Worm Composting - "Things I am learning"

[madapostle]

Hey All,

We started our Worm Composting Project over a month ago and I wanted to share and update how the project is going... and what I am learning as I go.
Here is a short video of one of our basic bins: http://youtu.be/10i_Zm1WjJA

How I built it:
We used 18 gallon tubs.
Drilled 1/4 holes every 2 inches over the entire bottom of the bin
Drilled a "ring" of 1/4 holes about 4 inches down from the top of the bin
Drilled a few holes evenly spaced over the top of the bin lid
In another bin (no holes) I sat 4 bricks
The bin with holes sits inside that bin, on top the bricks
All this allows for good air flow for the worms

Whats inside:
I lined the bottom with shredded newspaper (about 2-3 inches)
Threw in some compost from my garden (an inch)
Added "whole", natural food scraps we had been saving for our kitchen
Added coffee grounds from local coffee shop.
Covered all that with 2-3 inches of more shredded newspaper

The Worms:
I first bought 500 red wigglers from PA
These were going to slow!
So I bought 2000 more.
It's crazy in there!

Things I have learned:
No shredded newspaper! I need another bedding material that they really want to eat.
No more "whole" food. I puree it first and the worms eat is fast! Really fast!
More Coffee Grounds! They seems to love them!
More Bins...ASAP! They are growing in size and number fast. Plan on adding a couple more bins and spreading them out slowly.
Don't just think of yourself. A local grow store is interested in buying my castings! Money!

Now, my question to the community is...
"Anyone out there have some ideas on bedding that the worms will eat?"
"Any other input on things I can do or should do different?"

My project for today is going to be cleaning out shredded newspaper...once I have something else to put in.

 

[momofdrew]

May I ask why you dont want to use the newspapers ? Straw, hay, shredded leaves, pine shavings, you probably could make a deal with your supermarket, they throw away produce like lettuce leaves and cabbage leaves

 

[so lucky]

I would think as long as you are feeding them pureed ketchen scraps, they are not going to eat any bedding. They have to be a little hungry to go after the newspaper or straw.

 

[gardentoad]

I would think as long as you are feeding them pureed ketchen scraps, they are not going to eat any bedding. They have to be a little hungry to go after the newspaper or straw.

That's what I was thinking cause I never had trouble with mine eating newspaper.

Don

 

[Gnome_Czech]

I give mine old tea bags, coffee grounds, kitchen compost stuff, oranges, clippings, etc. Today I drained the tea and put it around the new plants I put in. There were TONS of little white babies wriggling around in there, not to mention a few pepper seedlings that must have started from the compost scraps. I even toss in some of the egg shells.

I don't use paper, but I do use the cardboard from pre-packaged food and the cardboard molding that comes around computers, fixtures and lamps that I take from work before it's dumped. This stuff is usually made from paper mulch and is really easy to tear apart. My bin was started several months ago with (2) small red wriggler containers from the bait fridge at MaoTseWallMartsky.

 

[nittygrittydirtdigger]

MaoTseWallMartsky

Perfect word!

 

[madapostle]

Ok, those are encouraging words. I am probably to attentive to the worms. I check on the daily. I have been trying to gauge how much food they consume. I get 5 to 10 lb bags of used coffee grounds from my local shop. I add them a little at a time. I just pureed about a quart of veg bits and poured that in tonight on top the coffee grounds.

Couple questions:
1.) The area where the worms are gathering seems to be pretty warm...like maybe the food is composting. Is that bad? If so, how should I cool it?
2.) As for the bedding issue, the newspaper is kind messy...mixed in with the castings, food etc. I was told that using coconut hair (or somethign like that) gets eaten faster. Thoughts?
3.) To riid the newpaper before harvesting the castings, should i hold off adding food for awhile?

TANKS!

 

[backintime]

Madaposstle, most worms will die above 90 to 95 degrees, so I think you should cut back on the food and add LOTS more bedding to cool things down. Can you remove some of the food if it's all on top? (freeze and save for later?) If the bin seems overly wet from all the food, you can add dry bedding to soak it up. If not, go ahead and moisten the new bedding before adding it.

My worms' favorite bedding is torn up cardboard egg cartons. They have a "beefy" texture unlike smooth paper and cardboard that seems to keep the bin a bit fluffier. Maybe it's because so many of the torn-up pieces are irregular in shape? I've had newspaper mat down and become anaerobic unless I continually fluffed it up (once a week or more). Yuck! But a little shredded newspaper mixed in with a LOT of cardboard seems ok in my bin. I open and tear up the cardboard rolls from inside toilet paper and toweling too.

Isn't it fun to make something WONDERFUL out of GARBAGE?

 

[RickF]

Any updates on the worms?