Anyone into vermiculture?

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Glitch
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Anyone into vermiculture?

#1

Post: # 41786Unread post Glitch
Wed Feb 24, 2021 12:22 pm

I'm planning on giving it a shot. I'm going to be using 5 gallon buckets and a mix of red wigglers and european nightcrawlers. I actually bought the supplies (minus the worms) last year, but the project fell to the wayside. I was planning on doing a three tier system originally with nested buckets with holes in them, but I am redoing my research because I basically forgot why I decided on that. haha
Miniature enthusiast. USDA Zone 6A.

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Amateurinawe
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Re: Anyone into vermiculture?

#2

Post: # 41788Unread post Amateurinawe
Wed Feb 24, 2021 12:56 pm

I have four 5 gallon work bins sunk into my beds. Not the usual technique, as they are in situe but the worms do well in it, and the compost is dragged in and out the holes below the soil line along with the compost tea. I used red wigglers from my large compost bin out back.
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Glitch
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Re: Anyone into vermiculture?

#3

Post: # 41790Unread post Glitch
Wed Feb 24, 2021 12:58 pm

I've seen some posts about doing it that way and it did look interesting. Nice to hear that it's been successful for you.
Miniature enthusiast. USDA Zone 6A.

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wykvlvr
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Re: Anyone into vermiculture?

#4

Post: # 41795Unread post wykvlvr
Wed Feb 24, 2021 1:37 pm

Buckets? I thought they needed specially built places. Buckets I could do... and it would sure be good for the garden...
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Shule
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Re: Anyone into vermiculture?

#5

Post: # 41799Unread post Shule
Wed Feb 24, 2021 2:03 pm

We thought seriously about having a worm farm, for a while, but we ended up deciding they'd have to be in someone's bedroom (to keep them at the right temperatures). So . . . We didn't do it.

Where do you keep your worm farms? How do you handle the summer heat and the winter cold?
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Labradors
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Re: Anyone into vermiculture?

#6

Post: # 41812Unread post Labradors
Wed Feb 24, 2021 5:54 pm

I kept my worm bin in the basement. It was a large, rectangular Rubbermaid bin with numerous 1/8" holes drilled in the lid.

Linda

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peebee
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Re: Anyone into vermiculture?

#7

Post: # 41831Unread post peebee
Wed Feb 24, 2021 10:09 pm

I have 3 different worm bins outdoors year round, since I live in S CA. I wouldn't call myself a serious wormer though. I just got into it years ago then got too busy with other things. I did do the bins-in-place things, those 5 gallon buckets with holes drilled all over. Didn't do so well for me plus they took up too much real estate in my small beds.
I think they are fun to have but you do need to maintain them. I hate it when I see slugs in the bins!
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Amateurinawe
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Re: Anyone into vermiculture?

#8

Post: # 41836Unread post Amateurinawe
Thu Feb 25, 2021 12:35 am

Because my bins are sunk down and the lids do not have holes, I have a tiny vent holes on the side and larger holes below the soil line. The worms seem to cope throughout the year with changing tempetature. Not had a problem with slugs but then those nothing above ground to get in. it is a bit of fun and not farming them serious but is handy to hand to have a them for any leaf waste nearby. I've never had to empty them as the caste seem to leach out or worms take it in and out naturally.
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AZGardener
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Re: Anyone into vermiculture?

#9

Post: # 41849Unread post AZGardener
Thu Feb 25, 2021 9:18 am

I use 2gal buckets for worm bins in raised beds. My set-up is similar to Amateurinawe's.
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Gardenboy
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Re: Anyone into vermiculture?

#10

Post: # 41863Unread post Gardenboy
Thu Feb 25, 2021 12:35 pm

I've had red wriggler worms now for almost 20 years. I use the large Rubbermaid bins that have lids. U can make small holes in the bottom, but can be messy when U have to move them into the garage. I use a layer of peat then a layer of shredded newspaper for their bedding. It's more work than you think. It is great side dressing for almost all your gardening items except if you don't want a lot of nitrogen. I feed mine banana peels, old lettuce, inside of melons. No acid fruit or veggies. Be careful! They due draw a lot of fruit flies and they are HARD to get rid of if you get them in your house. I clean out my bins every 3 months and separate the poo from the worms. Also you want to make sure you don't get a lot of worms in one bin and overcrowding because they will start to crawl out. I started with 2 bins and now have over 15. It is very rewarding, but again a lot of work.

mikestuff49
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Re: Anyone into vermiculture?

#11

Post: # 41905Unread post mikestuff49
Thu Feb 25, 2021 7:37 pm

I did vermiculture for a few years and my efforts included the "store bought" bins at the beginning to a plywood box outside that was about 6 feet by 3 feet. Both did well. The important thing is to keep them from freezing and give them a good combination of food and bedding. I ended up with more worm compost than I could use.
The best things in life---are not things.

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Glitch
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Re: Anyone into vermiculture?

#12

Post: # 42736Unread post Glitch
Tue Mar 09, 2021 11:53 am

I ended up ordering some worms last week. Hope they ship soon and survive the journey. I'm going to do a bucket set up indoors until the weather warms up a bit and then I'll keep it in the garage. I am also going to sink a bucket in one of my raised beds like [mention]Amateurinawe[/mention]. Fingers crossed!
Miniature enthusiast. USDA Zone 6A.

