If you're watching this and wondering if you should buy cocoons and/or worms from Emily, OMG YES. I was struggling with some lethargic and anorexic local worms and I reached out to Emily with lots of questions and she always answered me quickly, easy to follow advice, and then I bought some worms from her. They were perfectly packaged, all alive, and they are thriving! They're so happy and healthy and giving me more castings than I expected. I'm so happy and impressed with her knowledge and kindness, she's got a customer for life. I'm saying this all on my own, I'm a wee bit of a fangirl haha.
Erica Rose wow I am honored you would say that. I always do my best to be receptive and responsive to all emails and questions. I always strive to do right by my supporters and customers. I will take more Fan Girls/Guys any day and I am happy to have you in my community. Thanks for watching!
I appreciate the detailed info on feeding and watching the cocoons mature is fun. Next time you find a cocoon hatching, I think it would be fun to see time lapse of watching all the worms emerge!
Good info. I have a bathtub worm bin,so I do the pocket feeding in several different spots at once. I put bearded dragon poop over the feedings. I have alot more baby worms . So the adults can feed and breed and the babies can feeding a different spot. I don't put the food real close. One or two on the edges so if they feelweird they can go in the middle. Good video
I wanted to thank you for this series! I'm not raising cocoons, but european nightcrawlers that I ordered, and this series has been so helpful in creating my first worm bin. They just came in today and I was so proud of how easily they buried themselves right into the bedding. I'm excited to watch them grow and reproduce! I bought them with the idea of using them for a food source for my axolotls, so I'm surprised with how much I care about their quality of life and well-being... I'm already attached and want more worm bins! Thanks for turning me into a crazy worm dad :)
Valentine Orgeron this is so fantastic to hear! Thank you. The lovely thing is regardless of where you start (with worms or cocoons) in your knowledge level it is completely doable! You will love them. Your axolotls will love them too and your garden will benefit as well. Win, win, win!!
I just started vermiposting this summer with 30 fishing big red worms worms and now I’m up to like 250 i both of my two bins with a little turkey sandwich caccoon bin and today I got 16 out of 141 hatched and I’ve found in my actual bins it’s easier for me to do the pocket merged with like a cross cross pattern but I thank u lily a few websites and God for my being successful in this vermiposting
best tutorial I've seen yet and believe me I've seen a few. Great series of videos and the feeding pockets was the most helpful to me. Thank you and keep up the good work
@@TheCrazyWormLady I have red wigglers. I have them in small tots at this time and they seem to be doing good. I got 2000 worms and I split them into 3 bins to start with. I have only been feeding right down the middle so far. I started them on April the 4th.
Great explanation of feeding especially gauging how often and how much. Funny you should mention about bins possibly going anaerobic as that's my main fear with my little Worm Cafe setup (similar to the Worm Factory 360) The bottom tray always seems too compacted even though I fluff it up when I feed the bins and move a little to the 2nd tray to make room for some bedding. Still, the worms seem happy and there's no smell so I guess it's ok.
Hi Emily. Just wondering if I need to thaw out frozen foods? I've seen some people who put the food in still frozen. Any problems with putting frozen stuff in??
The feeding tip is a good one! I've had my worms for about 3 weeks now and have given them 2 small feedings. I'm adding moist about every 3 days as it's super dry where I am. I will start measuring the food from now on. Also, I don't think I have red wigglers... I'm thinking I ended up with just earth worms?
GoYvon where did you get them from? Could you email me some pictures? Measuring isn’t entirely necessary FOREVER but it’s great when you are starting out and after long you will be able to eyeball. Thanks for watching!
Hey Emily! I have a question that I thought I would post on here incase someone else has the same question - the top of my bedding is drying out. I don't want to put the lid on because whenever I do they get too hot or too humid and start to crawl out. What (if anything) should I do to moisten up the top of my bedding? I'm considering moistening up some new bedding and just layering it on top.
mooshmobile great question! Indeed if you leave lids off of your bins the tops dry out. A fantastic idea was thrown around not that long ago and I have implemented it with great success. Use an old garbage bag or sheet of bubble wrap and loosely lay it across the surface. It will hold on moisture while still allowing tons of airflow preventing the condensation buildup that many worms take advantage of to start climbing. Even something like a wet towel over the surface would help... an old t-shirt. Be creative!
sirwilliamofpennylot Hi Bill! Thanks for watching. Check out Episode 1! I added 1/4 of a banana peel and some coffee grounds to start. Now I am just waiting for a bit more hatching before feeding again. Bedding is food so I know the wisps will be just fine!
