Worm Composter

I found a worm composter on line at Lehman's. Does anyone know about worm composters or just composters in general?

They appear to be selling the Worm Factory 360. I have used the old model and the new 360. They both work pretty well. The amount of worms they can house and the volume of food they can process in a week are probably over rated.
I am not a worm factory expert just a user.

I currently have 3 rubbermaid type bins each about 6 dollars for the 18 gal /size. Initial purchase of one bin was 7 dollars plus one pound of worms with shipping was another 28 dollars. You can probably find a local source of worms to avoid some long distance shipping lossses. It's more cost effective to start out small while building a personal learning curve. I've learned a lot over the past year!

Like llama mama, I made my own from a Rubbermaid Roughneck Tote (two, actually - one drains into the other). The initial setup was very inexpensive and I soon expanded to a second bin which I gave to a friend, and I am about to start my second, second bin. I'm not sure you really need a fancy worm farm when you're just starting out.

I tried to grow potatoes in some finished compost in a 5 gal bucket indoors over the past couple of months. Watered every once in a while when it seemed dry but nothing ever happened. I gave up and I started throwing in household waste...using the bucket like a scrap holder til I could get outside to the compost pile. When I could finally dump it out yesterday I was shocked to see that it was mostly worms! They were about 2 inches thick! It was amazing. I had my own worm bin and never even knew it.

I didn't think my finished compost had worms in it. Maybe they hatched from eggs?

CC

CC
Absolutely you must've had cocoons. When compost comes down to a nice temperature they use it for their buffet but they return lots of goodies, mate with each other and give you more worms. What kind of wonderful guest gives back probably more than they took?

I'm planning on getting (or making) a worm bin sometime in the next few months. It's expensive to keep buying it, but I think it's an important additive. sooooooooo...

How exactly do you make them? Are there instructions somewhere on here? (if so, I will search)

There is a rather large thread I started early last year called 1000 worms on the way. But I would strongly suggest you get the little book called, Worms eat my Garbage, by Mary Appelhof. I think its a classic introduction, the book has been around quite sometime. There is a very extensive web site called redwormcomposting.com. It's got a Huge volume of material. Great but maybe TMI for just starting out.
I use several 18 gallon plastic containers. If you find local worms on findworms.com then you avoid the killing smelly heat issue that can be a concern with shipping in warm weather. There should be other sites to search too if that one no longer works. If you must get them shipped, order on a Monday so you receive worms the same week. If you forget, most shippers will tell you up front they only ship on mondays or tuesdays anyway. Lastly, it is ideal to start aging your moistened bedding with food a good week or two before the worm kids arrive. The bacterial process will get things up and ready for them as soon as they arrive.

Today I ordered 1000 live meal worms that I will be raising for my chickens. These look so easy to breed and care for. If all goes well with these, then I'm sure that it will only be a matter of time before LM's worm karma drags me deeper into the worm world.

Thanks llama momma! I will find the thread and check out the site. AND order the book! LOL I've seen it before on Amazon. It may actually be saved in one of my lists, but I don't remember.

C'mon Bob, I know you want redworms
Use Darth Vader voice....It...is...your... destiny...heavy breathing...
I'm interested in your meal worm adventure. Would like to grow them fresh for the bluebirds out back but haven't gotten around to it.

jazzy -- go for it, and your worm castings will be super fresh, and be sure to tell Bob all about it

Jazzycat, worms are not hard to raise, and they give lots of castings for the garden. Probably, your worm castings that you've been buying have some worm cocoons in them. You could take your castings, put in a bin, with some shredded paper, and a bit of peelings from veggies, and in a few weeks some cocoons will hatch, maybe.
If not, send me a pm and I think it might be time for a road trip. I'll bring you some worms when you are ready, don't buy any! I'm only about 60 miles, I think.
Jo

... Or you could go to the convenience store or gas station and buy some fishing worms. Those are usually red wigglers.

littlejo wrote:Jazzycat, worms are not hard to raise, and they give lots of castings for the garden. Probably, your worm castings that you've been buying have some worm cocoons in them. You could take your castings, put in a bin, with some shredded paper, and a bit of peelings from veggies, and in a few weeks some cocoons will hatch, maybe.
If not, send me a pm and I think it might be time for a road trip. I'll bring you some worms when you are ready, don't buy any! I'm only about 60 miles, I think.
Jo

Cool! Thanks Jo!

I have noticed, there are a few little sprouts in there sometimes. Not many, but one here and there. I think that's funny.

I'm going tomorrow (hopefully) to get another bag or two. I'll try doing what you said with some of them. Of course, I actually need a bin...


And camprn, thanks! Another good idea.

camprn wrote:... Or you could go to the convenience store or gas station and buy some fishing worms. Those are usually red wigglers.

