I have had my worms for a couple years now. This year, for the first time, I have quite a few worms starting to show up on my garage floor dried and dead. There are still quite a few hanging out in their bin, doing what they should be doing. Problem is I don't know why some of them are starting to "migrate." Does anyone have any thoughts on this? Is it a PH thing? Not sure, maybe they need more food?
Any thoughts on the matter would be greatly appreciated, thank you!
Worms leaving their bin
bevoren, I can think of half a dozen reasons why they might be migrating and pH is one of them. Check and see if they are building up in the corners of your bin or whatever you are keeping them in. If so, you may have a media problem. I routinely add several handsfull of fresh media each time I feed my bins which is two or three times weekly. If the worms are not consuming the food quickly enough the media sours and they will start to leave their container. I keep a two bulb, four foot florescent light fixture above my four bins which keeps the worms in place as well. Migration is normal but if you are seeing an increase in this activity there are a number of reasons. I will send you a copy of my vermiculture procedure to look over...maybe there is something there which might be helpful.
Could you post that for all of us. I am just beginning. I have all my bins ready and have ordered by red worms. I am reading anything I can get my hands on so I do not destroy my new friends.
Sharon, will do but please undertand this is work in progress. Some redundancy and not as clear as I would like it to be, but here goes...
RAISING RED WIGGLEERS FOR COMPOSTING AND GARDEN
MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES:
Large Rectangular Plastic Storage Containers – Approx. 20-Gallon Capacity
Blender for Emulsifying Worm Food (vegetable/fruit peelings/egg shells)
Hand Garden Fork and Trowel
Plastic Kitchen Type Gloves
Nylon Mesh Aquarium Net (four to six inches across)
Large Bail(s) Canadian Peat Moss (fine grade)
Five Gallons Plastic Pails with Lids (at least three new white pails)
Overhead Light Source
White PVC Pipe – (2-inches in diameter)
Turkey Baster
Supply of Old Nylon Stockings
Sheet of Quarter Inch Screen
Scrap 1” x 2” Boards or old rugs
Starter Supply of Red Wigglers (also known as leaf-worms)
STARTUP PROCEDURE
Soak peat moss overnight; preferably in warm water. A hose attached to the bottom spiket of a hot water heater can be used for the water supply. I typically use gravel siphoned aquarium water or even rain water and once the presoaked peat moss has been removed I toss the water in the compost bin or the evergreens.
The soaking process removes excess acid from the peat. Red Wigglers are fairly pH tolerant, but the closer to a neutral pH in the media the better. Too much acidity in the worm media can lead to problems.
Use plastic gloves to thoroughly mix the water with peat moss, breaking up any clumps.
After the peat moss has soaked for about 24 hours, extract as much water as possible using the plastic gloves and fish net. Place a handful or two of the soaked peat into the aquarium net, twist the mesh portion, and squeeze out as much water as possible.
Swirling the net around the bucket will remove the remaining residuals which cannot be removed by hand. I usually save the bottom residuals which are very fine for germination and potting mixes.
Remove each semi-dried ball of soaked peat from the fish net and break it up into a clean 5-gallon bucket to be used as necessary.
STARTING A NEW WORM BIN
When starting a new worm bin, I fill a 30 gallon plastic or Rubbermaid tub to within four inches of the top. Squeezing a handful of media should not produce more than a couple of water. If necessary, using rubber gloves, mix add small amounts of fresh water until you have a consistency of a damp sponge.
Worms are ready to be added. Place the new worms and the media they came in on top of the bin(s). Remove and discard the shipping media once the worms have been dispersed.
As a rule of thumb one to two worm bins per household member should be sufficient to handle the amount of peelings and egg shells produced by a family during the warmer months. Reduce to half that number in winter months, but no fewer than two bins. Redundancy is important in maintaining a constant supply of worms.
FEEDING AND MAINTENANCE
Vegetable and fruit peelings can be blending with about a cup of water to form an emulsion to be fed to the worms. (The glass bowl type blenders is more expensive than plastic, but much easier to keep clean.)
Orange, apple, banana, potato, cucumber, squash, green pepper, tomato peelings or their parts all work well in the blender. When using large pieces, cut down to smaller sizes.
Avoid blending banana stems, celery, stringy beans, tough rinds from melons, lettuce (unless finely chopped), or onions. These materials will hang up in the impeller blade.