Multiple references say that worms will self regulate their population to the space and food that they have. You talk about pocket feeding and i see several videos that you feed from cans and wind up with the “ball of worms.” I am speculating that worms will have a larger population if you aren’t encouraging them to bundle together but spread out with food continually being mixed in entire area. Any thoughts?
Hi Emily, I do believe you are busy coz this is my 3rd time to send you this message, hope I get answers for my questions this time. Here is Ramy from Ireland ,I am a fan of your videos and I have problems. With bugs(Gnat ,root aphids or fruit fly,not sure + springtails) (i am the one who advice you to use Beneficial Nematodes but I can't stop thinking of the consequences of leaving this bugs and the final harvest) and I would appreciate some answers for my following questions (All indoor gardening ): 1- if there are for some reason Root aphids ,Gnat flying around And/Or springtails in the worm bin which means that they will lay eggs(becoming this tiny brownish crawlers and springtails) and I used the casting after it's ready to harvest ,Dont you think that Its contagious, I mean I gonna take this root aphids and springtails to where I use the casting ? If yes, then what's best way to get rid of them? 2- Found random person online saying before use worm Castings you can boil it up to 130 Celsius to get rid of springtails or any eggs for any insect inside the casting ,then use the casting safely after ,Do you recommend this ? And if yes, Dont you thing it kill the microbial population and decrease minerals in the casting? 3- Is really worm casting with all its shapes(I mean whatever the worm feed on) is a natural pesticide? If yes then why it's not killing these bugs? Note: Root aphids , Aphids and springtails are most commonly pests that destroy crops here in Ireland. Appreciate your time for this questions answers. Thanks and regards Ramy
Ramy Ali I am so sorry I missed your comments and questions! Absolutely let me try to answer them for you! Anytime I miss you, feel free to email me. Apologies again, but here it goes... 1. I do think it potentially be contagious to your garden if you have a lot of aphids especially. I have found that Neem cake helps a lot, but preventing them from making their way in to begin with is huge. I am assuming your worm bins are outdoors... so I would say set up some sort of barrier. If you have holes drilled, cover them with screen. Use loads of dry bedding on top of the system and this will prevent any from getting in OR out as they won’t be able to make it through the dry bedding. Using a cloth cover directly over the heap/bin is good too. Some people use bungee cords or in some way affix this cover to their bin which entirely shuts the bad guys out.
Ramy Ali 2. Absolutely boiling will ruin all of the healthy microbial life and I would never suggest doing that. The balance of the healthy bacteria, fungi, nematodes, etc are what make our castings so healthy.
Ramy Ali 3. Worm castings are not a pesticide per se, but they do deter and protect the plants from infestations in most cases. There are studies that show how aphids will ignore a plant that has been treated with castings. Will it eradicate them? No. It is a great natural defense though and will certainly help. I think it doesn’t deter or kill the bugs in your bin because all of that matter is still being broken down and those pests feed off of and are just as interested as our worms are in decomposing matter.
@@TheCrazyWormLady first of all ,thanks for your detailed answers So, I want make a use of this casting but making worm tea to avoid taking this root aphids to my indoor plants then ,am I right !? Coz I do believe that by putting worm casting in a tiny mesh bag (like washing machine bag ,if you know what I mean ) and bubble it in water for like 2 days (48 hours for worm tea ) ain't let/prevent any of the aphids or there eggs to make it/get in the water ,Correct me if I am wrong. What do you think of this idea ? Note: I spray the bin with neem oil once a week + spraying it with nematodes once every 2 weeks ,correct me if I am doing wrong tho. Your answers are appreciated Regards Ramy
Ramy Ali sounds like you are doing everything right! I think worm tea or even compost extract would be ideal for your indoor plants. Using Neem oil and nematodes should be fantastic as well. Don’t overthink it! Just give it a go!
