So glad I found this. I’ve been raising worms for about 7 years with a couple of long breaks due to illness. I’m wheelchair dependent and use the Squirm firm 360 on my screened porch with a heat lamp in winter. But the reason I’m excited is that my youngest son and his wife just bought a house with a small yard in New Orleans He’s afraid it’ll be too hot there for the worms in the summer. Now I can tell him about the in ground worm farm AND the 1500 worms I’m giving him for Christmas!
YAYYYYYY! I hope he's excited when he unwraps or will you just open up a can of worms! They'll need some moisture in the garden and a daily spray of water but they'll be fine.
So lovely of you to write that - just what I needed to hear. I haven't made a video for a few years but I think I'll get back into it. So much fun and big sustainability to be had.
I use a blender to create larger surface areas on the kitchen waste to add to the garden, compost pile, and/or the problem areas on the lawn. Just a heads up for keeping peace in the household: I picked up a used blender at a garage sale after the DW commented about using "hers" to blend the kitchen scarps.
I have a lot of physical and cognitive challenges, but they haven't stopped me from (very slowly) building a mini farm. If I can offer you a bit of advice, spend some time studying soil science. You'll save yourself a lot of time, money and grief - as 80% of problems in the garden are a result of bad soil. I highly recommend The Living Soil Handbook by Jesse Frost and Soil Science for Gardeners by Robert Pavlis. I hope this helps and good luck with your garden!
You know what? Those ARE magnificent gloves. I live in a HOT area, but I think I'll start a worm bin under a big shade tree. They can take shelter during the worst of summer and our short, but cold winters too. Thanks for the video.
love your video - and your "unusual" sense of humor! I've been thinking about doing something like this. Now I have to go ahead and do it. Oh, and btw, I learned many years ago while raising nightcrawlers for fishing: Worms LOVE corn meal sprinkled on their bedding.
hello.. what a great video.. and love the get in there approach and Australian .. !!.. I have 2 worm cafes x 4 layers.. and have so many worms that I can not get enough food inthere for them... I would like to put each of the layers in the garden beds as you have done.... I do tip my compost bucket on them .. plus cuttings from garden beds... but so many worms !!! I will have to move plants to get these in the beds any advice please.
Sounds like worm heaven! You can use a smaller worm farm to save on the garden space but the more surface area the better the worms can munch away. The worm castings and wee will make your garden wonderful.
Just recently found your videos, your garden looks very similar to mine, raised garden beds , poly pipe hoops and in ground worm farm we use a commercially made brand here in Australia, thank you for sharing stay safe cheers from Australia 🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺
@@GIYGreenItYourself LOL you are so clearly an Aussie (& definitely no Kangaroos loose in your top paddock). Loved your introduction of Graham & giving him & his cronies due credit. A most entertaining & very informative presentation thank you! =)
Great vid! As a fifth-year student of soil science, I would recommend not feeding worms with carnivore manure unless it has been heated to 121C (250F) minimum. Herbivore manure is OK if you're certain their food and bedding is completely free of herbicides. Unfortunately, most hay and straw is now grown using aminopyralid which is toxic to broadleaf plants in concentration below 10 parts per billion.
What did you use for a lid, if anything? Thanks. This is probably one of the most enjoyable and helpful DIYs I have seen. I hope we'll see further videos from you ☺️
Thanks. Glad it was helpful! Reminder to make some more. I just use what I've got around ... some old towels folded up to fit work well as they keep the farm cool in summer if you wet it, but also protected from vermin.
Won’t the worms eat the fresh veggies growing in the garden bed? Also, will they ever escape and never return? Or is it that as long as the bin is filled with food they’ll come back? I’m new to this :)
Worms don't eat veggies per se. They feed on the bacteria from decomposing organic matter. Your worm population will remain stable as long as you keep up the feeding.
I enjoyed this. I’m interested about the dog poo. Does processing through by the worms eliminate pathogens? Thank you I have a few small dogs so option other than landfill would be great
I'm not sure about how dog poo comes out the other side of a worm. It's like a 'poo-converter' from one animal to a nematode. I think if you use the dog poo castings maybe use it around 'non-edibles' if you are concerned. Also .. and probs stating the obvious ... don't feed the dog poo to your worms for a couple of weeks after you wormed them!
Worms slither through metal, glass,rocks,sticks,thorn bushes, and whatever else is buried in the ground. Im quite certain the edges of some drill holes are much of an obstacle for them.