Place the emulsified food in a trench made with a garden hand fork, thoroughly mixing the food emulsion with the media before covering with about an inch or two of media.
Completely cover the food source to avoid attracting large flies.
Ground up egg shells added with peelings when grinding in the blender helps reduce acidification problems which include an over population of white spider mites, or souring of the media. There will always be an assortment of other life forms in a worm bin but these should be maintained at a minimum with proper pH, the correct amount of moisture, temperature, and food supply. The balance is really not that difficult with a little experimentation. When feeding I like to add a couple of handfuls of the soaked and dried peat moss to help absorb excess moisture and keep the mix ‘sweetened’.
Feeding is a variable depending on the number of worms present and the time of year. Once a week may be sufficient in new or startup bins. A rotating three trench method in established bins works well. If there is still evidence of residual food in a trench on the fourth time, back off on the feeding schedule.
If the media becomes too moist, or sour from over feeding, there will usually be a migration of the worms to the corners of the bin, or making attempts at escape, especially at night.
Removal of excess moisture can be done several ways. The conventional method is to drill holes into the bottom of the worm bins. An alternate method is to cut a section of 2-inch PVC the depth of the worm bin and drill a number of small holes into the side of the pipe. Using several rubber bands attach a piece of nylon hose to the plastic pipe leaving the top end open. Place the pipe upright in the corner of the worm bin. A turkey baster can be used to remove the excess moisture (lechate), as necessary. This lechate makes excellent plant food even for young seedlings.
Adding about 15 percent new soaked and squeezed peat moss per month will keep the worm bin media fresh. Working in small amounts of new media when feeding the worms is the easiest method. This also helps to prevent excessive moisture problems in the media.
Always keep a ready supply of replacement media which has been soaked and squeezed in a reserve covered five gallon bucket, ready to be used as necessary. Add as necessary as makeup or replacement media, or use to reduce moisture content of media in the worm bins.
The worm media should be moist at all times, but not to the extent that excessive moisture can be squeezed out of a hand full. Again, adding new peat moss which has been soaked, and as much water removed as possible will reduce excessive moisture in the worm compost media.
If the very top of the media is dry enough to easily remove up to half an inch with a hand trowel, then the moisture level is just about perfect
This allows easy removal of spent compost (lots of worm casings) for use in potting and germination mixes without having to deal with separating worms from media.
Using a garden hand trowel remove a thin, dry layer of the spent media from the surface of the worm bins prior to feeding. Store the removed spent media in covered five gallon buckets(s). Periodically check and turn the stored media removing any seedlings which have sprouted.
Before using the spent media for potting soil or germination mixes, grate through a ¼ inch screen.
A seed germination mix can be made starting with a 50-50 mix of spent worm media and peat moss (soaked and drained as in the procedure above). One problem with this is rogue tomato seedlings from the spent worm media. Frequently turning the spent media in the bucket will remove the majority of the sprouted seeds. Heating the spent media in a small oven at 120 degrees C for 20 minutes also helps reduce the number of viable seeds. Even if a heating process there may still be some rouge tomato seeds which may sprout.
Too much moisture can cause the media to sour and turn anaerobic, giving off offensive odors and attracting flies. Over feeding causes the media to become too moist, so try cutting back on the amount of emulsified food.
Adding a tablespoon of imitation vanilla to the emulsified food mix can help reduce odor problems. Media should have an earthy smell when everything is working right.
Once every couple of months turn the entire worm bin media using rubber gloves and a small handled garden fork to loosen up the compacted media. Uniformly mix in any new media which is added.
With the right amount of moisture and heat the worms will begin laying eggs. Newly hatched earthworms are miniatures of the adults and are only several millimeters long after hatching. If the media is too dry or the temperature is below 50 degrees F there will be little or no new worm production, which is acceptable for the winter months.
If all other conditions are correct and there is no evidence of worm hatches, try increasing the moisture content a little at a time until the newly hatched worms can be seen. This can be done as well by increasing the amount of feed, but only as much as the worms can handle without souring the media.
A constant light source will help keep worms from leaving the bin. Be cautious about the placement. Even florescent lighting can produce enough heat to melt certain plastics if the two come into contact.
Do Not allow the media to freeze. Avoid placing worm bins directly on concrete floors. I use old rugs on a concrete floor covered with a rubber mat.