Troy McDonald if you start with mature worms, you could start seeing cocoons in as little as the first few days. Worms can lay several cocoons EACH per week. Once the cocoon is laid it takes 4-6 weeks to hatch on average and the red wigglers can live 3-5 years or more.
I started w/5000 red wigglers in a Big 90qt igloo cooler 21/2 weeks agoo in peat moss ,shreaded cardboard &paper,a little lime& ground eqq shells& sand &a little leaf compost . Moisture seems perfect. Bed looks good for a new bin i guess? I've fed them a couple bannana peals 3or4 coffee w/filters & about a cup of 1 1/2 cups of cornmeal &oat meal & about a cup of celery &lettuce mixed how much should I continue feeding a week? Don't want over feed? They seam pretty happy no crawlers! But my main thing is I haven't found Any cacoons yet? Am I being impatient? Not feeding enough ,or too much?lol?
Troy McDonald that’s a lot of worms for only 90 quarts! In a 20 gallon tote (which is roughly 90 quarts) I wouldn’t think more than 3K worms would live comfortably. The worms won’t reproduce if they feel their population is maxed out. Use the pocket-feeding method and consider splitting the bin to keep the worms reproducing to meet your needs.
i tried and i over did it i think i have 5 tout 3 bens 1 bucket and 4 grape boxes that hold 5 gallon bucks of 4 year horse compost and have over 2,000 eggs easy in each im on 3rd week and the worms i have is to much and now i dont know what to do im going shift the worm egg boxes in 2 week that only 4 weeks it takes 9 weeks i wet down the soil every saterday and feed wheet corm meal and aots and eggshells its gone in 3 days wen they all hatch i have over 5000 worms i have just over 500 worms in each tout and ben i am got get these babys out i went bought to more bens its going to be alot of work and i am will to do this but i need help on how i going to make all this smaller i have rought idea on whats inside of each tout or ben i like to make it down to 3 or 4 bens i have all red wigglers i have 25 euapen night crawlers in a ben with red wigglers will they breed the wrigglers out
If you're watching this and wondering if you should buy cocoons and/or worms from Emily, OMG YES. I was struggling with some lethargic and anorexic local worms and I reached out to Emily with lots of questions and she always answered me quickly, easy to follow advice, and then I bought some worms from her. They were perfectly packaged, all alive, and they are thriving! They're so happy and healthy and giving me more castings than I expected. I'm so happy and impressed with her knowledge and kindness, she's got a customer for life. I'm saying this all on my own, I'm a wee bit of a fangirl haha.
Erica Rose wow I am honored you would say that. I always do my best to be receptive and responsive to all emails and questions. I always strive to do right by my supporters and customers. I will take more Fan Girls/Guys any day and I am happy to have you in my community. Thanks for watching!
I second this!
mooshmobile thank you!
Emily Flower 🌹 Will Your Cocoons Survive In Below Zero In North East England.♥️♥️
Some great info on feeding there Emily, thanks for sharing that with us all.
Happy Gardening
Marty Ware (Australia)
martysgarden hope it was helpful... you knew this already though! Thanks for watching! Look forward to chatting soon!
I appreciate the detailed info on feeding and watching the cocoons mature is fun. Next time you find a cocoon hatching, I think it would be fun to see time lapse of watching all the worms emerge!
Michelle H if I can make it happen, I will! That would be tricky logistically.
You know who does good time lapse video? AV... Hummm maybe he would accept that challenge?
Plant Obsessed it might already be underway 😉😉
@@PlantObsessed Yes! I love his time lapse videos!
Good info. I have a bathtub worm bin,so I do the pocket feeding in several different spots at once. I put bearded dragon poop over the feedings. I have alot more baby worms . So the adults can feed and breed and the babies can feeding a different spot. I don't put the food real close. One or two on the edges so if they feelweird they can go in the middle. Good video
Joe Sams thank you for watching!
Thanks for sharing your worm wisdom. Have a great day.
AJ's Green Topics thanks for watching as always!!
Awesome video, worm guru.