The beauty of the in-garden worm bed in that they live in the soil most of the time which is a more consistent temperature than the normal free-standing worm farm. We don't get snow though - just frosts
Good question. A couple of ways. Can take it all out gently and put in a big pile in the sun ... the worms will all wriggle their way to the bottom and you can take worm free compost from the top (I'll make another video soon). Or starve them for a week (they wont actually starve!) and then add food in one corner of the worm farm ... they'll go in that direction to gobble it up and leave the rest worm free-ish!
Haven't tried but because it is alkaline it should improve the conditions for worms esp if your worm farm is a bit acidic. Don't add too much though - just a small handful/sprinkle every few weeks.
Microplastics are a big issue - not just a looming issue but a current one - that affects every aspect of our environment and our own health as well as the health of plants, animals and organisms. They are pervasive now. Almost every living thing now contains microplastics. It is not just the filings, but the use of the plastic bin. (Don’t worry, I’m preaching to myself first of all as I use a black plastic worm tower) Plastics are so difficult to get rid of and so easy and simple to reuse that us gardeners can find a million uses for them. Imagine trying to garden in today’s world, especially on a domestic scale, without any plastic inputs incl. fertilizer bags, containers, pots, handles, shade cloth, weed mat etc etc. I know I think I’m keeping them out of landfill by reusing again and again, but finding multiple uses for plastics throughout our gardens is actually spreading microplastics throughout our own systems. Let’s face it, most of us grow things ourselves to have some control over the chemicals used etc. plastics seem to be a chemical group with the longest half life. We really do need to try to be more aware.
@@kathynix6552 Well said. I make every effort to keep microplastics out of my mini farm, but it's a loosing battle. All you can do is fight the fight to keep it at a minimum.
Hi great video! If I use the worm tower in this could I still remove the bottom layer to get the castings and then switch it over again? Might have to do extra holes through the sides of each layer. What do you think? Thanks for the video!
Absolutely. I regularly empty it and use in the garden but knowing that the worms are all through the garden bed means that their casting are not just in the worm farm. This is just one layer of the worm farm and I do put extra holes in the sides to give more spots for them to access. Glad you liked the video!
Hi there, a friend gave me two bags of premium rice bran about 100 kg in total. I heard they are great for enhancing nitrogen levels in the soil. There's only one problem: there are some rice weevils in them. Could you please suggest what I should do with them? Can I feed the rice bran to my worms with the weevils? Or can I apply it (with the weevils) directly to my soil? Any advice you can share would be gratefully appreciated. Thanks in advance for your time.
I'm not quite sure the worms would eat it before the weevils hatched and you might have more which could be frustrating. It also might need lots of extra moisture to help worms live in it. On the other hand could be good for absorbing some moisture! Not sure what kills the weevils - although they might be delicious food for chooks/chickens. Maybe someone from the community could help.
Well noticed! It was for a science show I was doing on 'Grossology'! You can make up 'bucket loads' of very convincing looking snot with soap flakes (I use lux) and mix with water until it looks ... well ... you know!!!
It was a left over from a science show I did. The show was called 'Grossology' all about the human body. I made a bucket of snot out of LUX soap flakes and water. Surprisingly realistic!
Thanks. Agreed! As soon as I did this I regretted doing it in the garden! Was quite the clean up of plastic 'worm holes'! Recommended to do in shed/corncrete to sweep up!
a technical fail on that .... agreed! I spend a long time picking the little spirals out. Thought it would be good to do in one shoot but should have done shed snd garden!
So glad I found this. I’ve been raising worms for about 7 years with a couple of long breaks due to illness. I’m wheelchair dependent and use the Squirm firm 360 on my screened porch with a heat lamp in winter. But the reason I’m excited is that my youngest son and his wife just bought a house with a small yard in New Orleans He’s afraid it’ll be too hot there for the worms in the summer. Now I can tell him about the in ground worm farm AND the 1500 worms I’m giving him for Christmas!
YAYYYYYY! I hope he's excited when he unwraps or will you just open up a can of worms! They'll need some moisture in the garden and a daily spray of water but they'll be fine.
I agree about filing the holes…protect your composting-best- friends and give them a safe house :) Hi Graham 😂
Absolutely. It was a mistake I won't make again! Little wormies couldn't get through it.
