Anyone into vermiculture?

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Amateurinawe
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Re: Anyone into vermiculture?

#21

Post: # 43000Unread post Amateurinawe
Sun Mar 14, 2021 9:55 am

And this is how deep I sink the bins...
IMG_20210314_145106.jpg
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maxjohnson
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Re: Anyone into vermiculture?

#22

Post: # 43005Unread post maxjohnson
Sun Mar 14, 2021 10:21 am

You can use totes and make sure to give enough air holes.

But for me it’s easier to just have a compost pile on the ground and the worms will do the work. Mainly I just mulch my raised beds overwinter and the worms and other critters does work.

I grew with strawbale last year and this spring the bale mostly turned into very rich compost, the worms seem to love that.

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JRinPA
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Re: Anyone into vermiculture?

#23

Post: # 43040Unread post JRinPA
Sun Mar 14, 2021 7:22 pm

Do you see any eggs?
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zendog
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Re: Anyone into vermiculture?

#24

Post: # 43808Unread post zendog
Sun Mar 28, 2021 11:02 am

I've kept some rubbermaid tubs of them going in the basement for several years. My biggest issue is that I don't have drainage in them and sometimes it gets pretty wet in the containers. I keep several going so if one gets too wet and starts to crash, I just dump it, worms and all into the compost bin. The next one I set up I'll put some small drainage holes in it so I can collect the worm tea and keep them drier.

I'm curious how people go about separating the worms and castings? Any good suggestions for doing this?

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JRinPA
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Re: Anyone into vermiculture?

#25

Post: # 43874Unread post JRinPA
Mon Mar 29, 2021 6:21 am

I never tried to harvest the lechate. I did have holes in the bottom and had some leakage at times, but I didn't have it tilted to a drain tube with a wire cup as filter on the inside.

When I had them in the cellar, I used to dump and hand sort on a sunny day outside. On one of those mylar type dog food bags, cut wide open. The worms burrow immediately, and I'd take of the vermicompost and put the worms back in. I'd do like 2/3 of the bin, put the worms back in the old 1/3 and add 2/3 new material back in.

You must take care though not to leave them outside too long, with too little cover. The sun can kill them. I lost a batch one year, trying to resort the same group by size. I think it was the third sort on the same pile. After 30 minutes I realized I had some dying, and then whole group was just dead a few minutes later. I don't think it was that hot, 75-80, but it was bright, and there was a much different feel in the shade. I think the radiation killed them, not the heat. They can't have much protection. They were under some cover yet but either not enough or just too long exposed. I was pretty upset with myself.

I sorted worms dozens of times like this, every 8-10 weeks, without that happening, and then it did.

For harvesting eggs and worms out of the bin, I do remember a trick with burlap on tops and lightly covered. The worms love the texture and will nest there, and you can pull the burlap and transfer it to another bin.

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JRinPA
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Re: Anyone into vermiculture?

#26

Post: # 43875Unread post JRinPA
Mon Mar 29, 2021 6:42 am

When I had them in the basement, I never tried to harvest the lechate. I made tea from VC at times, but not the drainage. I did have holes in the bottom on some bins and had some leakage at times, but I didn't have it tilted to a drain tube with a wire cup as filter on the inside. I sat them on some corrugated cardboard, no real issues.

I used to dump and hand sort on a sunny day outside. On one of those mylar type dog food bags, cut wide open. The worms burrow immediately, and I'd take of the vermicompost and put the worms back in. I'd do like 2/3 of the bin, put the worms back in the old 1/3 and add 2/3 new material back in.

You must take care though not to leave them outside too long, with too little cover. The sun can kill them. I lost a batch one time, trying to re-sort the same group by size. I think it was the third sort on the same pile. After probably 30 minutes I realized I had some dying, and then whole group was just dead a few minutes later. I don't think it was that hot, 75-80, but it was bright, and there was a much different feel in the shade. I think the radiation killed them, not the heat. They can't have much protection. They were under some cover yet but either not enough or just too long exposed. I was pretty upset with myself.

I sorted worms dozens of times like this, every 8-10 weeks, without that happening, and then it did.

For harvesting eggs and worms out of the bin, I do remember a trick with burlap on tops and lightly covered. The worms love the texture and will nest there, and you can pull the burlap and transfer it to another bin.

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