Lilia Kogan far from a worm guru, but thanks! I learned my cocoon hatching skills from the best! 😉
I wanted to thank you for this series! I'm not raising cocoons, but european nightcrawlers that I ordered, and this series has been so helpful in creating my first worm bin. They just came in today and I was so proud of how easily they buried themselves right into the bedding. I'm excited to watch them grow and reproduce! I bought them with the idea of using them for a food source for my axolotls, so I'm surprised with how much I care about their quality of life and well-being... I'm already attached and want more worm bins!
Thanks for turning me into a crazy worm dad :)
Valentine Orgeron this is so fantastic to hear! Thank you. The lovely thing is regardless of where you start (with worms or cocoons) in your knowledge level it is completely doable! You will love them. Your axolotls will love them too and your garden will benefit as well. Win, win, win!!
I just started vermiposting this summer with 30 fishing big red worms worms and now I’m up to like 250 i both of my two bins with a little turkey sandwich caccoon bin and today I got 16 out of 141 hatched and I’ve found in my actual bins it’s easier for me to do the pocket merged with like a cross cross pattern but I thank u lily a few websites and God for my being successful in this vermiposting
That was supposed to say u and lily
best tutorial I've seen yet and believe me I've seen a few. Great series of videos and the feeding pockets was the most helpful to me. Thank you and keep up the good work
Emily, thank you for this series and the way you explain things as you go. Always enjoy your videos. Thanks for sharing. Catherine
These videos have been really interesting. Thanks for sharing them and for having captions on most of them. I really appreciate that!
I've blended scraps with water then strained it and used the liquid in my pot plants.
Smart!
Excellent video Emily! Now to watch all of the other ones! Thanks.
Congratulations... you got another subscriber.
Kenbo Jones thank you and welcome to the community my friend!
@@TheCrazyWormLady Thank you for the warm welcome. I'm hoping to learn everything I can about worms. BTW, you don't seem crazy to me. Lol.
Kenbo Jones why thank you! My “craziness” is up for debate but all in all I am just a normal gal.
Wonderful information 👌☮️👍
Great information. Thanks for all you do to help us beginners out. I am thinking about starting all over with all my worms in a new bin.
kevin neel awesome! What type of worms do you have? What type of bin do you want to use?
@@TheCrazyWormLady I have red wigglers. I have them in small tots at this time and they seem to be doing good. I got 2000 worms and I split them into 3 bins to start with. I have only been feeding right down the middle so far. I started them on April the 4th.
kevin neel slow and steady! You will have more worms than you know what to do with in no time!
@@TheCrazyWormLady I changed things up today on there feeding. I will keep you posted. Thanks for the help.
kevin neel Anytime!
great up date thanks
mike munro thank YOU!
Great explanation of feeding especially gauging how often and how much.
Funny you should mention about bins possibly going anaerobic as that's my main fear with my little Worm Cafe setup (similar to the Worm Factory 360)
The bottom tray always seems too compacted even though I fluff it up when I feed the bins and move a little to the 2nd tray to make room for some bedding.
Still, the worms seem happy and there's no smell so I guess it's ok.
Gerry Clough sounds like you are doing everything right! Thanks for watching.
So glad I saw you tonight in Pusa Studios live stream! Best wishes to your channel!
the JLAmember channel thanks new friend! Glad we could connect!
Awesome always good information thank you for sharing keep up the good work
Pleiadain scientists U.F.O builder thanks for watching as always. Glad it was useful for you!
Really cool! Looks like a lot of babies coming. Great advice of feeding. I am going to start one and that is good info.
Infantry Outdoors awesome! Keep me posted and reach out if you ever need any help! I appreciate you stopping by and watching.
@@TheCrazyWormLady thanks so much and I sure will.
@@TheCrazyWormLady thank you so much I sure will!
Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Gardener in MI thanks for watching! Glad it helps. Any topics you would like to see discussed in future videos?
Thank you for share the info on the worms it helps.
The Wright's Trapping glad you find it useful! Thanks for stopping by.
Great video, thanks for all the info :)
Hi Emily, great video.
Checkers X thank you! Hope it was useful.
Very informative my friend awesome vlog
Greg's Disneys adventures thank you!
Great episode Emily...💪😉
Wayne Tadlock thanks Sir Wayne! Glad you approve!