I’ve never enjoyed an informational garden video more than this one. Thank you so much for the information and for the laughter!
So lovely of you to write that - just what I needed to hear. I haven't made a video for a few years but I think I'll get back into it. So much fun and big sustainability to be had.
Love this. Straight into the ground. Great video and garden☆♡
Thanks so much. Glad you liked it.
I use a blender to create larger surface areas on the kitchen waste to add to the garden, compost pile, and/or the problem areas on the lawn. Just a heads up for keeping peace in the household: I picked up a used blender at a garage sale after the DW commented about using "hers" to blend the kitchen scarps.
Oh, the battle for the kitchen blender... a familiar story!
My new favourite gardening channel 🙏
Haha you’re so funny, I thoroughly enjoyed this video, thank you :)
Glad you enjoyed!
i AM NEW TO GARDENING; I FOUND YOUR VIEDO I LOVE IT; I HAVE A DISABILITY SO , MY LIMITS ARE STILL IN THE WORKS. BRAVO TO YOU!
Pleased to hear it.
I have a lot of physical and cognitive challenges, but they haven't stopped me from (very slowly) building a mini farm. If I can offer you a bit of advice, spend some time studying soil science. You'll save yourself a lot of time, money and grief - as 80% of problems in the garden are a result of bad soil. I highly recommend The Living Soil Handbook by Jesse Frost and Soil Science for Gardeners by Robert Pavlis. I hope this helps and good luck with your garden!
You know what? Those ARE magnificent gloves. I live in a HOT area, but I think I'll start a worm bin under a big shade tree. They can take shelter during the worst of summer and our short, but cold winters too. Thanks for the video.
Aren't they the best gloves! My mum makes them for presents .. worms would love it under the shade tree. Where do you live?
They are magnificent! I dig your groovy dress as well!
I really love this video. I am right now planing to put my worms that I have cultivated over the swiss winter into a raised garden bed on the terrace.
Go for it!
you are awesome! Thank you for the lesson and laughs. Cheers!
My pleasure!
I want to have less plastic in the garden though. thanks for sharing. This is what IU will do in my veggie beds this year.
Great idea! My bad but wasn't prepared to redo the video singlehandedly and all!!!
Came for education. Stayed for the free comedy skit. 😂 I about died laughing about worms for Christmas. Can you imagine? 😂😂😂
thats it! you're my most favourite youtube channel!
LOL ... it's the worms. They are my muse!
love your video - and your "unusual" sense of humor! I've been thinking about doing something like this. Now I have to go ahead and do it. Oh, and btw, I learned many years ago while raising nightcrawlers for fishing: Worms LOVE corn meal sprinkled on their bedding.
Thanks so much!. I'll try the cornmeal trick. I wonder why they love it .. maybe it's like roughage to help grind up their food?
Very enjoyable video. I will try your method in my garden. You are a very good teacher. Thank you.
hello.. what a great video.. and love the get in there approach and Australian .. !!.. I have 2 worm cafes x 4 layers.. and have so many worms that I can not get enough food inthere for them... I would like to put each of the layers in the garden beds as you have done.... I do tip my compost bucket on them .. plus cuttings from garden beds... but so many worms !!! I will have to move plants to get these in the beds any advice please.
Sounds like worm heaven! You can use a smaller worm farm to save on the garden space but the more surface area the better the worms can munch away. The worm castings and wee will make your garden wonderful.
Just recently found your videos, your garden looks very similar to mine, raised garden beds , poly pipe hoops and in ground worm farm we use a commercially made brand here in Australia, thank you for sharing stay safe cheers from Australia 🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺
Thanks Barry - glad it worked. I'm also in Australia. Perhaps I need to get a few cockatoos to help me out in my videos!
@@GIYGreenItYourself LOL you are so clearly an Aussie (& definitely no Kangaroos loose in your top paddock). Loved your introduction of Graham & giving him & his cronies due credit. A most entertaining & very informative presentation thank you! =)
Great vid! As a fifth-year student of soil science, I would recommend not feeding worms with carnivore manure unless it has been heated to 121C (250F) minimum. Herbivore manure is OK if you're certain their food and bedding is completely free of herbicides. Unfortunately, most hay and straw is now grown using aminopyralid which is toxic to broadleaf plants in concentration below 10 parts per billion.
Thanks for the tips!
I love your video!!! You're hilarious 🤣🤣🤣🤣
What did you use for a lid, if anything?
