Built a worm bin from a Walmart storage bin that was on sale for $4 last fall after watching your video. I drilled holes in it and half buried it in a cooler section of one my garden beds. I sit a flower pot on top to make it look pretty and it has been working great. Thanks for the gentle nudge to try this out.
Always good to encourage gardeners to have a worm bin. We've been using geobins for the last four years using our paper and cardboard shreddings and kitchen scraps. Works well enough if you only plan to harvest once a year.
Gardening is fun and it's not really overwhelming, it's just there are so many things that you can do to achieve the same thing. At the end of the day, we just want the plant grow well and healthy, but you can use a lot of different tools, techniques, concepts to get that. That's what makes gardening never boring. Just like programming :D
The book Worms Eat My Garbage is very simplified and a great guide to get started with worms. I through cardboard in my bis with a little peat between layers and top feed food scraps in some soft bedding. Also lay bubble wrap on top of bedding and have better results than a thick layer of paper. Agree that some of the info is overwhelming and marketing products is insane.
Years ago I had a neighbor in an apartment complex who raised his worms in the same pots as his many tropical plants. He had a couple of pet bunnies which supplied plenty of pellets that he would add periodically to the pots and he would lightly cover them with the soil. You would not believe how luscious and beautiful his plants were!
I KEEP A WORM BIN TO HELP OUY MY COMPOST AND I ALSO TAKE A HANDFULL EVERY NOW AND THEN FOR FISHING! A MUST HAVE ON THE HOMESTEAD. I GET MY WORMS FROM ANY FISHING AND TACKLE SHOP, THERE;S DIFFERENT VARIETIES AND THEY MULTIPLY QUICKLY AND CHEAP TOO!
Hi Veronica. Great video. I’d like to add that worms will process egg shells. Try washing the shells, dry them and then grind them up. The worms love grinder up egg shells and process them this way extremely quickly. Thanks again for the uploads.
I was overwhelmed with info also, so I just bought fishing worms and placed them in a half barrel with soil and potting mix. I feed them my vegetable scraps before I cook and they are doing really well. I just use the soil when I'm ready for it and replace it later so my worms have plenty of space to live
Fantastic Veronica and so glad you finally had time to do a YT video,Missed you.On the worm container ,I leave 1 drain hole for the excessive water that may happen from time to time and I use a catch container and capture the Tea.Great video.TY73s
Thank you I was having issues with my new worms and unsure of what my issue was. I think you helped me realize, to not overthink it and just keep an eye on it and work on it to know how to take care of the wormies
Have you tried doing all-natural hydroponics with the worm tea? Dilute it and put plenty of oxygen in the water. I haven't done it, but I know it would work!
I would build a leaf compost pile and add a few inched on the bottom and on the top. I shred cardboard for the top layer. The worms will lay eggs into the cardboard. Get some coco core or peat moss for the main fill in the center.
Awesome. I literally put my worm bin together from a plastic bin I got at Home Depot less than a week ago! I think I have a little too much water, and having the paper scraps on the surface to retain water once I get the right moisture content is something I will definitely implement due to this video. Thanks!
I was thinking about doing cardboard as it begins to heat up around here (we get so many Amazon boxes lol) because of water retention. Glad to know it works!
Hey Veronica. nice job. Already got my worms. I have had them for about 3 weeks now. I got egg cases looking like course salt on top of the bedding. You should see all the little ones. BIG TIP: do NOT use GARLIC or ONIONS as well as the meat and dairy and leftover cooked stuff. Probably should not put any kind of hot peppers in there either. Coffee is fine but I found that after a few days, half of them wanted cream and sugar, and half of the rest of them wanted decaff. *picky picky picky* SOME POINTS: 1.Approximately 1000 worms per pound. they can eat half a pound of food a day. I bought a blender at H2O (Help and Hope 2 Others Its like Good Will but more local) and use it to make slurry. they will get to it much faster. I can mix water with it. I am using up a lot of wood hyacinth stuff before it all dries up. Planning on trying out English Ivy as I got a lot of it. If it works out, there will be plenty of food for winter and a good way to get it under control. Another thing... the coffee filters( I use unbleached) kind of disappear in the blender. 2. The first few days I had worms trying to get out. But they were still new to the box. They quit after a few days. I have a second box ready because they are exploding in population. 3. My box is an old Styrofoam thing that some medIcations came in. I put 1/2 in holes in the top and covered inside and out with some old screen from a sliding door. Hot glued it in place. I put 1/16 inch holes in the bottom for drainage but the bottom layer of bedding is dry. The worms stay out of the dry layer so I really don't have anything draining. 4. I do not like newspapers because of all the colored ink. I tried using newspapers for weed barrier when I started my no-till garden beds and noticed a huge difference in the corn planted on or off the newspaper. Not sure about regular office stuff. The paper is fine, its the ink that isn't what it used to be. Needless to say, I'm having fun with my worms.
It's always a good day when you make a new post :) My peppers just started taking off, it's been so hot here in AR they are exploding! The ghosts and habaneros aren't as leggy as the cayennes but it'll be time to top em off soon. Have an awesome weekend beautiful Veronica and family!