During the gardening season there should be an ample supply of worms to add directly to the garden, or to compost piles once the heat has dropped. Scoop out a 3# coffee can of worms along with worm bed media, and deposit both directly into the garden or the compost bin. Make sure the compost is not too hot for the worms: The optimum temperature range is between 40 degrees and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Worms from peat moss compost bins can grow up to four or more inches, and 1/8 inch thick. Once removed to the garden waste compost bin, they will revert back to a dark red color, and be no more than two inches long, and about 1/16 of an inch thick.
I did a quick prereview and made a couple of changes which might make this easier to read. I will work on it some more to approve the appearance and readibility for blogging or whatever. Hope this helps. Questions, comments, criticisms always welcome.
morgan
Thanks for all the feedback everyone! I am looking forward to spring when I can harvest my castings and 'refresh' their bedding when its warmer. My castings are starting to build up, I think that might be part of the problem. The weather/barometer point might also come in to play, as we've had quite a bit more cold weather activity/conditions this winter than last. And that was about the time they started getting a bit of wanderlust.
Thanks again guys/gals!
That was absolutely great. I think I have it. Got notice Red ones were shipped so should be here Monday or Tuesday. One thing youm forgot and I knew but did it wrong anyway. You add water to Peat Moss not Peat Moss to water. The minute I tried pushing in down in the very full of water large container, I knew I was in trouble and remembered. I had peat moss everywhere but in the water. I wanted to get that 24 hour soak. I also forgot warm water. I will add that tomorrow morning. I am going to store them in my laundry room because the garage will be to cold in the winter and to hot in the summer. I read somewhere reds could not live in dirt. Is that correct? Again, thank you very much and I will keep you posted.
SharonKWinter- something else about your peatmoss: make sure you don't use any fortified types (like Miracle Grow peat) because fertilizers make your worms unhappy. By the way, your worms love coffee grounds, and Starbucks will give you all you can handle, just ask 'em. Also, I put all my melon rinds, banana peels, old lettuce, and other vegetables in the freezer and then I un-thaw them in the microwave before I feed to my worms. Freezing starts the breakdown process and it helps the worms attack the food quicker. Just "food" for thought (sorry for the pun....)
bevoreno, thanks so much,. I have so many rules in my mind I hope I can keep them straight. I will keep everyone posted. I am so excited, Had a cake and ice cream party for my 48 year old daughter tonight. Everyone is very excited about my worms. I really think they think I have lost my mind. But this is not the first time and I am only 67. Wait until I am 87 then they had better worry..
Sharon,
If it helps any, don't worry too much about keeping your rules straight. Honestly, I have broken just about every 'rule' with my worms, and they are doing great. Things I haven't done right include: -not feeding them for a couple weeks at a time
-letting their bin get too dry/too wet
-letting their castings build up without new bedding for too long: to the point where just about everything in their bins is castings
-maybe overfeeding at times in the winter when its cool and they cannot eat as much/as quickly
My worms are still perking along, though, and hopefully no one more attentive than myself will admonish me here because I've slipped at times. Just thought you might like to know they aren't too high maintenance.
Good luck and keep us posted! By the way, my family thinks I'm out of my mind, too! Maybe its a vermicomposting thing!
Thanks so much. That info will ease some of my anxiety. I have been lazy today but I am going to get my two beds completed today. Probably will have three but I am starting up with two. Have a great day.
bevoreno hit the nail on the head...worms are VERY forgiving. I have four 30-gallon tubs sitting on a layer of carpet/rubber matting/6-ft seed heating mat. The ambient temperature in my garage is between 40 and 50 F. If I left these bins on bare concrete I would loose about 10 degrees. With the heating mat I can regulate the temperature to about 60 plus degrees and keep activity moving. However, I once left for two weeks and left the heating mat plugged in. I returned to four bins completely dried out. I thought I had lost my entire culture, but I went ahead and rehydrated each bin. Within a short time worms were reappearing. From where I can't say because I didn't see a single worm while I was mixing and adding water. And I'm talking adult worms, not babies.
I did not mention the heating mat in my instructions because of the problem mentioned above. It's way too easy to forget and bake your worms. The other thing I use the heat mat for is to let the media dry out some so it's a little damp. Then I do what I call a power feed and mix. I divide each bin into four sections and dig down close to the bottom of each section with a hand fork to loosen the packed media. Then I add a blender full of wornkashi to each quadrant and bring the moisture content back up to a respective level. I have heard that worms don't like to be disturbed but I do this nearly complete mix every few months. I leave maybe an inch or two on the bottom undisturbed when I do this and I haven't see any ill affects.