Thanks. This is probably one of the most enjoyable and helpful DIYs I have seen. I hope we'll see further videos from you ☺️
Thanks. Glad it was helpful! Reminder to make some more. I just use what I've got around ... some old towels folded up to fit work well as they keep the farm cool in summer if you wet it, but also protected from vermin.
You are a great employer. 😄
Nematodes have to work!
I love your humor😂
I'd like to see how you cover this! Thanks!
Sure thing! I use some old folded towels which I can soak with water in hot weather
Kids would love a stocking full of worms. Thats hilarious.
Can you make a video update on the worm composter box you did?
Oh yes - great idea.
Do worms like used coffee grounds?
Funnily enough they do. It's like anything ... not too much of them. They are used as part of their grinding mechanism in their crop.
Love this entertaining and informative video! Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Won’t the worms eat the fresh veggies growing in the garden bed? Also, will they ever escape and never return? Or is it that as long as the bin is filled with food they’ll come back? I’m new to this :)
Worms don't eat veggies per se. They feed on the bacteria from decomposing organic matter. Your worm population will remain stable as long as you keep up the feeding.
Thanks for this great answer. All power to the worms.
What size drill bit did you use to make the holes?
Is there a buildup of worm castings and compost that you need to remove from the box periodically?
Not as much as in a standalone worm farm as they spread the castings through the soil. Still enough to scatter around in potplants through
You are so funny...worms for Christmas! LOL
The best! The gift that keeps giving.
Fishing on christmas,jolly idea.
I love it!
Great video!
Glad you enjoyed it
I enjoyed this. I’m interested about the dog poo. Does processing through by the worms eliminate pathogens? Thank you I have a few small dogs so option other than landfill would be great
I'm not sure about how dog poo comes out the other side of a worm. It's like a 'poo-converter' from one animal to a nematode. I think if you use the dog poo castings maybe use it around 'non-edibles' if you are concerned. Also .. and probs stating the obvious ... don't feed the dog poo to your worms for a couple of weeks after you wormed them!
Worms slither through metal, glass,rocks,sticks,thorn bushes, and whatever else is buried in the ground. Im quite certain the edges of some drill holes are much of an obstacle for them.
But these worms are soft worms! I also make little sleeping bags for them ; )
Great info, thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
Is Snot the same thing in Australia as it is in the US? Not sure what a Snot bucket is!
YEs ... and it's a long story but lets just say I had a bucket of 'synthetic snot' as a prop!
This is great, thanks!
Great video
Glad you enjoyed it
i subscribed when i heard, "Worm Union" :)!
They will rise up. You watch!
Probably want to drill these holes somewhere other than the worm bed yeah?
Agree! That plastic is going nowhere!
What do you do to keep them alive in the winter?
The beauty of the in-garden worm bed in that they live in the soil most of the time which is a more consistent temperature than the normal free-standing worm farm. We don't get snow though - just frosts
how do you harvest the compost without losing/hurting some of the worms?
Good question. A couple of ways. Can take it all out gently and put in a big pile in the sun ... the worms will all wriggle their way to the bottom and you can take worm free compost from the top (I'll make another video soon). Or starve them for a week (they wont actually starve!) and then add food in one corner of the worm farm ... they'll go in that direction to gobble it up and leave the rest worm free-ish!
@@GIYGreenItYourself how awesome! thank you.
Can you mix add bio char to the bin?
Haven't tried but because it is alkaline it should improve the conditions for worms esp if your worm farm is a bit acidic. Don't add too much though - just a small handful/sprinkle every few weeks.
Are you not worried about all the plastic shavings in the soil ? 😳
Got to admit, I'm not worried but know I should have drilled it out on a mat and disposed of the shavings. Not ideal I know.
Microplastics are a big issue - not just a looming issue but a current one - that affects every aspect of our environment and our own health as well as the health of plants, animals and organisms. They are pervasive now. Almost every living thing now contains microplastics.
It is not just the filings, but the use of the plastic bin. (Don’t worry, I’m preaching to myself first of all as I use a black plastic worm tower) Plastics are so difficult to get rid of and so easy and simple to reuse that us gardeners can find a million uses for them. Imagine trying to garden in today’s world, especially on a domestic scale, without any plastic inputs incl. fertilizer bags, containers, pots, handles, shade cloth, weed mat etc etc.