Hi Emily. Just wondering if I need to thaw out frozen foods? I've seen some people who put the food in still frozen. Any problems with putting frozen stuff in??
The feeding tip is a good one! I've had my worms for about 3 weeks now and have given them 2 small feedings. I'm adding moist about every 3 days as it's super dry where I am.
I will start measuring the food from now on.
Also, I don't think I have red wigglers... I'm thinking I ended up with just earth worms?
GoYvon where did you get them from? Could you email me some pictures?
Measuring isn’t entirely necessary FOREVER but it’s great when you are starting out and after long you will be able to eyeball. Thanks for watching!
Nice great video liked and added to my playlist
Great video I subbed btw😎💪
Coming over from TreeTrimmer82, oh my new favorite channel
Garden4Cheap composting is free! You like cheap, I like organic... we could grow some awesome stuff. I look forward to checking up on your channel.
@@TheCrazyWormLady oh I love organic and yes we could
Hey Emily! I have a question that I thought I would post on here incase someone else has the same question - the top of my bedding is drying out. I don't want to put the lid on because whenever I do they get too hot or too humid and start to crawl out. What (if anything) should I do to moisten up the top of my bedding? I'm considering moistening up some new bedding and just layering it on top.
mooshmobile great question! Indeed if you leave lids off of your bins the tops dry out. A fantastic idea was thrown around not that long ago and I have implemented it with great success. Use an old garbage bag or sheet of bubble wrap and loosely lay it across the surface. It will hold on moisture while still allowing tons of airflow preventing the condensation buildup that many worms take advantage of to start climbing. Even something like a wet towel over the surface would help... an old t-shirt. Be creative!
I have some greens that have gone a little mouldy are they still good to feed to the bin
Great Vid, do you put a little food in a cocoon only bin before hatchings start or wait till you see some worms before adding food? regards Bill
sirwilliamofpennylot Hi Bill! Thanks for watching. Check out Episode 1! I added 1/4 of a banana peel and some coffee grounds to start. Now I am just waiting for a bit more hatching before feeding again. Bedding is food so I know the wisps will be just fine!
Multiple references say that worms will self regulate their population to the space and food that they have. You talk about pocket feeding and i see several videos that you feed from cans and wind up with the “ball of worms.” I am speculating that worms will have a larger population if you aren’t encouraging them to bundle together but spread out with food continually being mixed in entire area. Any thoughts?
What is your website for purchasing worms and cocoons
Hi Emily,
I do believe you are busy coz this is my 3rd time to send you this message, hope I get answers for my questions this time.
Here is Ramy from Ireland ,I am a fan of your videos and I have problems. With bugs(Gnat ,root aphids or fruit fly,not sure + springtails) (i am the one who advice you to use Beneficial Nematodes but I can't stop thinking of the consequences of leaving this bugs and the final harvest) and I would appreciate some answers for my following questions (All indoor gardening ):
1- if there are for some reason Root aphids ,Gnat flying around And/Or springtails in the worm bin which means that they will lay eggs(becoming this tiny brownish crawlers and springtails) and I used the casting after it's ready to harvest ,Dont you think that Its contagious, I mean I gonna take this root aphids and springtails to where I use the casting ? If yes, then what's best way to get rid of them?
2- Found random person online saying before use worm Castings you can boil it up to 130 Celsius to get rid of springtails or any eggs for any insect inside the casting ,then use the casting safely after ,Do you recommend this ? And if yes, Dont you thing it kill the microbial population and decrease minerals in the casting?
3- Is really worm casting with all its shapes(I mean whatever the worm feed on) is a natural pesticide? If yes then why it's not killing these bugs?
Note: Root aphids , Aphids and springtails are most commonly pests that destroy crops here in Ireland.
Appreciate your time for this questions answers.
Thanks and regards
Ramy
Ramy Ali I am so sorry I missed your comments and questions! Absolutely let me try to answer them for you! Anytime I miss you, feel free to email me. Apologies again, but here it goes...