Since I strarted using the wormkashi I have been able to increase the amount of feed without having an over feeding problem, which is identified by a noticeable bad odor in the bin. It is also much easier to maintain a more uniform moisture content. As stated before it's a good idea to add some new media when feeding, which in the case of the soaked and wrung out peat moss, it acts as an absorbant for excessive moisture.
OK, I have my 2000 worms in my worm pen. Had to put them in one because I am a 67 year old blond I was no ready. Anyway, I went to the feed store yesterday and purchased dried molasses and alfalfa pellets. Only gardener in th place. Good place for a gardener to go if you want to be looked at. They do not see many females with manicured fingernails. I knew I need the Molasses for my worm casting compost tea but would my babies like them if soaked in whatever? Maybe beer. We do not drink so I would have to go purchase beer. I was also going to soak the alfalfa pellets. I read worms love them as much as coffee grounds and 50 pounds were $10.00.
My trip was an interesting adventure. If you are looking for a mate or companion, just visit the feed stores. They were staring and I am 67 years old. They looked like they had not seen a female in a long time. I even got a discount. LOL.
Last question. How much air should I allow my worms? Light...
Sharon, I have considered adding alfalfa to the outdoor horse manure compost bin in the spring, but I don't currently use alfalfa as worm feed. I remember a comercial grower who used alfalfa as worm feed for canadian night crawlers and he warned against feeding them the alfalfa with an oil additive I believe. I keep harvest scraps frozen in 5-gal pails in my shed until I can process them. I'm about half way through what I had saved and it may be another couple months before the rest is processed as worm food. The wormkashi is working really well. Worms are nice and fat...loaded with eggs, and lots of baby worms. I Motel 6 my worms. i.e., I leave the light on for them...constantly!!! As for air I'm not sure what you mean. The complete mix I mentioned is done several times a year, but not on any particular schedule. It's pretty much a judgment call based on how compacted the media has become. Other than my sister-in-law I don't know too many 60 year old blonds, and she's a dye job...so can't blame the ole boys for lookin Sharon!
I have a lid on my worm pen. Should I have a lid. I have not set up a light. I will do that tomorrow. What about heat? My worms were all alive and moving. That was good thing. I need to make a report on Market Watch. Thank you so very much for your assistance. OBTW, my hair is blond with the help of my hairdresser. I had blond hair when I was younger but now would be a yucky yellow gray.
Sharon...I would advise against a lid. With the proper amount of moisture in your media, worms will be all over the bottom of the lid. If the lid isn't secure they will be all over the place. Air and light exposure is necessary to prevent moss or mold from growing on the surface of the media, and if you remove the top dried layer of media to use in germination and potting mixes, it must be dried out to prevent removing worms as well. Again use caution with the placement of you light. I use a two 48" bulb florscent light fixture resting on 1" x 4" boards so the heated bulbs do not come into contact with the plastic containers. Even florscent bulbs left on continuously can melt plastic! As for using a seed heating mat for keeping the worm bins warm you need to use caution here as well. Don't over heat the media, and check daily for proper moisture content. A heating mat if left on continuously can depleat moisture in the media in a mater of days. I use a soil thermometer to check the temperatures in the bins daily when using the heat mat. No two bins are alike, so I check all four. When any one of the bins reaches 60 F or higher I turn off the heat mat and let the media return to ambient room temperature of around 50 degrees. Most people would not care to go to this extent of maintenance, preferring to check their worms once or twice a week. Since I use these worms to feed my fish as well, I use a rotating patern of feed, but each bin gets checked daily to make sure conditions are correct.
He we go again. Thank you very much. I checked and no worms are on the lid yet and the temp is 62. No heating mat either. I will get the lights hooked up first thing tomorrow. I am going to put the first pen on a small table just in case our two schnauzers decide they like rotten food and worms. I need to get more peat moss because I used two full bags on my first pen. I will go tomorrow. It is only about 8 miles from the house.
I use 1/4-inch welded screen on top of my binds to keep the cat from using it as a liter box. What is the moisture content of your media like? At 62 F, you should have had condensation on the underneath side of the lid or cover. This sounds like a pretty huge bin to have used two full bags of peat moss. How large were the bags?