I know I think I’m keeping them out of landfill by reusing again and again, but finding multiple uses for plastics throughout our gardens is actually spreading microplastics throughout our own systems. Let’s face it, most of us grow things ourselves to have some control over the chemicals used etc. plastics seem to be a chemical group with the longest half life.
We really do need to try to be more aware.
@@kathynix6552 Well said. I make every effort to keep microplastics out of my mini farm, but it's a loosing battle. All you can do is fight the fight to keep it at a minimum.
@@kathynix6552true but we don’t have any data saying it leads to poor health or less longevity.
Awesome.
How long you leave it in there before harvesting the castings.
Thank you
As long it has been digested (ie looks like chocolate mud cake/soil) it's good to go on the garden ...it doesn't burn plants. Good luck.
Hi great video! If I use the worm tower in this could I still remove the bottom layer to get the castings and then switch it over again? Might have to do extra holes through the sides of each layer. What do you think? Thanks for the video!
Absolutely. I regularly empty it and use in the garden but knowing that the worms are all through the garden bed means that their casting are not just in the worm farm. This is just one layer of the worm farm and I do put extra holes in the sides to give more spots for them to access. Glad you liked the video!
I am so curious how you built the actual wicking bed ....
It's coming soon. I'm just editing it. Subscribe and you'll see it when it pops up.
Hi there, a friend gave me two bags of premium rice bran about 100 kg in total. I heard they are great for enhancing nitrogen levels in the soil. There's only one problem: there are some rice weevils in them. Could you please suggest what I should do with them? Can I feed the rice bran to my worms with the weevils? Or can I apply it (with the weevils) directly to my soil? Any advice you can share would be gratefully appreciated. Thanks in advance for your time.
I'm not quite sure the worms would eat it before the weevils hatched and you might have more which could be frustrating. It also might need lots of extra moisture to help worms live in it.
On the other hand could be good for absorbing some moisture!
Not sure what kills the weevils - although they might be delicious food for chooks/chickens. Maybe someone from the community could help.
@@GIYGreenItYourself Thank you for taking time to respond. I appreciate your time and help.
UV radiation works very well for this. Spread the bran out in a very thin layer and put it in the sun for three weeks.
This is great, but why the box, surly they would eat it if you were just to make a hole ?
Of course you can just put it in the ground. I must admit I haven't tried it but I will. Give it a go and let me know. Cheers.
Great 👍 thanks I will
Thank you !! 🌺🌺🌺
Welcome!
Why has the coire bin got snot written on it ?
Well noticed! It was for a science show I was doing on 'Grossology'! You can make up 'bucket loads' of very convincing looking snot with soap flakes (I use lux) and mix with water until it looks ... well ... you know!!!
I would love worms 4 xmas!
Hi give tham that's big leaves
Where is the lid?
I just use old towels on top. The worms might even eat them if they get hungry!
Oh im going to get me some worms for my garden!
Best . Pet. Ever!!
No lid??
I use a few old towels or an old lid. It's there ... somewhere.
One thing, you're having parts of plastic in your bed by drilling holes overthere (same happened overhere, so... drill somewhere else)
I know ... not great but I'll fix it in POST!
I want worms for xmas
I made a in ground compost bin, works great, check it out on my channel on how to make one
WTH is a snot bucket?!? Anyone?
It was a left over from a science show I did. The show was called 'Grossology' all about the human body. I made a bucket of snot out of LUX soap flakes and water. Surprisingly realistic!
@@GIYGreenItYourself Hilarious! :) Thanks for the explanation. You're a humorous person...great.
Nice, all that drill plastic in your garden...
I know ... regrets ... I've had a few! Still ... I think our food is in touch with much more plastic that we don't see!
Funny!
Rats?
No. I put a few wet towels and a lid.
All debris from plastic container should be carefully collected for trash... Not allowed in environment.
Thanks. Agreed! As soon as I did this I regretted doing it in the garden! Was quite the clean up of plastic 'worm holes'! Recommended to do in shed/corncrete to sweep up!
All those shavings and plastic bits into your garden bed.
Not best practice. Agreed
By drilling in the garden you are polluting the soil with plastics. Drill somewhere else.
a technical fail on that .... agreed! I spend a long time picking the little spirals out. Thought it would be good to do in one shoot but should have done shed snd garden!
🇨🇦💩🪱🧑🌾Worms are all over our garden!