1. I do think it potentially be contagious to your garden if you have a lot of aphids especially. I have found that Neem cake helps a lot, but preventing them from making their way in to begin with is huge. I am assuming your worm bins are outdoors... so I would say set up some sort of barrier. If you have holes drilled, cover them with screen. Use loads of dry bedding on top of the system and this will prevent any from getting in OR out as they won’t be able to make it through the dry bedding. Using a cloth cover directly over the heap/bin is good too. Some people use bungee cords or in some way affix this cover to their bin which entirely shuts the bad guys out.
Ramy Ali 2. Absolutely boiling will ruin all of the healthy microbial life and I would never suggest doing that. The balance of the healthy bacteria, fungi, nematodes, etc are what make our castings so healthy.
Ramy Ali 3. Worm castings are not a pesticide per se, but they do deter and protect the plants from infestations in most cases. There are studies that show how aphids will ignore a plant that has been treated with castings. Will it eradicate them? No. It is a great natural defense though and will certainly help. I think it doesn’t deter or kill the bugs in your bin because all of that matter is still being broken down and those pests feed off of and are just as interested as our worms are in decomposing matter.
@@TheCrazyWormLady first of all ,thanks for your detailed answers
So, I want make a use of this casting but making worm tea to avoid taking this root aphids to my indoor plants then ,am I right !?
Coz I do believe that by putting worm casting in a tiny mesh bag (like washing machine bag ,if you know what I mean ) and bubble it in water for like 2 days (48 hours for worm tea ) ain't let/prevent any of the aphids or there eggs to make it/get in the water ,Correct me if I am wrong.
What do you think of this idea ?
Note: I spray the bin with neem oil once a week + spraying it with nematodes once every 2 weeks ,correct me if I am doing wrong tho.
Your answers are appreciated
Regards
Ramy
Ramy Ali sounds like you are doing everything right! I think worm tea or even compost extract would be ideal for your indoor plants. Using Neem oil and nematodes should be fantastic as well. Don’t overthink it! Just give it a go!
How long after you set up a worm bed until you should start seeing cacoons? What is the life expectancy of the wiggler?
Troy McDonald if you start with mature worms, you could start seeing cocoons in as little as the first few days. Worms can lay several cocoons EACH per week. Once the cocoon is laid it takes 4-6 weeks to hatch on average and the red wigglers can live 3-5 years or more.
I started w/5000 red wigglers in a Big 90qt igloo cooler 21/2 weeks agoo in peat moss ,shreaded cardboard &paper,a little lime& ground eqq shells& sand &a little leaf compost . Moisture seems perfect. Bed looks good for a new bin i guess? I've fed them a couple bannana peals 3or4 coffee w/filters & about a cup of 1 1/2 cups of cornmeal &oat meal & about a cup of celery &lettuce mixed how much should I continue feeding a week? Don't want over feed? They seam pretty happy no crawlers! But my main thing is I haven't found Any cacoons yet? Am I being impatient? Not feeding enough ,or too much?lol?
Troy McDonald that’s a lot of worms for only 90 quarts! In a 20 gallon tote (which is roughly 90 quarts) I wouldn’t think more than 3K worms would live comfortably. The worms won’t reproduce if they feel their population is maxed out. Use the pocket-feeding method and consider splitting the bin to keep the worms reproducing to meet your needs.
Thankyou for your help ! Splitting the bins now !
Troy McDonald anytime! Have a great night.
still selling? Your blog list is not working.
i tried and i over did it i think i have 5 tout 3 bens 1 bucket and 4 grape boxes that hold 5 gallon bucks of 4 year horse compost and have over 2,000 eggs easy in each im on 3rd week and the worms i have is to much and now i dont know what to do im going shift the worm egg boxes in 2 week that only 4 weeks it takes 9 weeks i wet down the soil every saterday and feed wheet corm meal and aots and eggshells its gone in 3 days wen they all hatch i have over 5000 worms i have just over 500 worms in each tout and ben i am got get these babys out i went bought to more bens its going to be alot of work and i am will to do this but i need help on how i going to make all this smaller i have rought idea on whats inside of each tout or ben i like to make it down to 3 or 4 bens i have all red wigglers i have 25 euapen night crawlers in a ben with red wigglers will they breed the wrigglers out
Cool from tree trimmer
Carpy Chris awesome thanks for the support!