Sharon, I have a 2'x3'x4' pine bin that I made myself. It sits off the ground with holes drilled in the bottom for drainage. I built the bin so a steel drip pan (new, of course) catches whatever drips, which is rare because I don't keep my medium too moist. Anyway, I happen to have a hinged lid on my bin, and living in the dry, arid climate of Reno I believe its beneficial because it keeps the humidity higher inside the bin. Without the lid my bin would dry out faster than I could keep up, I can pretty much ignore my bin for a couple weeks in the winter without worrying about the medium drying out. Anyway, every climate is different, keeping a lid off would increase the light and your worms wouldn't be quite as inclined to leave.
I wouldn't be too concerned what to feed your worms. I feed them mainly old bananas and melon rinds, easy things to break down. Also, coffee grounds are high on the worm enjoyment list- you can get all you can take for free at your local Starbucks. Like I mentioned before, if you freeze your feeder vegetables you will have a quicker break down for your little buddies.
Hope it helps, let me know if you have any more questions. Sounds like you have a pretty good start judging by the feedback from all the folks on this thread!
So far we are doing OK. I think you are right because my medium is drying out fast. Individuals just do not understand 15% humidity outside like it is in the Southwest. Even lower inside. Everyone here at DG has been great sharing all their knowledge. I have them on one side of the container with the food on the same side. Then I will move the food to the other side on next feeding. That was a suggestion from a DGer and I thought it was very smart. I will keep you posted. Thanks again.
This is a wonderful thread, as I'm on the edge of starting my own worm bin....
Still reading and trying to figure out how best to start since we are right in the middle of winter, (even if we happen to be in a warm spell right now...lol)
Janet
I have mine in a very large lidded Rubbermaid basket with no holes. I think it is a 50 gallon. We are cold here with no humidity or very little, so I have mine in the laundry room. I did have the lid off but put it back on because the bed was drying out to quickly. Mine will probably be in the laundry room in the summer because it then will be to hot. There is no smell. I filled the bottom 1/4 with cross shredded paper and then the rest with peat moss soaked over 24 hours and then drained well. I used my compost strainer and placed it over a bucket and then placed the peat moss on the strainer and pushed the water out into the bucket. Then I used the water on some of my dormant beds. I ordered the worms from Uncle Jim. He advertises on DG. All the worms arrived alive and well. I planned on two boxes but the worms got here to quick so have everything in order before you order your worms because mine came in 4 days. When I get over my current lung bug, I am going to put together the other one and split them in half. I ordered 200 red wiggleses.
Mraider3 is very knowledgeable and willing to help all the time and is very patient with newbies. bevoreno was very helpful with reminding me we have very little humidity. Everyone is very helpful. I was over in soil and composting learning about worm casting tea for your plants. That is what got me started on the forum and then say the thread for the worms and vericomposting. The rest is history. Enjoy, you will not find a nicer group of gardeners.
Here is a worm bin I developed for the kitchen or laundry room.
The idea is to have the bin so close to the source of food that it is more convenient to use.
The outer bucket is used to catch any liquid and corral any worms that might want to wander.
The cost is about $14 from Lowes.
I use the parallel wires to scrape the worm casting from under the worms. That way you don't have to disturb the little fellas while they are working.
When starting your worm bin, use a layer of news paper on the bottom before placing the bedding.
Once you have the worms in place, they generally feed on the top 3 or 4 inches so when you scrape the castings you won't get too many. You can scrape casting about once every 2 weeks if you are feeding regularly.
Paul.
This message was edited Jan 16, 2010 10:40 PM
This message was edited Jan 16, 2010 10:45 PM
lonejack
Might I suggest you add a spicket to your bottom bucket which will make it easier to get the worm tea out.
I love you set up and hope you don't mind if I use it, I was going to go and purchase one the plastic worm tower things, but I like yours better.... I have a lot of buckets left over from all my oils and butters from making soap and this would be perfect. Don't know why I couldn't put the two together...LOL
Janet
You can add a spigot but I just pull the buckets apart and dump the liquid out.
You will need to pull the buckets apart to scrape the castings out when you are ready.
By the way, that is not worm tea. It is liquid that has dripped from the bedding, it can be
a little toxic if used on plants. Worm tea is made from suspending and soaking worm castings in water and the resulting tea is to be used on plants.
If you google worm tea you will find all the info you need.
