a little worm farm ...

Ok, I've been thinking about, and talking about, starting a little kitchen scrap worm farm thing. I've finally decided to go for it, I'm ordering 500 redworms. Don't know if this is the best place to post this, but I've got questions.

I'm planning to use 5 gallon buckets, with like, 3/4 inch holes in the bottom. I'm hoping it'll work like the can-o-worms, and I can stack another one on top when it's full and the worms will migrate upwards ... now, here's the questions

Anyone who has done this kind of thing, does this sound like a plan that would work? Should the holes be bigger, or smaller?

Is 500 worms enough or too much for a 5 gal. bucket?

I generally haul out a 2 gallon bucket of kitchen scraps every other day ... is that enough food for 500 worms? Or is it too much?

Can I give them dryer lint, or is that a no-no?

And, is shredded newspaper good enough for bedding, or should I buy some worm bedding? (that seems bizarre to me, but what do I know...)

Thanx in advance for any advice.

Cheri'

sundry, I only know a little, and not firsthand at that. But I believe you can use newspaper fr bedding.

Most of the worm bins I've seen are shallower, like rubbermaid containers maybe 5-6" deep, but wide and long. They had them in the Extension Office in my old county and the girls fed their (vegetavble) lunch scraps to the worms.

I do know you need a drip pan under the whole shebang, and the "tea" is wonderful for the garden.

I don't know for sure, but 2 gallons of kitchen waste sounds like a lot for 500 worms to digest.

Surely there are online sources for this information?

Thanx darius

Yes, there is info online, but I wanted some first hand knowlege. I've done so much reading on this topic, I've become confused. Seems like what one place tells you is good, another tells you is bad.

I knew about the drip pan - got one, should have mentioned it in my description ...

It seems that this should be easy, but I've a feeling there are tricks to it.

If a 2 gallon bucket of scraps every other day is too much, that's cool. The excess will continue to go to the compost heap. I'm worried I won't have enough. What do you do if you run out of worm food? LOL!

Cheri'

Cheri', you might want to check out the worm co-op we had last year http://davesgarden.com/t/371604/worm#new
I'm having a problem with little mites ( I think) in my bins. I tried to put one bin in the other like the can-o-worms but the worms came out between the two bins.

This is Drew's wife...I have a worm bin and I made it myself.

I hope you did not pay too much for your worms. I was able to get red wigglers from the bait store.

These worms prefer width of a container over depth, so I chose a rubbermaid.

For bedding, I used a combination of wet news paper and wet cardboard. You want to ditch the colored paper, black and white only.

I soaked my newspaper and cardboard in a little water. You want it about the dampness of a wrung out sponge. After my paper and cardboard were wet. I wrung them out and ripped into strips.

I put the cardboard on the bottom. I threw in some crushed eggshells as worms need grit. (sand will work too, just a little) Then I dumped my worms in one corner. Covered the worms with strips of newspaper and left them. They are slow to get really started. At first I added too much food, they will not need any scraps for awhile.

Every now and again, I mist the newspaper wtih some water to keep it moist. They are multiplying like crazy!

While visiting with Sparks recently he showed me his worm operation (and even sent me home with a bucket full of worms, castings, and eggs so I could get started).

I have mine in an old chest freezer divided in half. I didn't use any newspaper but have plenty of chopped up leaves, spent potting soil and rabbit doo.

I also followed Sparks idea of keeping a blender nearby (in my shop) and will oftentimes throw in my coffee grounds, egg shells, banana peels etc and grind them into a slurry. The wormies love it!

Wish I could help more, Sundry, but I am new to this also.

I'm sure someone will come along with more tips and tricks soon. (Thanks Drew's Wife for yours. Maybe I'll try the cardboard/newspaper in the other half of my chest freezer.)

Thank you both for your help!

I see I need to re-think the 5 gal. bucket idea ...

The worm thread is full of good info and good links. Apparently the holes I was planning are too big, as well.

This is why I love DG ... =)

Hi, Drew's Wife! Nice to meet ya! Thanx for the advice, especially about the cardboard, and not feeding them too soon. I'm getting the worms from Gardens Alive - They sent me another $20 gift certificate, so I'm ordering the worms 500 for $29.95, plus shipping. That seems a little high, but once you take off the $20 gift certificate, it's reasonable, I think. I'll be ordering a couple other things from them, as well ...

Cheri'

Sundry, Sparks gave me one of his worm boxes and the holes in the bottom are about one inch diameter. However, he stapled window screen over them so the water could drip out but yet not let the worms escape. Guess that is something to consider only for your bottom-most bucket (if you go that route).

Which worms are the best for this?

Horseshoe, thanx for your tips! I had missed your first post reading the info in elsie's link.

I have lots of dry leaves and coffee grounds .... I should be able to keep the worms happy.

Sounds like your worms have it good - They've got you mixing their favorite daquris for them! =)

If they perform as they are supposed to, they are entitled.

christmascactus, I think it's Redworms, at least, that's what I'm getting.

Cheri'

Thanks Cheri'.

Sundry, Horseshoe just sent me to this thread, he thinks I know a lot about it but I am not sure he is right. Will give it a try and this is coming off the top of my head. First I want to say wow! where are you getting almost a gallon a day of garbage? That would be way too much food for them, I hope your not including meat scraps, they will putrify.

I only get about a gallon or less every four days and my worms are very plentyful and full grown. For reasons I wont go into right now I can't answer all that I would like right now but will get back to yo today.

