Is my plan for catching worms going to work?
I want to catch my own worms for something to do and to make some money out of it if possible. My plan is to create a composter in my back yard by putting food scraps underneath the soil I will be getting the worms from. I will wait about a week or two until it is fully composted. I will moisten the soil each day the food scraps are being composted to get worms to come in that area. Now to get the worms I am going to try a few techniques. I am going to try grunting, which involves putting a stick in the ground and rubbing a piece of iron over top. At the same time, my friend will do the twanging technique with the pitchfork, which involves sticking it in the ground and moving it back and forth. Once we get worms, if any, I will store them in a bin that I will bury underground so that you can only see the lid. To keep the raccoons out, I will put a towel over top and secure it with a piece of yarn. Now if I have great success, meaning getting tons of worms per day, I will use half for fishing, and sell the other half. What I want to know is if my plan is going to work.
Tons of worms every day? They don’t multiply quite that fast. You may need quite a big bed to support the sale of worms in any quantity.
If you use the electricity method, go easy on them. They can’t take much voltage.
Grandpa
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I would like to start composting, but I am confused about the difference between regular composting in a?
compost container, and worm composting. Which is better? What are the pros of a worm composter vs a regular composter.
A regular compost pile is usually full of worms. The worms eat the mostly composted materials and finish the job. A worm cannot eat fresh vegetation. It must be partially composted.
That means that the vegetation you throw in a bucket for the worms will have to stay in the bucket until it is mostly decomposed. A major draw back to worm composting.
The difference between a Compost pile and a container is the heat source. A Compost pile must have a pile of vegetation 3 ft. wide, 3 ft. long and 3 ft. high to build enough heat to start the mold and bacteria decomposition. A Compost container is usually black and absorbs enough heat from the sun to make the molds and bacteria start to work.
Water coming out of composter?
Hi, I’m a first time composter. I put a little of soil in my composter, worms, and compostable items (orange peels, yard clippings, etc.), but every time I look at it, there’s water but the items are being broken down. Everyday I look at it, there’s just more water. It’s not raining over here so I don’t know what’s going on.
This is a natural part of things breaking down.
My worm composter has a spigot at the bottom so I can drain out what I call "worm juice", it’s really just liquid compost. I put about a cup of this stuff in a large watering can of water and use it to feed my many potted plants…they love it!
When it’s dry out and the composting isn’t making much juice, I add water from the top to keep things moist.
worm composting towards better living?
i’m a worm composter. give me an idea on how could i contribute towards a clean town. i learn about worm composting and found that it was good idea for clean environment. i was start it from my backyard(i called it ‘backyard solution’) and i think i can make it for big scale.
thanks for your ideas
Composting keeps food and garden waste out of the landfill and that reduces the methane that goes into the ozone. Besides that, using worm castings as fertilizer reduces the number of chemicals that we need in gardening, thus producing healthier food. Also, take a look at this video on YouTube – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBkpjJCQs30.
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Growing Wheatgrass, using old soil for compost.. reuse?
I grow wheat grass for juicing. I know soil is cheap, but I try to be as efficient as possible so I made a composter out of a 2 foot tall (give or take) garbage bin.
I hand-shredded some old newspaper and put it in the bottom, and put some moist old (used) soil on top. I then added a layer of 3/4 decayed compost (fruits, veggies, other organics), covered with some more used soil (which has withered uncut grass in it) and then a final layer of soggy newspaper shavings. I put the lid on, and turned the bin a bit to loosen it up. Inside are mold mites and a small handful of potworms, and red worms to start.
I have many questions hopefully you gardeners can answer.
*I was hoping to use the composted matter to lay down in trays again and recycle as new soil for wheatgrass growing. Will this work, and is it safe?
*How often, if ever, should I add more worms? I plan to buy about 1lb of redworms to put in. Will they reproduce fine on their own?
*Is using newspaper as dry material safe? I understand it is better for the environment as it will be broken down — but if composted and the soil is then used to grow things like vegetables, wheat grass ect things we eat — will the ink in the paper be harmful to us?
*If the compost is unusable for recycled soil, id still like to keep the bin for reducing organic trash waste.. so any tips would be appreciated 
Thanks!
If you want to use a compost bin, you will have to buy one because they are specifically made for composting. They are made of plastic and have air slots all around them. Compost will rot if it can not be aerated. I have a Compos-Tumbler which works much better than anything I have ever used and it speeds up the process. Compost can be made from just about anything except meat and meat by-products. Grass clippings, weeds, hay, table scraps of veggies, crushed egg shells, and shredded newspapers, but don’t use the glossy sheets. Most newspaper ink now has a soy base and is not harmful. There are garden red worms and fishing red worms and they don’t mix. In other words, do not buy red worms from a bait shop and expect them to eat your garbage. If you are just going to grow a small amount of wheat grass, then it would be cheaper and much more sanitary to purchase a small bag of compost to use for planting.
