Worms

Ok I know that worm castings are good and you can raise worms for the castings but can you put worms in a SFG bed and will they live with what's in the soil (MM or some derivative of that ) with out feeding them and would this be a good thing if they would actually live?
Any info would be appreciated.
Thanks
Al

Check out Josh's worm feeder tube made for sf boxes.

https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/general-sfg-talk-f5/worm-tube-for-the-sfg-t1603.htm?highlight=worm+tube

I have worms in my homemade compost that end up in my boxes. They survive just fine even in my table top boxes.

My SFG boxes initially were filled with Mel's Mix with the one third compost component being wormacompost as I didn't like what I saw in the bagged composts which I have never used.I did buy the first bulk lot of wormacompost produced locally by the thousands of tons from all types of green waste then when cold, composting worms are introduced.Ever since I have been producing my own compost and now have three mature worm farms as well.Worms only produce an end product that replicates what they take in plus added enzyms.Therefore they will not produce the same food rich castings in a SFG as in the worm farm or compost heap.Best to add composting worms to the cold compost heap for added benefit.Or use the vericast direct from the worm farm when replanting a square.I have been using wormacompost (1 trowel full) at replanting (live castings) these contain capsules and imature worms which will survive in the SFG for at least a period of time feeding onthe live castings for added benefit.Vermicast added at 10% to your compost at replanting would also be of benifit if you didn't want to add worms to you compost heep.

boffer, I have to thank you for the link to Josh's worm tube, what a great way to introduce worms and all their benefits to the soil and garden. JOSH your the man !

I just spent an hour relocating a 4x4 box. I had to shovel the mix across to the new location, and there were lots of worms in there even though I filled it with worm-free mixture just last year.
I think I'll install one of those worm tubes in the corner of it and see if the worms are better at dealing with kitchen waste than the very slow compost bin is.

Sounds llike a good idea for you to try Icemaiden.

What a job, moving all that Mel's Mix from one 4X4 to a new location. I hope it was fairly dry so it was a little lighter for you to work with. Keep us posted on how you fare with the Worm Tube.

As a general rule, the worms in your garden beds aren't the same breed of worm used in vermicomposting. They are a much hardier species.

If you want to attract garden worms, each fall when you are putting your beds to sleep for the winter, take a hand hoe and dig holes in your squares and bury a couple handsful of fallen leaves in the soil and cover it over. Garden worms love leaves and will happily live there and make castings in your beds.

You can also put used coffee grounds in the corners of your beds to attract garden worms. They love coffee grounds.