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Posted

Anyone else doing any vermicomposting?

Got a setup about 2 months ago, and 10dz worms to get started.

This is a bin I keep inside in the basement, for steady temps, etc.

So far so good. Building the population up and feeding them a good bit every 3-4 days. Seems ok so far. Probably won’t have my first casting harvest for another 4 months, but knew it was a waiting game when first starting.

Lotta plant trimmings, apples, pears, banana peels, egg shells, etc. All diced up fairly fine, so they can break it down a little quicker.

It’s about 2ft square and 3ft tall, give or take.

Top zips closed, collect castings from the bottom port.

Using this as an input for the top dress I put on top of the soil at certain times (after harvest/before new plants, and middle of growth cycle) which is a mix of worm castings, compost, potting mix, rice hulls, and nutrient components identified by soil tests.

 

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Posted

That looks interesting, and easy.  My compost pile is doing basically the same thing, but the castings just blend in with the decomposing stuff I guess.  Is there a huge advantage to using a bin like that?

Posted

In terms of end product vs standard compost, not really in the big picture.

It’s a little richer, but not significantly so. A bit easier on the input side to get specific things into the mix.

There’s no foul smell, no heating up from breakdown, and microbes galore.

It’s also convenient having it in the house, and being able to keep it going year-round. 

Posted

I did vermicompost with the 5 gallon bucket system for a couple of years. I kept them in the garage.  The compost was black gold but I had a hard time keeping them alive for some reason. I definitely recommend it if you have a constant temp.  I think that was one of my issues.

I ended up taking the compost and what was left of the worms and adding them to my spring plantings and they have taken off.  I will definitely do it again in the future if our next place has more space and I can have a different set up. Wife didn't want them in the pantry or utility room.  

I think the real benefit would come from making a worm compost tea and maximizing their power.  

Posted
25 minutes ago, Post Oak said:

I think the real benefit would come from making a worm compost tea and maximizing their power.  

 

This is definitely a good use, and creates a ton of microbes.

I'll do those from time to time. Most of my teas are alfalfa, kelp, or a mix of the two.

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