I have found a TON of helpful links for Vermicomposting that I am sure would be helpful to a beginner, as well as those more experienced. Can we get a "sticky" like some of the other forums have? I have at least 10 sites added to my favorites that contain everything from worm humor to how to build your own worm bin.
Does anyone back me on this? If so, please post here!
Can we get a "Sticky" for this forum?
I think it would be great. I think you just ask Admin to tag it as Sticky.
I've spoken w/ admin and am working on collecting my links. DH has to extract the collection of links from my old computer that was done in by a virus. When we started this forum, I had put up a bunch of links but it got cluttered w/ chat and lost in the shuffle. We should have a solid base in the next three days.
Maggie
Maggie, I have some links as well. I can add them to the sticky.
I have sent a request to the administration for a Sticky. I will let you know what I hear.
OK, guys, I have gotten the "go ahead" from administration to start compiling some information and make a sticky. If everyone can send me the links you have, I can get them in order and make the Sticky thread.
Does anyone have a problem with me making this thread? I don't want to step on any toes, since I am surely not the most experienced or "senior" person here.
Thanks guys :)
Jennifer
I think it would be really good if there were a couple of (self described, I guess) senior vermicomposters who would keep an eye on the sticky postings. I'm not sure what they would do except mention that there are dissenting opinions to some comments.
There are just so many different ideas about what's best that I get confused sometimes.
Paul (I'm senior, but not a senior vermicomnposter)
I'm a vermiposting researcher... anything I can do to help?
Jeff
da vermeister
Jeff, there are a few of us compiling a list of websites and articles on vermicomposting. Your input would be greatly appreciated!
I am going to organize the links into different topics:
Getting started
Bin building links
Bin problems
Worm culture
Reasons to vermicompost
and some others. If you have any suggestion, please let me know.
Jennifer
Not sure if I can prove this other than by observation, but over the past 6 years I have/had heavy black clay soil that I work in any and all compost type materials and mulch in summer. Have two regular dumping areas for composting that always had a higher number of worms. Have had average worm populations in the beds.
Over the past two years I have added expanded shale to all my flower beds to loosen and aerate the soil as recommended for the Dallas area. I have almost strictly used organic fertilizer for the past 5 years. Information suggests synthetics limit or harms worm size, etc., but my purpose was to feed the soil, and the soil feeds the plants.
However, what I have noticed is that in all the beds with expanded shale added, the worm population has increased substantially both in number and size. Four to six inch worms are the norm now. So I have a dilemma. I have to really work at keeping enough material in the soil to keep the organic matter high for plants which in turn feeds the worms. I turn in live oak leaves and they disappear within months, whereas before it would take six months to a year to break down completely.
Would be interesting if a vermicomposter tried that experiment on two beds to test this observation, or if I am just imagining this. Two beds, same material, one with 10-20% expanded shale, one without and see if it really makes a difference.
Side note - expanded shale for planting purposes is recommended primarily for heavy or clay soils and potted plants, it does not help in sandy or loam type soils. I've noticed that high worm populations in my compost areas (or like worm beds) produce heavy soil over time due to disappearing organic matter. So perhaps the shale might help.
Chuck
You'd have to check with Darwin to get the straight-skinny, but everything I have read, and my experience, tells me that worms love on organic matter. In nature that's limited to the top few inches of the soil surface and root systems.
They don't eat dirt, they eat food.
The reason we vermiposters have so many worms, and can have worm beds 36" deep, is that EVERYTHING is food. Feed them and they will come.
I think the shale is probably a good break up of the clay, as would be sand. If the worm populations are ending up producing heavy soil it's because they ran out of food and are eating worm castings and (brace yourself..) ... OK, are you sitting down??? The worm population adjust to the quantity of food, ergo: they end up eating deceased worms. You end up with mud. It happens to be pretty nutritional, unless it looses all its oxygen and goes septic... but it's definitely not the light fluffy stuff the we love worms for.
If you add worms and walk away ... keep in mind, their population will double every 90 days or so (if feed and watered), and they eat half to 100% of their weight every day... It it's one pound, and then two and then 4,8, 16, 32, 64, 128... then they need 64-128 pounds of food every day!!! EVERY DAY!!! That's a lot of coffee grounds.
In the positive side, coffee grounds, newspaper, vacuum cleaner lint is 'a dime a dozen'... keep feeding!
Jeff
Kurtzinpa:
Much of what you say is true, especially as it relates to the wotms we deal with most in vermicomposting. There are however, other types that contribute in their own way to a deeper, more extensive composting of our soil that they deserve consideration.
mypeoplepc.com/members/arbra/bbb/id17.html
This message was edited May 4, 2009 8:10 PM