Paul.
Sharon, I may have I mentioned earlier in the thread about using an aquarium net to remove excess moisture from soaked peat moss. A nylon aquarium is really the simlest and quickest method I have discovered to remove the acid water. But one thing I would caution on is using those heavy duty kitchen gloves from Dollar General when working with new peat moss. If you have cuts on your hands which most gardeners like myself do, there is a risk of infection when handling spagnum moss. I once read an article on the subject about spagnum moss which may be centurys old, or older, can still retain harmful bacteria or pathogen.
I have an outside compost bin next to my house in the back which is full of horse manure. The bin (4's x 8' l x
I have blue berries growing in very large pots. What do you think about adding the acid water to the blueberries to increase the acid? I had not put 2 & 2 together that the remaining water would be high in acid. There you go again, helping me without knowing it.
mraider3
thanks for that info on sphagnum moss. I didn't know that.
Janet
Well the white coats were here again today because they heard I was taking things out of the freezer so I could rot vegetables faster, if they were frozen, for my worms. Well again, I won this battle. I brought out my rotten frozen food, warmed slightly and opened the worm bed lid. They now recognize my voice and all my babies were dancing on their tails just waiting for their rotted morsels. Again, the family was hauled off and I was left to play with my worms. The only thing I removed from the freezer were the frozen blue containers that had been in the 2nd freezer for over 3 years and never used. My worms and I are well in Las Vegas. We had more rain in the last three days than all last year but we need it so we will not complain. My main worms name is George Clooney. The way the female worms are flocking around I will need two more beds.
Sharon, been side tracked with some client requests and got behind on my thread watches. You comment about helping without knowing is exactly the reason I like this place. I can spend hours brousing through old threads and copying down new ideas. Some threads I go back and reread several times gaining new information each time I do. You did exactly the same thing when you commented on your potted blueberries. I have been toiling with the idea of planting them in a long strip north of my garden. The ground has been worked and everything is ready to plant, however I have heard that blueberries need shade in the heat of the summer. I had planned to build wooden trellises and set some potted ornamental beans next to the trellises. Previously I had thought about planting blueburries under my deck on the north side of the house facing the garden but vetoed that idea for variuos reasons. Then you come along with this potted blueberry comment and I'm back to rethinking this whole process. TYVM Sharon! So yes, you can add the acid peat water to your potted blueberry plant(s). Now I have questions for you...Do you have a variety of blueberry plants, and what do you do with the potted plant(s) in the winter months? I have room for quite a few pots beneath my deck and this might be better than the garden. Tell us more Sharon...
Hey since worms are hermaphrodites you might get a nasty email from Georgeous Geo.!
That last sentence actually made me laugh out loud.
Since I live in mid high desert, they have, supposedly created blueberries that do not need as much continued cold temperatures. I was given three very large pots and I have three plants per pot. This is really funny because the pots are close to 4 feet tall and blueberries do not put roots down deep. So I filled the bottom third with rocks to stabilize the pots. Right now three of my bushes are blooming. I may have lost one because it lost all of its leaves but I am not sure. High Acidic soil is required so I am amending but the biggest thing I read was the amount of cold. Nothing about sun but in Las Vegas I just assumed it would have to be in semi shade. On my side yard on the south side of the house, my neighbor has very tall pine trees, always dropping needles, acid mulch, but offers great filtered light. I am just one of those crazy high pressure career that had to continue that in retirement. Why would I grow just what grows here? I have a lot of bets from Arizona on my Blueberries but you can never count out a woman that is determined. My pots are on trash to treasure. They were on a golf course and my landscaping friend had the job of removing them and getting smaller pots. They are made out of resin. Our daughter grows blueberries in Vancouver, Washington but I do not think they get much sun.
One more question. I have peat moss soaking in the garage in my large bucket and I think it is turning sour. Is that good or bad? Thank you so much.
I just bumped trash to treasures to show you how big the containers are. But because they have such shallow roots, why bother. But the person I purchased the bushes from said to use the planters to give them a more controlled environment because of the acid requirement. She felt I could control the high acid requirement better in a pot than in the soil. How is you soil. Ours is very high in ph. What clients do you have and what do you do for them? I do not mean to be snoopy but always looking for a way to supplement my social security. LOL . Maybe you can d mail me. This is another pot I found at Lowe's. Made out of fiberglass. About 3' deep and 42 inches across. They go from $79 to $149. Just depends when you are there. I tell them to call me when they go to $79. And you can plant them any color you want.