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Amateurinawe
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Re: Anyone into vermiculture?

#13

Post: # 42742Unread post Amateurinawe
Tue Mar 09, 2021 12:18 pm

[mention]Glitch[/mention] I drilled some holes in the side and bottom which are burried below the soil surface. I also did a couple of tiny vent holes on the side just below the lid. That way I can leave the lid on to stop critters and rain entering and also keep some air replacement. The worms have survived nicely and beginning to become very active as spring arrives so more veg waste going in every week. They sure do love corn cob husks.
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Glitch
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Re: Anyone into vermiculture?

#14

Post: # 42743Unread post Glitch
Tue Mar 09, 2021 12:21 pm

Amateurinawe wrote: Tue Mar 09, 2021 12:18 pm @Glitch I drilled some holes in the side and bottom which are burried below the soil surface. I also did a couple of tiny vent holes on the side just below the lid. That way I can leave the lid on to stop critters and rain entering and also keep some air replacement. The worms have survived nicely and beginning to become very active as spring arrives so more veg waste going in every week. They sure do love corn cob husks.
Excellent! Thank you for all the tips. I really appreciate it. A lid is a must. Do you think raccoons can rip the lid off? I guess I'll find out. I can't stand the little demons and their tiny hands.
Miniature enthusiast. USDA Zone 6A.

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Amateurinawe
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Re: Anyone into vermiculture?

#15

Post: # 42745Unread post Amateurinawe
Tue Mar 09, 2021 12:32 pm

[mention]Glitch[/mention] we don't have racoons but they look quite clever dexterous creatures. I have trouble removing the lids but then I am nambydextrous :-).
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peebee
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Re: Anyone into vermiculture?

#16

Post: # 42769Unread post peebee
Tue Mar 09, 2021 6:43 pm

[mention]Glitch[/mention] I used to put a rock or brick on top of the in-ground bins covers.
I never saw a slug or snail in the in-ground bins, but in one of the aboveground ones, I often find some during certain times of the year. It's one of those bins my city used to offer for sale during composting workshops, they have legs pretty high up supporting the bin so I could never figure out how they got in there.
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JRinPA
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Re: Anyone into vermiculture?

#17

Post: # 42811Unread post JRinPA
Wed Mar 10, 2021 8:32 pm

I had some good bins going inside, years back. Plastic bins, 18 ga sterlites. All was pretty good until I got manure from a different farm. This stuff had all kind of nasty bugs in it that I didn't notice, and pretty much ruined any exuberance for indoor worms. Now all my worms are outside. I have one big rubbermaid with some holes drilled in the bottom an I dug it down about 6" into the ground to keep it from freezing hard. But really it doesn't seem to matter if it does freeze hard, because the eggs/cocoons overwinter and there are worms again in the spring. This bin is fed with horsemanure/paper/scraps. Pumpkin and squash and shredded leaves are about the best thing. This bin creates 1-2 bags of vermicompost, big dog food bags. That is plenty for my seed starting needs. I also seed worms from there into the regular compost piles.

I never found a really good setup for indoors. But the key is to keep the bins fairly sterile regarding other critters. If I did indoors again I don't believe I would even incorporate leaves.

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Glitch
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Re: Anyone into vermiculture?

#18

Post: # 42832Unread post Glitch
Thu Mar 11, 2021 11:36 am

[mention]JRinPA[/mention] Thanks for all the good tips! I would prefer to sink tubs outside but I'm not sure how much I can get away with before my HOA comes pounding on my door again. I was also perhaps overly afraid of total die off in the winter. I could probably strategically hide a bin behind some bigger landscaping... :)
Miniature enthusiast. USDA Zone 6A.

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JRinPA
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Re: Anyone into vermiculture?

#19

Post: # 42837Unread post JRinPA
Thu Mar 11, 2021 2:20 pm

6A is colder than here. But mine definitely overwinter just fine w/o die off since I sunk the bin a few inches. We made some corn on the cob last night, last year's vacuum sealed Incredible, and this thread reminded me how they love the cobs. So I went down to drop the cobs in and there are hundreds of worms there crawling up the side of the plastic. This few days of mild temps really woke them up. That bin is a big plastic one, I'd guess 48x16x16. In January I put pumpkin scraps from a Big Max that was processed at that time into...21 quarts of pumpkin pie filling. So a lot of pumpkin in there breaking down that is making it humid with this warm spell. They don't do too much processing over the winter, but they make it through fine. The lid on there is an old piece of really rough plywood with some 2x4s screwed onto the inside to form shoulders so it can't slide off. And just some bricks on top. Never had a problem with rodents or varmints yet.

I guess they could be hidden, but that is up to you if you want to risk the neighbor problems. I like that buried bucket idea, right in the beds. I've read/saw that before but never tried it myself.

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Amateurinawe
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Re: Anyone into vermiculture?

#20

Post: # 42989Unread post Amateurinawe
Sun Mar 14, 2021 6:44 am

IMG_20210314_112920.jpg
Wakey wakey spring is nearly here !
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The behaviour of light means you observe me as i was then, and not as I am now.
I cannot change history, so I do hope i gave you a good impression of myself

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