This worm bin project has been one of the most enjoyable (and luckily successful) garden experiments I've ever taken on! And after a bumbling attempt at bin migration
last time , I finally got it right! It seems that you have to wait until
both bins are full to harvest the castings from the bottom bin, otherwise you leave too many worms behind. So after separating the bins, here's my prize-a bin
full of rich worm castings (a.k.a. poop! :)
There were a few wormies hanging out on top of this layer, but I dug around and found that none were below the surface. That's because I let the top bin get full and the bulk of the population are happily eating and residing up there. I gathered the stragglers and put them in the top bin...
.....which is resting here on the extra lid saved for this transition. I made these bins myself from the plans
here , and it was really easy! You can certainly spend the $100 or so for a pre-made bin, but making my own was much more satisfying.
Next step is to remove the liquid from the bottom catch-bin. According to the folks in the "worm forums" and other informational
websites , this liquid is called "leachate", and not as good for plants as "castings tea" (but
my plants didn't read this). I water my houseplants with this leachate and they seem to really enjoy it. Hey, the proof is in the results!
There! All put back together for now, I'll add the top bin soon to begin the migration process all over again. This bin is pretty large, so it sits in a spare room out of the way. It doesn't smell, gives me a place to toss veggie scraps year-round (when my outdoor composters are under snow), and provides an endless supply of fishing worms! (Shhhh....don't tell the worms about that part :)
If you've ever wanted to build your own bin, I say
go for it! It's fun, easy, and educational for children ("vermicomposting" is a great science project). There are lots of great resources on the web, and I'm always happy to help in any way I can as an "experienced" worm-wrangler. (I've had this bin going since 2006 with just a few startup
"blunders" :)
9 comments:
It almost looks like chocolate syrup. Almost!
Oooh, look at all the good worm poo. Totally awesome. I want one but the hubby says no. Maybe I can convince him.
MBT-Heh, can you imagine somebody putting that on ice cream as a gag? (It sure WOULD be a "gag"! :)
Meemsnyc-Really? I'd figure a man would want them around for the free fishing bait...guess it just depends on what you're into :)
So. Um. This is wonderful and fish bait is right up my alley. Still er were do you keep all this in the winter. Methinks the lady in charge of home arrangement where I live would throw a fit. I can ever get her to touch them in my fishing boat. :)
Heh, I'm sure the idea of "worms in the house" is a turnoff for lots of folks. My bin stays indoors year-round, in a spare room to be out of the way. It doesn't smell, mostly because of the lid's ventilation and overall bin design. If a bin does have a sour smell, then the pH is off (usually from too much moisture). When I add scraps, I put down a layer of shredded paper first, then top the scraps with coffee grounds or more paper. It will look a bit dry initially, but by the next day it's fine-I almost NEVER add water. Besides, even if the worms "escaped", how far are they gonna get? Not like raising tarantulas, y'know ;-)
I keep threatening to try this, but then I look at this post and think...eh, maybe not. :)
Oh no! That wasn't my intent...I hope it wasn't something I said. This sort of project isn't for everyone I suppose, but I've sure enjoyed it :)
Every time you do an update on this I always say I'm gonna do this project so i can stop buying worm casting, but i never get around to it. I am so lazy. :(
v.
But that's the beauty of it-you don't really have to DO anything after initial setup. Just toss in scraps when you have them and layer with shredded paper. I've ignored these guys for 2 months in the past and they were fine (but hungry :) This migration yielded that whole bin full of castings-a definate money-saver!
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