SharonK, as for continued soaking of peat moss, I have done the same without any negative side affects other than a sour mash odor. I do keep a lid on the bucket, however during the winter months I have to keep this in the garage. I am getting some flack from the wife about the wormkashi odor, which is a very pronounced sour mash odor. I tried to cover the scent yesterday with an odor neutralizer, but she picked up on that and was even more offended. She has a super sensitive nose which is not uncommon in women and has been very useful in the past. Now I'm just trying to get this wormkashi expermient to spring so I can move it to the shed. Her veto powers outweigh mine of course!
Your comment on the potted blueberries is really appreciated. I was ready to make a Jung order for three varieties which were all fairly large plants and not well suited for potting. I had even drawn up plans for making ten or so folding wooden trellises to protect these plants from the 100 degree plus days we get for up to a couple of weeks. I had not figured out how to protect them in the winter months which was also recommended. Potting these plants is a perfect solution, so I went back to the Jung catalog and found four varieties which do not exceed 2 ft in height and are suited for zones 3 & 4.
You are correct that soil pH is more easily adjust downwards in potted plants. I would probably make my own potting soil using composted horse manure, garden soil, spent worm media, and peat moss (straight, not soaked). I read in a seed catalog that soil sulfur (aluminum sulfate) should be added initially to the soil mix, and surface applied every three or four years to maintain proper pH for blueberries and other acid loving plants.
Placing more than one blueberry plant to a pot sounds interesting as well. I have decided to place the potted plants on the east side of my 40 ft long shed during the spring time and move them under the deck when daytime temperatures exceeds say 90F. I haven't decided on what to do for winter since they require snow cover and some protection from the harsh winds. Possibly leaving them under the deck with some left over straw bales for protection.
I truly appreciate you comment on "Why would I grow just what grows here..." I was recently chastised by a Rocky Mountain gardener here in Montana for just that very thing. I too live for chalenges and none better than in gardening what no one else wants to...right!
I too am retired...sort of! I worked for goverment 26 years and private practice for another ten. I now consult and garden which keeps me plenty busy. Even though I can't physically work the garden this time of year, there are always projects and research to keep me busy in that department. I have a fixed client base of contractors which apply domestic wastewater lagoon sludge to the land and I do the EPA reports for these firms. I also have a web site which is primarily a tutorial for other contractors in that business, but I don't think it appropriate to mention it here. I will Dmail you a link if you wish to see it. There is a mini version of Helena's farmers market in East Helena which is just south of me a couple of miles. Next season we plan to do their Tuesday's market to augment some of our gardening costs. I don't really enjoy public contact much any more since making a career of it, but the wife is eager to try it. And like I say, my veto powers are limited.
I'm kinda proud to have kicked off a thread that folks have taken to- thanks for chiming up all!
bevoreno, thanks from all of us. I have to feed my worms so I will be back later.
Question: Why do you blend your garbage before putting it in the worm bin?
I just attended a workshop today on vermicomposting, and we just threw everything in whole....
I am thinking about using one of those composting bins, we call them R2D2s...they are black with a door trap at the bottom for taking out the 'made' compost but it seems to me they would work for castings... any thoughts?
Carol
I can answer your first question-by blending the garbage into a wet mush you make it much easier and quicker for the worms to begin working on it. And some folks also freeze then thaw the veggies too, for the same purpose-to break it down faster. Also, apparently worms don't actually eat the veggies until they have begun to rot and spoil, so blending it can help that happen faster.
As for R2D2, I suspect he would heat the bedding up too much, which would probably kill the worms. There are a ton of ideas out there for making worm bins, so you are sure to find something you like.
Julia
I agree, blending or freezing garbage helps the worms by getting them a headstart on breaking down the food for them. I freeze and thaw my food, and it helps a lot.
Dito Carol on these two responses to blending worm food. A comment from past vermiculturing threads which I would agree with is that the worms actually eat these scraps as it molds, so if you hasten the process by blending the scraps first the worms can consume the food much more quickly. The wormkashi method I have been using for several months has completely changed my blending methods which I have used for years. The worms are going through their food at an excellerated rate, and the best part is the ease at which moisture levels can be controlled in the bins. In the past too much moisture would cause me to back off feeding for a while.