Let's see your worm bins!

[urbanfarmer]

Oops, I don't know why I said 3/8" (I might have been thinking my 3/8" drill instead of my 1/2" drill, IDK)... but, I meant 3/32" drill bit...

If the area gets drenched for too long and compacted, they start to drown. I did this once when I had my first worm bin. They crawled out of it and all over the house. I have never kept them inside since They absorb oxygen through their skin using a mucus that sticks to it. I had worms living in my aquarium gravel for 4 months before I dismantled it. They're kind of like fish, but they don't taste as good... I kid I kid

Anyway, in my experience the worms breed as long as there is adequate moisture. Just like in aquaponics, you want the proper balance of things (pH, moisture, temperature, carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, aeration, etc). It does not have to be drenched, and to keep the anaerobic bacteria from stinking your bin up, I would at most just mist the top layer as you rotate the material. However, there is Truth to what you say. I have noticed a majority of the eggs are in the bottommost of my bins that I don't turn often. The bottom of the bin tends to stay very moist and sometimes a bit like mud, but I think that's normal and it does not smell. I have noticed as well sometimes the worms find these little crevasses just under the lid that fill up with water when I spray, and they seem to be "doing their business" in the pools. Anyway, that's my 2 1/2 cents...

P.S. Have you seen the bins the University of Hawaii uses at their aquaponic facility? I really like their design, I am going to try their setup.

[JeffW]

Thanks all...I am still getting use to glasses so my grammar is bad and spelling...I am sorry, if I had a secretary it would help but ya'll know what I am trying to say.

I meet with a man today, he wants me to sell to him "whole sale" and I am not sure what to say or how to go about it. I am not great at marketing all I like to do is "make it happen" such as get the things I need and produce a product. There are good smart people around me so there is support for advice which helps. Anyway this is a BIG day for me and my vision. Started with nothing, still have nothing but I do have passion and feel optimistic about the future. Wife is tapping her fingers though so I need results soon!

[davidstcldfl]

Wish I could give you some advice about the worm sales......But I don't know either...
As far as your wife goes, start doing the dishes..if it doesn't make her happy, it'll at least distract her..... :P

[JeffW]

picture of nematode at 40x using a live web cam (camera) mounted on microscope, i can this results real time on laptop then either make movie or snap picture. Need 400X for the right job though.

Is anyone familiar with mycorrizae? The fungi that grows with plant roots? It is now discovered most of the humus in soil is made not just by worms but also Mycorrhizal Fungus. Now I find worm castings have the spores so when you incoculate soil with castings then plant your allowing for fungal conditions. Plants growing with that symbiotic relationship will grow better,bigger and fight of disease and pest far better than any other methods know to man. This is amazing what we are discovering now days. They sell the stuff in powder form in containers and now use it for hydroponic so I am wondering if it is able to grow in aquaponic as well. Maybe I will check and see what I can find out. The roots are longer with endomycorrical growing with the roots because the roots can uptake potasium and water much better and easier due to the hypha http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypha

[JeffW]

this winter will be interesting...I have a plastic ring 90 inch diameter and full of leaves and food waste from neighbor that does the juicer. It is cold at night and the temp on surface of leaves is warm to the touch. With this much mass and about 1 million tiger worms I should have about 3 million worms by April and it is Nov now.

I am getting good at managing the worms in large numbers so the size of this ring out in the
pole barn does not scare me, matter a fact it has NO BOTTOM it is bottomless like a dancer in Navy bar ...I laid down landscape blocks all leveled on the ground then a ton of leaves that were pulled of the brussel sproat plants after harvesting them (HUGE LEAVES) these were the bedding
then I put a layer of leaves on them. Next I dumped 15 gallons of carrots scraps,apples all the
stuff one juices with. This was for the WORMS but it also is my Nitrogen source and once
it mixed with the leaves the HEAT started to rise. Microbes and worms all having a feast!

The game plan is that the worms will have a warm bedding and a food source ALL winter
and this will all break down by spring, not to mention LOTS of worm castings and cocoons.

When I get my 20 foot "flow through" worm bin built it will sit right next to this ring so all
I have to do is "lift the ring" and move it away then with a flat nose shovel I can
scoop all this up and toss it into the new raised worm bin. Once the worms are in there it
will be the same as my present worm bin where I can harvest castings from bottom but
the worms stay in the bin above.

Just had to share this...because after 4 years I am finally getting some calls from real
businesses wanting my castings in large amounts. At $1.50 a pound this might be my
dream come true. AND I will NOT allow any worms to be fed with food that is GMO

Quality castings is my number 1 goal see? I want to keep the track record good and clean.

JEFF

[commander]

Ok. here is mine. The worms arrived this evening and I got them all moved into their new home and put to bed (worm bed, get it. . ok ok ). We will see how it goes from here.

[Sequoia]

The liquid that leaks out of an over wet worm bin is NOT worm tea. It is called leachate, and it is not nearly as beneficial to your plants as true worm tea. Leachate contains only minimal amounts of microbial life, and some of that is anaerobic. Sure, water your plants with it and it won't hurt, but it's not that great.

Worm tea is brewed by placing worm castings in dechlorinated water. Often an air bubbler is added, but I've not found molasses to be needed. The air bubbler ensures that it remains aerobic, which is what you want.

A bin that is properly wet should not have water running out of it. You want the bedding to be about as moist as a wrung out sponge. A little wetter and the worms will be fine, but again, if water is running out that is too much water.

A flow through bin is also very easy to make, and I have found that my worms process more food in my flow through bin than in my standard tub. I think it's do to airflow, since the bottom breathes as well as the top. Just a hypothesis, though.