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how do worms find their way into my composter?
We have lots of worms in our composter. How do they know to go into the composter?
Earthworms have chemical receptors all over their skin that gives them a sense of "taste or smell", that leads them to the new food.
Can you compost in a basic 32 gallon garbage can?
I have a patio garden and invest a lot of money in soil every year. I usually use a blend of Miracle Grow soil, the clean cow manure, and some of the cheaper potting soil. Since I spend so much on the soil every season, can I store it for the winter, in the trash can, and if I added some kitchen scraps, leaves, normal compost stuff and some worms, would it be usable compost in the spring? I don’t have the money to buy one of the composters that you can find on-line. They are $150.00 plus. Will this be a viable way to save the dirt, and compost some to make it better for the next season?
Hello Mrs. V
I was always to poor to know any other way. I have been gardening for 60 years. I don’t know why people love to spend so much money on gardens. I use nothing but natural ingredients. I use no chemicals or pestcides. I think people forget they eat whatever they put on their plants or in the soil.
I just finished canning 23 quart jars of tomatoes. For Christmas gifts, our relatives and friends receive a big basket. Inside is a red and white checked table cloth, 1 jar mixed yellow and red tomatoes, 1 jar pickled beets, 1 jar pickled green cherry tomatoes, 1 jar carrots, 1 jar plum jam, 5 Ruby Red Gradefruit, 10 lemons, and 15 Mandarin Oranges. They love us at Christmas. I also have nine fruit trees. My garden is 20ft x 20ft. You see why I have two 55 gal compost drums.
You sound like you need help on making a good compost bin. Since you are new at compost, it may be easier for you to start with a plastic bin. A 32 gal is just find.
Make sure your bin is away from the house. Compost bins will give off odors. Cut out the bottom and add holes around the sides. You must vent. Place two or four inch bricks shaped like the letter "U or V" on the ground. Place your bin on the top of the bricks. You can shovel compost out of the open end of the bricks when your compost is ready.
Layer in your soil, your vegetable and grass cuttings, dead plants, egg shells, and coffee grounds. Never meat or cooking oils. I mix my compost with chicken manure. Chicken manure is by far the best. Therefore add chicken manure every (about 2 cups) few inches. Keep the mixture lightly moist. You will never buy soil again. A 1cu. ft. of chicken fertilizer will cost about $4. I hope I helped. Good luck to you and your family, from Los Angeles.
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Need advice from experienced worm composter – I’m overrun with pillbugs?
I have been successfuy doing vermiculture for 5 years. Suddenly I have a zillion pillbugs in the bedding. I use a several layered, ventilated plastic composting bin. I know they came in with the small amount of dirt I add for grit when I re-did the bedding – but how do I get rid of them?? I’ve tried hand picking, but they multiply faster than I can pick. I don’t want to use poisons.
what if your finished compost is infested with sow or pill bugs and you want to use it where seedlings are growing? Do you have to start all over again? No. Spread the compost in a thin layer on a tarp in direct sunlight and leave it there to dry. The bugs will bail out quickly.
http://www.organicgardening.com/feature/0,7518,s1-3-79-361,00.html
corn cobs attract sowbugs..spider that eats them exclusively:
http://www.ghorganics.com/page9.html#Sow%20or%20Pill%20bugs:
While sowbugs will nibble on young seedlings and roots, they prefer decayed matter, moist wood, moist decaying vegetation, fallen fruit, manure, carrion, other sowbugs and their own feces. Their coprophagous habits are due in part for a need to extract extra nutrients from their food and to recapture copper, a much-needed metal that is used to carry oxygen in their blood. For the most part sowbugs are beneficials that break down organic matter much like earthworms. These harmless scavengers do not bite, sting, transmit disease nor do they bother clothing or food.
http://www.northcoastjournal.com/041201/garden0412.html
so copper might be an attractant too.
it also says:
they can come in several different colors like tan, pale orange, light gray and even purple or lavender. That is due to molting, but they soon turn dark as their new shell hardens.