Me again. The book I found most helpfull was "Worms Eat My Garbage" by Mary Appelhof. Here is her web site: http://www.wormwoman.com/acatalog/

I highly recommend this book, you might even find it at amazon.com, it got me started and will answer a lot of questions for you. I have made some changes for myself I will detail later, either in here or by e-mail.

I would like some information from you. 1. Where will you have your worm bin? Basement, outside or where? How big a garden do you have? Do you do any composting?

My bin is in the basement and no odor. Worms do not like extreme heat or cold. My basement in the winter is around 55F and works great. For your area, the basement would be cooler than outside.

I use an old blender for grinding up the garbage to which I add water in the blender to make a slurry, just pore on top of the beding and cover with a piece black plastic.

After getting your answers from the questions above I will add more info.

Sparks,do have pictures?

No, I don't have pictures but will do. I do have a digital camera and will take care of getting pics.

I have looked at her website before and was wondering if her composing bins are worth the price or if homemade ones are just as good. What are the advantages? How would I make my own out of a rubbermaid tub? How do you get the compost out and leave the worms?

Thanks ;~D

LimeyLisa Kay

Lisa, I tried the rubber maid bin and didn't like it. I made my own from wood. Mine is four feet long, divided into two sections with a quarter inch screen separating the sections. I have taken some pictures but wont have them on here until tomorrow. My wife is in intensive care, the result of a stroke a week ago. If you want more details on that, go to the prayer forum and find where horeshoe posted.

I checked Amazon.com and found the worm book priced from $9.05 to $12.95 new. Mary does have instructions for a wooden worm bed in there, it is just that I have made some modifications. Will post the pictures and more as time allows. I do not say my way is the right way but it works for me. I do have access to tools for making bins and other things in my work shop. I go to more trouble, probably, than necessary. I use compost or unfinished compost consisting of leaves and grass for my bedding.

Ahah!

Found the thread where I visited Sparks. Scroll down a few and you'll see two pics of his worm bin. Ta-dah! ♫

http://davesgarden.com/t/420392/

O Sparks, thanx for the info!

As to my garbage - no meat scraps, but I do include egg shells. The kitchen waste is mostly coffee grounds (we go thru about 3 lbs of coffee a week) and fruit & veggie peels. But a good bit is leftovers, like yesterday's green salad, the cooked veggies that didn't get eaten, and stale bread. And we always seem to buy more fruit than we eat, so that last banana, the bruised apple, the mushy melon - they all go too. It easily fills a 2.5 bucket every few days, but if I blender-ed it up, I'm sure it would be less.

I have a so-called compost bin, but I really don't work it like I should .... It never really gets hot like it should. It doesn't smell, but it's a bug magnet. It's full of regular earthworms and they do the best they can, but something has got to change. This is why I want to try a little worm farm.

When I was thinking of using 5 gallon buckets, I was planning to have it in the house, in the utility room, which is not heated or cooled. Now, that plan won't work, so it'll have to be on the patio, at least in the summer time. My patio faces east/south-east, but the corner I have in mind never really gets any sun. It's nice and cool. Also, it's protected from the North, so doesn't get real cold until late in the season. With some easy protection, I could prolly keep the worms outside at least until December. In that corner there are impatiens that have been growing and blooming non-stop for 2 years, with no care at all. So, it's pretty protected.

There are no real basements here, the water table is too high. ;-)

I'll have to come up with a plan for winter, all two months of it ... If I had a garage, that would work, but I don't. *sigh*

My garden isn't currently very big ... The sunny bed is about 7" x 16" and my shady garden is almost that big. I'm building a new daylily bed, which will be another 100 sq. ft. and after that, a bird/butterfly garden - about 150 sq. ft. And I have lots and lots of containers! (I'm out of control, with the containers ...) I'm not including the shrubs and trees in these figures, and there are lots of them, as well.

I look forward to your advice! Thanx again for helping.

Cheri'

This message was edited Apr 12, 2004 5:42 PM

Sparks, I am so sorry to hear about your wife-she is in my prayers along with you and your family. I pray she will have a speedy recovery.Sending prayers and Blessing your way.
Colie-christmascactus

Wow! Lisa, this has become quite a thread. Mary's book tells what they like to eat, how much for the number of worms and many other good things.

I use that compost as bedding but I do put it in one of those aluminum roasting pans you can get at the grocery stores. Then I wet it good and put it in the oven for two hours at 200F, this kills all the little critters in it and allows the worms to do their stuff.

By the way Lisa, I am a graduate of "LS of U" but I had forgotten about no basements. What you are planning should work.

Ahh, an LSU man. Can't go wrong there ... =) Once again, thanx for the advice.

I wish you and your family the best possible outcome to your current situation.

Cheri'

I'll have to look up the book on Amazon.com. Thanks for the information.

Will keep your wife in my thoughts.

LimeyLisa Kay

I am sorry folks, I just don't have time to post more in here. All ready way behind in my garden and looking after my own little worm farm. When things quiet down some, I will get back to this thread. Wife now in regular room but that means someone from the family must be with her from about 7 AM to 7 PM. My daughter that is here (Sparksydaughter in Dave's) and I will be working out our shifts.

Sparks, don't worry about this, take care of your family! I'm so grateful for the advice you've given already ...

I think of you and your wife often, as I'm working in the yard - especially when I come across an earthworm - and say a little prayer each time. I do hope she has a speedy recovery.

Cheri'