European Night Crawlers: Optimizing Worm Farm Size
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ธ.ค. 2024
- / @plantobsessed
In this video I discuss the differences between a new bin and mature and what that means.
Playlist for the European Night Crawlers Here
• European Night Crawlers
See description below-I purchased 500 Cocoons in 2019 from ETCWL and was given 1 pound of adult ENC from NE worms The bins were started in July 2021 I am an Amazon affiliate. The items below are the Amazon affiliate links for the items I use in my wormery. The cost is the same to you.
MICROSCOPE
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Tetra 16172 Aqua Safe Fish Tank Water Conditioner
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Water Nozzle caps
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Your channel is so underrated. I just love your worm videos. I just started my new worm bin a couple months ago. My biggest obstacle is going from feeding to harvesting.
Thank you for the kind words. Patience is key. It is so hard to wait. Pretty soon you will be up to your eyes in worm casting.😀👍🏼🪱
I totally agree!! I started a worm bin about 7 years ago, and I NEVER harvested out of it. I didn't know how to do it easily. Between this channel and Vermicompost's channel, I learned SOOO much. I have binge watched all of their videos. Now I wait a few weeks, and make a playlist and watch all of their videos that I have missed. Now I just need Ann to make a outdoor gardening channel, and maybe a cooking/canning channel LOL
@@amypeterson7463 maybe some day. Lol I currently have a full time job.
@@PlantObsessed quit your job and be a full time TH-camr 🤣. J/k
After a few pest invasions my worms got banned from the house and are now in the garage. Do you think if I freeze bags of rice from the store it will be enough to keep them cool? I can put them under the bins to prevent worms breaking into the rice vault
Thanks for all you do for the community Ann!! I appreciate the shout out!!
Do you have a link?
Next week is the big one 😀 put your Business link in and I'll pin it.,
I'm getting so sick of throwing out all my kitchen scraps, and we can't have chickens -- so, here I am. Worms are where it's at!
Absolutely. Worms rule 👍🏼🪱😁
Thank you so much for sharing your work with the worms. I have started outdoor a system as close as it can be from your blue bin. For me it is just a wooden box.
The amount of compost I get from this system is amazing and I can maintain a countinous flow where I can add food every week or so.
It is a very elegant way to compost and very efficient. Love it.
You are welcome I'm glad I can help. I don't remember what I did before I had worms. I'm ashamed to think I put all this in the garbage.👍🏼🪱😔
How do you deal with animals? I want to start a large outdoor system, but I am worried about mice, skunks...
@@amypeterson7463 You have to tarp it and make sure when you feed the compost to put ingredients that intruders are not going to care about.
@@amypeterson7463 I don't do much outside other than hot compost. I do get mice in the basement and I put out traps. I call it the mother nature tax. 🤷🏼♀️
My indoor worm bin has lots of small worms but I just harvested a tray from the stacking bin that lives on my outside compost heap and the worms out there are monstrous! Found a few wild additions as well, also huge!❤😂
More real estate and surface area makes the worms bigger. 👍🏼🪱😀
I’m just coming up on 1 year of my bathtub wedge wormery (big orange 🧡(70s tub!)) which I’ve modelled off blue! 💙😃
Still trying to build up enough worms to deal with more of our kitchen scraps as at the moment it probably only handles 1/4 but it’s been working well. I set it up with the feeding zone at the plug end and the sloped head rest end has been really good for drying out the finished castings as you can bank them up to get more airflow.
The castings have made a huge difference to my seedlings this year which is where I use the bulk of them.
Thank you so much for your channel, I’ve learnt more here than anywhere else about the subject 😊
👋 from 🏴
Nice, I had a big blue 70s tub when I moved in. Worm castings are amazing I can see why they cost so much at the store.😀🪱👍🏼
You're a great teacher and orator! My personal joke, and hand model! You have a lot of experience at this!
Cool, thanks!😀🪱👍🏼
Hey Ann!
The bins in your basement are truly awesome, great way of producing a lot of castings, without spending a ton of money.
Nice way of comparing the two bins as for as harvesting, and how you handle them day to day, plus how temperatures and humidity play important roles. Another good thing you point out is the large populations of worms in the bins to handle such large feedings.
I have found out that large volume bins are the way to go if you want to harvest a lot of castings. I just harvested 94 pounds of castings from one of the 50 gal grow bag bins I had in the basement over the winter. Even in my 50F basement the red wigglers were very comfortable.
I found a couple ears of corn in the refrigerator too that got moldy, going to loosen up the husks and see how long it takes for them to disappear.
Quick question! With all the worms you have, why did you get more? Just curious.
Have a great day! Stay Well!!!
They were a gift from a new company called nusoil worm farm.. I give them a shout out and an opportunity to show their products. Promote small businesses. . I have done the same for NE worms and even back in the day when the crazy worm lady was selling worms and cocoons. 🪱😀👍🏼
@@PlantObsessed OK! Just thought you had a reason for fresh genetics, or something similar.
I wish people got along as well as different worms do, except jumping worms of course.
Stay Well!!!