While molting is vital in the growing process of all crustaceans, with sowbugs it…
that last part means two things..Neem might work and it might not. I say it might because since sowbugs moult they are candidates to be victims of neem. but since they are crustaceans instead of insects i wonder if it removes them from being candidates of neem.
they are the ONLY land crustacean. and they have gills. <this is a big reason they are doing so well in ur worm bed, because it is moist.
neem is a poison, which you did not want, BUT neem might be an exception because worms happen to love it. they are said to actually proliferate more profusely with it than with regular food<<that doesn’t sound possible (i have a worm colony too!) but:
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=neem+earthworms&ei=utf-8&fr=b1ie7
^^that’s lots of links and we did see one hit that says it might be bad. this page kind of says what we heard about the good stuff:
http://www.wormdigest.org/index.php?option=com_joomlaboard&id=2163&catid=4&func=sb_pdf
a little off topic, but>>the use of it as a fertilizer is kind of alarming because it is said to impart good protection on the plants, suggesting they take some of it up. but it causes temporary infertility in test animals (temporary until they stop eating it). <<that is alarming if it is being incorporated into food crops. It is generally thought harmless on food crops because it breaks down in 50 – 100 hours if exposed to light, water or air. I wonder if it’s properties are preserved in castings created by worms fed on it.
back on topic..
if u look into, keep in mind that what u want is the neem extract, raw leaves or cake, not the oil or soap. the oil and soap have been made in such a way that they do not have the chemical that disrupts the molting process.
so other than all of that, the only other idea we have is doing a deep dive. i mean the pillbugs are said to dig a few inches into the soil but worms can probably go much deeper. so if u made only the bottom of the bin hospitable u may be able to starve out or skim off the top dwellers?
here is a page that has a few worm forums on it. so u can ask around maybe:
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=vermiculture+forum&ei=utf-8&fr=b1ie7
Worm Composters Vs Compost Tumblers?
Which is the most efficient composting way?
I’ve been researching this question myself and ended up choosing worm composting. A compost tumbler if filled completely with a good mix of ingredients and regular tumbling can be one of the quicker methods of generating compost. There were several reasons that I didn’t choose this method: 1) I would need two tumblers, because once it is full, you can’t add anything until it is done composting. I don’t have room for two. 2) It requires more effort as spinning it needs to be done at least every few days. 3) A tumbler doesn’t really go well on my small porch and for sure not in the house. Oddly enough, worm bins can do so easily.
I ended up choosing the Worm Factory 360 even though I know you can make your own bins if you are so inclined. So far the worms (Red Wigglers) are quiet and have no odor and require almost no attention. In about 3 – 4 months I should have some nice compost in my bottom tray and then I should have a tray ready about once a month or so after that. I can add food and paper waste to it any time and it can go for up to a month without any attention, so vacations won’t be a problem.
Either one is a great choice, but one way will probably fit your needs better. Good luck!
What would you say makes up the ‘ideal’ composter?
If you were to buy a compost device what would you want to come from it? How would you think it should work? Should it break the waste up first? Should it be a suitable home for worms?!? What should it be made from… I’m trying to design one and I need lots of suggestions. Oh, and could you give functions for your suggestions? Thanks.
Oh, designing the bin for homework, not for general use!
On gardeners world a few years ago they tested many composters.It was a surprise result.That ugly one that is plastic and you turn upside down every so often as it has legs in the middle of the bin so you can swivel it round.It was the turning that really generated heat to break down matter successfully into compost.So nothing beats turning.
Moving on designing a bin is a waste of time.If you just chuck waste down on the ground it will decompose to compost as it’s nowt to do with the bin.Getting similar matter that rots down at the same pace is vital.Everything will rot down,but a thin twig will take 3 years and vegetable leaves 6 weeks,so they can’t both go in.Orange peel will take about 12 years,but an apple core about 12 weeks.So the skill is combining compatible matter with same pace decomposition and the turning to create air which allows heat to move through the compost.The bin has got bugger all to do with it.l have a bin though in my garden,but this is for aesthetic reasons only.So l made two square bins from pallets,neatly nailed together and wood stained dark brown.Once the first is full,l chuck the lot upside down into the empty one for the turning and then start to fill the empty one.When both are full then the first full one should be compost or mulch so you can empty it and chuck the contents of the other one for turning etc etc.So two bins is a must,good looking,warm location and large sizes,about4ft x 4ft each and 3ft high.No meat or eggs etc as roland rat might give you a fright one day.No orange peel or lemon etc,even if shredded as you might be putting your hand into a wasps nest in august.No garotta,peeing yes,morning pee has twice the nutrients so the first is the most important pee.Worms help turn the compost,but are not essential.Turn the compost using a fork not a spade for greater aeration.Right l could go on but it’s boring as you can’t talk back so l’m off to bed