000

Mr. Comedian (lol)
I recommend checking out the harvesting section on the hot topics page for links to helpful blog posts on the topic. Davids tub harvesting method is particularly well suited for those with tub systems.
http://www.redwormcomposting.com/popular-vermicomposting-topics/

Generally, I don’t recommend adding composting worms to a regular garden. You would need a lot of rich organic matter in the soil to make it work. Better to use a vermicomposting trench or a worm tower etc (i.e. some sort of vermicomposting habitat that is closely associated with the garden)

By: TheSingingComedian

TheSingingComedian — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 06:53:46 +0000

Hi,
I’m a total newbie at this but am learning a lot!
I just started a mini-bin with a bunch of worms I found while landscaping and am going to buy a pound or two soon…. but was wondering…once the worms start producing lots of castings, how do you separate/harvest the castings out of a bin for fertilizer for my garden?
How many worms do I need per square foot of veggie garden.?
I now live in the Seattle area…

thanks!

By: Steve

Steve — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 15:50:28 +0000

Just found this site about an hour ago and been reading for that amount of time. Can’t believe all the mistakes I have been making. lol. Poor worms. I will be reading daily now and making some serious changes. Thanks so much!

By: Sue

Sue — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 03:43:20 +0000

Bentley,
Thanks for your help.
They are now staying put – in a big wriggling ball under the newspaper.
It is quite an interesting time to remove all the straggler worms – mostly the really small ones – from the ‘old’ stuff. The old stuff is being added to my garden bit by bit.
hmmm maybe I could make some compost tea with it.

By: Bentley

Bentley — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 18:31:19 +0000

Hi Sue,
With the additional details, your situation definitely sounds much better! Shredded newspaper can work well, but if it’s actually been put through a shredder (vs hand shredding larger strips) you may want to mix in something a bit bulkier.

Good idea freshening things up when you received them! A couple of years is a LONG time to leave a worm bin without an overhaul.

By: Sue

Sue — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 17:53:17 +0000

It is shredded newspaper.
Also some cardboard egg containers.
Nearly stuffed to the top with the newspapers.

Wetted but not dripping wet.

When I received them about 2 months ago, they were trying to escape and when the soil was sifted thru, there was only a couple of potato peelings. Not a couple of potatos’ worth but just 3 to 4 one inch pieces. When food was added, they seemed happy. No more escape attempts.

the reason I switched it over was the guy who gave them to me said he had them for a couple of years. And done nothing much with them. So I thot maybe it was time to change their bedding.

Is the newspaper too fine for them?

By: Bentley

Bentley — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 12:43:33 +0000

PATTIE – sorry, I almost missed your comment there! Thanks for your kind words. Always happy to know that people are finding my info helpful (especially when it involves educating kids about this stuff)
8)

By: Bentley

Bentley — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 12:19:31 +0000

In reply to Sue.

“You people”??
Haha (sorry – weird little things make me laugh)

Yep, I do indeed love using shredded cardboard as a worm bin bedding material since it holds water well while providing air spaces for good oxygenation. Having LOTS of good bedding in your system is pretty important. You mentioned “shredded paper” – if it’s white office paper this MIGHT be part of the problem. Using it as a primary bedding material can sometimes create issues if it hasn’t been soaked and drained enough. This paper can contain chemicals that irritate/harm the worms.
Did you let the new bin sit and age for a period of time before adding the worms – or did you set it up the same day you received them? Usually an aging period (for a mix of bedding and food) can help to make the habitat a bit more “worm friendly”

Anyway – a couple things you might try are: 1) leaving the lid off AND 2) shining a light down into the bin. This should help the worms to settle in more quickly assuming the habitat down below is reasonably worm-friendly.

Also – keep in mind that some worm roaming is fairly normal – so don’t be concerned if you regularly find a few adventurous worms up the sides or on the underside of the lid.

P.S. You may want to check out the rest of my plastic worm bin follow-along series (might be some additional helpful details)

By: Sue

Sue — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 05:12:28 +0000

Plastic Worm Bin Follow-Along
I transferred the worm to a paper-shredded bin – well stuffed with paper. You people have stated you use cardboard.
When transferred over, the worms and the apples they were munching on came as a package along with some of the soil? (black stuff). There was enough of it that I did not add any fresh peat moss.
They have been trying to escape up the sides and I am not sure why.
The paper is moist but no where near soaking wet. And another pile of food scraps was added to a different corner.
What’s up with this?
How to fix?

By: Pattie

Pattie — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 00:23:16 +0000

Hi Bentley,
I just want to say “Thanks” for all the information you are sharing. I just found your plastic bin installments, and I plan to follow your directions and advice soon in my 4th/5th/6th grade special ed classroom. We’ll be using “worms” and “soil” for our beginning of the year literature/reading and writing themes. The kids will LOVE having worms in the classroom. Thank you for the emails and the access to so many resources. (By the way, along with numerous picture books on worms & soil, we’ll be focusing on “Diary of a Worm” and “How to Eat Fried Worms”)