Hiya Ann nice to see the enc worms .they are cute and chubby. Love to see the fluffing likeni always say kneading the dough he he . Happy forbyour worms and good worms as you always say. Take care
I do love to see the breeders when they are so far and happy. They will make me more happy worms. 👍🏼🪱😀
I really appreciate your content, and that you always answer questions. You have helped me so much
Happy to help! Anything for my worm family 👍🏼🪱😁
Those new worms were huge …. Even compared to when I brought some 8months ago
Though they were big as only had red wigglers before. But then you got are well large.
I hope they stay that way was their caccons will be bigger and easier to see if you harvesting them and get them
They are awesome. I should be able to populate the new bin quickly with them.👍🏼🪱😀
I grew worms years ago. I found they love watermelon. I also used dried up horse manure and they were always happy...I had to move and the worm project went to a friend. All he uses them for is bait. He always has worms and by now has worm castings galore.
Maybe you can get more at some point and have your own castings again.🪱👍🏼😃
Those are Huge!! I have red wigglers, so these are really really big to me.
They won't stay that big. The next generation will adapt to my feeding and they will be about half the size.👍🏼🪱😃
Whoa! Those are some impressive chubby wormies! :)
Right? They are already breeding like nuts for me. Soon there will be 2 big ENC bins with their help.🪱👍🏼😀
Good morning, Ann, from Windermere, Florida zone 9b 🇺🇸
I love Blue, but this Demi-Blue boy looks great, too 💙
Your system is amazing. I'm always looking to you for more information.
Take care
❤Peggy❤
Thank you! I'm glad I have been helpful 🪱😀👍🏼
Thank you for all that you do for us. Your information is endless. I’m in a position where I have too many worms. I’ve given many large bins away to gardeners. I would like to sell them and wondered if you had a pamphlet on the power of worms, worm tea, etc. I can’t sell online and nor sure how to advertise. Can you help me! Thanks again
I don't have a pamphlet but I'm sure Google ai could make you one. I see people sell at garage sales and plant sales here.🪱👍🏼😀
I think in a space-restricted system you're better off with a vertical system, either a bag or tower like the worm farm. Helps keep the zones separated for more finished harvests.
I am liking the worm tower. I have my red wigglers in it. New video on them this Sunday 😃🪱👍🏼
I'm anxious to see if they maintain that size. I've only had worms a year. They were huge when I purchased them, but they aren't now. I wonder if the huge ones died off, and the offspring will get bigger? Or did they shrink? They are composting so fine with me either way, but if I decide to fish, I think I'll need to buy worms.
Same here. They start out big then in a year they are all small again. I don't go fishing as much as I once did, so that's ok. I think it is the future generations that are smaller. If you feed them lots of worms chow they can stay big but I don't need them to be big just eat my garbage. 😀👍🏼🪱
I built I’ve bin system with two bins with holes and a catchall bin at the bottom. But I’m really struggling with the heat. I’m in West Texas and the temperatures are top and 95 outside already which means it’s only going to get hotter. If I got a barrel and did a big barrel bin, would I be doing my worms a service to get the heat down. Already learned the hard way I need to feed less nitrogen. I had to do an emergency sifting of my bed to get my worms out of the bed because it temperature got so hot. And I had so many people telling me add more cardboard this at the other I was like they don’t have time for cardboard to bring the temperature down so I pulled them out and put them in, a bin that had old castings in it that were cool and then gave them a lot feeding in the old castings while I got the temperature down in their bed and then resifted it and put them back in their bin and they’re OK now. But I’m worrying about them. My worms have to be outside best case scenario in the shop, but it gets really hot in the shop. I’m saving that for this winter my house is too small to have warm indoors. But I have a guy who’s giving barrels away for free all I have to do is go get them. Is this the way to go?
I do not envy you dealing with Texas heat and an outside worm bin. The best you can do is provide shade, ventilation and keep them very damp. They will likely not eat much until it cools to the 80's ( If you have red wigglers or ENC). Blue worms or ANC might do better. How is your pest situation. Any issues with lizards or rodents? 👍🏼🪱😊
@@PlantObsessed I thought I had red wiggles but… I bought them from uncle Jim and the try to make a brake for it every time we get a thunderstorm.
I went from a 3 bin system to a much, much larger 1 bin that I drilled holes in the bottom and covered with screen. Then drilled a billion air vents at the top, not the lid. Spread them out thinner and I have started a pre-compost bin. So far it is helping.
@@janeannmatlock6449 ahh yes blue worms are divas. They should do much better in your heat... If they stay in the bin long enough. 🪱👍🏼🙂
Do you have any contact information from New Soil Worm Farm? Those are nice sized ENCs.
Nusoil worm farm.com
Thank you for the helpful video. I hope you can help me with my problem. A lot of ants entered my worm bin. What should I do? Thanks again.
Usually increasing the moisture significantly helps according to other people. I am lucky to not have that issue. 🪱👍🏼🙂
Plant Obsessed, This is great! Let's be friends and have fun together!
Welcome to the worm family 🪱👍🏼😀
I’m fast liking your content. As a new subscriber l enjoy the length of your shows and the confidence you portray in delivering the content.