That's what we did camprn. Every time the boys and I went fishing last year, we bought worms. Any leftovers went into the beds. Last week, when the boys and I mixed in fresh compost, our beds are thriving with crawlers! They obviously have ways of protecting themselves through winter

On the homepage, left hand side, there is a bumpy like tab that if you hover over it, has link to worm topics. Other top notch topics too.

Jazzy
Another idea -- from a composting book, a shoebox (child size shoe box works fine too) with a few holes in the sides. Place it in the ground. Put wet scraps in it to attract free backyard native worms. Things like kitchen waste, peelings for example, oatmeal, old cereal, etc. A good handful or so. In a few days to a week the contents will start rotting nicely and the native worms will move right in to break everything down. This is how I collected backyard worms to fill an experimental worm tube. Even when I removed the worm tube that particular sfg box had the most worms remaining months later. They must have bred and left cocoons. I've got several shoe boxes ready to corral worms to fill all of my sfg boxes with worm tubes.

llama momma wrote:Jazzy
Another idea -- from a composting book, a shoebox (child size shoe box works fine too) with a few holes in the sides. Place it in the ground. Put wet scraps in it to attract free backyard native worms. Things like kitchen waste, peelings for example, oatmeal, old cereal, etc. A good handful or so. In a few days to a week the contents will start rotting nicely and the native worms will move right in to break everything down. This is how I collected backyard worms to fill an experimental worm tube. Even when I removed the worm tube that particular sfg box had the most worms remaining months later. They must have bred and left cocoons. I've got several shoe boxes ready to corral worms to fill all of my sfg boxes with worm tubes.

I love this idea llama mama! What an inexpensive way to obtain worms. You rock!

bnoles wrote:Today I ordered 1000 live meal worms that I will be raising for my chickens. These look so easy to breed and care for. If all goes well with these, then I'm sure that it will only be a matter of time before LM's worm karma drags me deeper into the worm world.

Hello all... I've read all the posts on this thread and I find it all fascinating. I wanted to know from you worm experts: If I use neem oil spray on my plants, and the neem oil drains into my soil... will it kill the worms? My daughter and I have held off on depositing the earthworms we find into the soil of her potted raspberry bush. We are afraid the worms will be doomed by the neem oil run off.

Glad you liked the shoe box worm corral idea. I enjoyed getting free worms! About Neem, I don't know if it harms worms, if your boxes are on the ground and the worms don't like it my guess is they'll take off till the environment improves for them. If no one here knows for sure then I'd call your extension service for advice. Maybe the fine print on the neem bottle will mention something. I think worms are in the what, helminth(?) family so if it says a anti-helminthic that would be pretty bad for worms. Oops just saw the plant in question is in a pot, I bet worms would squeeze out the drainage holes if they needed to escape

llama momma wrote:Jazzy
Another idea -- from a composting book, a shoebox (child size shoe box works fine too) with a few holes in the sides. Place it in the ground. Put wet scraps in it to attract free backyard native worms. Things like kitchen waste, peelings for example, oatmeal, old cereal, etc. A good handful or so. In a few days to a week the contents will start rotting nicely and the native worms will move right in to break everything down. This is how I collected backyard worms to fill an experimental worm tube. Even when I removed the worm tube that particular sfg box had the most worms remaining months later. They must have bred and left cocoons. I've got several shoe boxes ready to corral worms to fill all of my sfg boxes with worm tubes.

I love this idea! Heading to the out building now to look for some shoe boxes, will plastic ones work? I knew you would finally find a way to drag me into this... I just knew it!

Sure the plastic should be fine, all my redworms live in plastic containers in the basement. Enjoy your wormies! And by the way... FINALLY GOTCHA Congrats, Worm-Daddy!!

llama momma wrote:And by the way... FINALLY GOTCHA Congrats, Worm-Daddy!!

Hey! I thought I was the "Chicken Daddy"

Thanks for the reply, I found some plastic ones in the shed and will put them to work with my grandson over the weekend.

hahaha! I just love the way this thread has evolved.

Thanks for all the tips. I can't wait to get started on this project, but it will have to wait a few weeks. Although... hmmm, I wonder if the worms are attracted to bokashi, because I buried a bucket full (my first) about 2 weeks ago where I want to plant the blueberry bushes. I believe it should be ready by now, but it's raining, so I haven't planted them yet.

Bokashi ferments the food (with EM) to make it super easy/fast for composting. I wonder if there are worms there now...

llama momma wrote:Another idea -- from a composting book, a shoebox (child size shoe box works fine too) with a few holes in the sides.

LM do you only put the holes in the sides. What about the bottom?? Are you trying to get the worms to come up into the box or just below the box.