I would have liked to have joined you at the start of your journey, joining you now is like starting to watch a movie half way through it
I would like to know how you determine when a worm becomes a breeder. I just assumed that my worms eventually become a breeder in due course .Do you do something special for them to enter that phase.
My worms are all European night crawlers. I’m having difficulty with them trying to escape so l keep the lit of the tote bins nice and tight, your barrels have no lids at all?
Cheers and thanks
Robert down under
You can always go back to the beginning of a play list to see a system from the beginning. Worms become breeders at a certain age and development. When the clitellum becomes noticeable and raised it is a breeder. I don't know if you can make them go through puberty faster. Thank you for the kind words.🪱👍🏼😁
Hi Ann, do you think there is any benefit to interrupt the wedge temporarily and do a total bin fluff to distribute moisture? I'm getting a batch of ENC cocoons next week!
~ Sandra
p.s. Your colour coordinated tshirt was a nice touch!
Yes I believe getting air in there outweighs the disruption. Good luck with the ENC babies. They grow crazy fast.😀👍🏼🪱
Hello again. Is calcium carbonate sand safe to put in worm bins as grit if one doesn't have eggshells? Thank you.
Yes.
I'm not sure I have never heard of it before. Maybe someone else will answer you that reads the comments.👍🏼🪱😀
Hi ann i was was wandering how I could increase the biota In my bin
One thing I have done is use my prepared bedding and it's where I take the shredded paper and coconut car. Add some liquid kelp or molasses to it and a handful of castings from the bin. Let it sit for a few weeks before I add it to the worm bin. This seems to get the bins microsystem running a little faster. 🪱👍🏼😃
I bought 1000 worms and started my bin in an old RV tub, is that too big to start with or will it be just fine
1000 worms in a full tub is probably too big. If it is only a few inches full it will be ok. They double the population every 3 months. The more room the faster they breed. The downside is It will be a year before you get castings. If your goal is to build your population then it is a good plan.👍🏼🪱😀
You have come a long way since your first subscriber!!! Just think how many subscribers you would have if only the ones who just drop by to watch your videos would subscribe as well. Algorithms do not lie … I bet you would have over 100 k subscribers if they would only hit the subscribe button and post a short comment , besides it is all free and where do you find good entertainment for free❤?
According to my statistics only 40% of people that watch my channel are subscribed. I can see when someone is publicly subscribed. 👍🏼🪱😲
@@PlantObsessedwow sorry I’m shocked at that number, the first thing I did was to subscribe I found the information so easy to follow and understand that there seemed no point not to be told.
Nice big fat happy worms 🇳🇿❤️
Yes they are. They should make it easy to get the next bin populated 👍🏼😀🪱
I'm going with 300 added. I wish I had a basement so I could have awesome womeries like you and AV!!! Those were some gorgeous ENC's!!! I would not say my worms slow down in the "winter" here in Florida...they just speed up in the summer time😂Good Worms!! Great video!!!🪱🪱🪱
Basements are great. Lol. It's where I Involuntarily keep my collection of big scary spiders. Do you know what temp your UWB stays in the winter out on your porch? 😀🪱👍🏼
What's the benefit of using European worms over red wigglers?
For me in my environment the ENC are often larger and work in cooler temperatures. I find they are better at carbon rich food where the Reds are seemingly better at eating kitchen scraps. Because I have a worm channel I like to showcase all the worm breeds. If I didn't have a channel I would have a bin of mixed species. 👍🏼🪱😀
@@PlantObsessed I live in the southeast corner of Alabama. Hot and humid. I am using red wigglers. I love your channel and set up my first bin after watching you. Thank you!
Where to you buy your cocoons?
I have not seen anyone selling cocoons lately. I got these worms from nusoil worm farm. Maybe someone in the comments can help. 👍🏼🪱😀
I know Jayne at rocking worms sells caccons but don’t know if she has a set distance to ship. She’s on TH-cam too and I’m sure she be happy to hear from you and help ya if she can. Her prices are good from what I’ve seen.
I’m not in the us so prices are different here and obviously can’t ship here.
@@cherylhowker1792 Do you have a link, or know the name of the channel?
@@amypeterson7463 rockinworms… maybe it’s not got a g in it, I’ll double check
@@amypeterson7463 yep no g
So rockin worms
I think Ann follows her channel, I think I’ve seen comments. Maybe I’m wrong
you have two channels??
Why??
What made you think that? I do not have 2 channels. One is more than enough work with a full time job. Happy worm farming.👍🏼🪱😀
Worm heaven 🙂🪱🪱🪱
They do seem happy 🪱👍🏼😀
Can I feed my Euro's sugar?
I would experiment with a little like a tablespoon in one corner and wait a few days. I have not tried but I would anticipate it would heat up if put in large amounts.😃👍🏼🪱
Gee, they are some fat worms you got! I'm stuck with a multi-level bin and a couple of extra totes. But still going well.
We don't produce enough eggshells for grit so I'm mixing in sand and some DE. The worms seem fine with it.
Cheers!
Absolutely, worms don't care where the grit comes from. Happy worm farming 🪱😀👍🏼
😲😲😲😲🍉😂
🪱👍🏼😃