You are so cool!! Glad I stumbled onto your channel..😁I had thought about raising worms but with over 6000sf of garden, 18layer chickens and up to 100meat chickens a year,an ongoing community of rabbits,4bee hives, a family of turkeys with two hens brooding at least a dozen eggs at the moment, the never ending wood pile for heat and a greenhouse( well kind of a hoop house made from several old trampolines lol) that the plastic NEVER seems to survive our brutal Upstate NY winter... I am running crazy most every day... then I realized that every time I pull bunny poop from under hutch compost for garden, I have MILLIONS of worms!!!! 😉.. and afraid to freeze them in a bin overwinter, soooo I like to think of the hutches as a worm farm!! So anyway, you are so cool,our daughter would LOVE you and say you are "so cute"(lol 17yr olds) THANKS for your vids and endless supply of information!!! Keep up the good work!! HAPPY GARDENING
My vegetable garden got poisoned once when some drunken bum sh*t in mine. It killed my tomatoes, Jalapenos, and my basil. It doesn't help that I live across the street from a bar. One morning at 3 AM I found a young lady from the bar puking in my raised bed garden. Never ends.
The worms do eat the bedding material I would think And can you mix the red widdlers So they cohabiti with African night crawer? As red widdlers feed high up in the container and the African night crawer feed lower down?
I always get my worms from bait shops. They usually don't sell them in bulk, but if you want to get started, it's usually the fastest way to go, and if you feed them a lot, they will multiply and fill your bin.
Thanks Veronica, yes it is a bit overwhelming watching do's and don't videos. I'm reading some of your comments here of various experiences. I'm going to go with ur method to see if my trial works. I have ton of newspapers and expect a fair bit of green waste as the new greenhouse ramps. The bath is a neat idea so too is the old refrigerator carcass in comments. So many things to learn just to get some worm compost tea lol! BTW I'm enjoying these videos muchly :)
Ahhh I know right?!? I've learned like a dozen plus things from comments, AND even more beyond that since shooting this!!! ALWAYS room to do better and learn more. Thanks for joining! :)
My first year on this land someone placed a above ground bed in a place the sun wasn't gonna really hit during the summer. It never got moved & its now the worm bin.
worms have a gizzard similar to birds and need grit to help break up food particles, egg shells crushed to near a powder and or bone meal ) I save both and with my chicken bones i dry them to be brittle ( oven ) and crush them the same way as egg shells
Thank you for yet another great video! I have been reading about vermicomposting for a while and found out that there is a big worm farm like 45 minutes from my house! Planning on getting started this weekend.
Your channel has completely transformed my jalapeno balcony garden :) I love all your videos. Helps that you're a super babe on top of it all. Keep up the great work! Big fan here all the way from Key West
I haven't noticed all that many of any of those, but I try to not keep the medium too wet (and I think having a "mulch" layer on top helps discourage it.)
Uncle Jim is wrong when he says vermicompost shall have the moisture content of a wrung out sponge. This saying is true for a hot compost pile and it means 50 - 55% moisture. The ideal moisture percentage for vermicomposting though is close to 80. Studies have come to this conclusion (can be googled). Obviously worms have a broad spectrum in which they can survive. Still we should try to optimize conditions to their liking. The reason why worms like more moisture is due to the fact that they can slide easier through the material. But because overdoing moisture accidentally can lead to air holes closing (close to 90% anaerobic conditions occur), try to aim a little lower than optimum. Go for 75%.
Hi there! And hi to other gardeners also. Question...what about overwintering the worm bins? How does that work out? I live in the mountain western states. I'm not sure how our winters would affect the worms. Would they be killed in the winter freezing/snow/cold, etc? How would this work since the worms are above ground even though they are in the bins? Any other tips...welcome. Anyone test out comparing their garden results on the garden section with the rehabilitated compost soil and normal uncomposted soil?
I move my bin inside the greenhouse when it gets close to freezing outside. Some people move theirs into the garage. Idk about the comparative analysis bit. The closest I have is a few volunteer plants near ones that were planted- they tend to be smaller and less productive (produce very late if at all), but I doubt it's a great comparison since there are so many other variables. Am planning on doing such experiments at a location in the near future tho. :)
Thanks for messaging me back! Also I saw a few other videos where people were claiming that you should only use red wigglers...do you think it matters? Can you pretty much use any type that isn't diseased? Have you tried more than one type of worms?
Idk if it matters, but the red wigglers seem to do well with temp fluctuations, break down material quickly, and continuously breed. YMMV with other types... I think every gardening experiment is worth a shot tho. :)
If I don't have worms already I will be getting them soon from a friend or maybe from that old food I ate. It's nice to have Veronica to tell us how to take care of them.
You can catch 100's of nightcrawlers in 1 night. Just go out in a field or even your yard after a soaking rain in the spring or summer. Use a flashlight and just search the ground methodically. You'll see them half-hanging out of their holes stretched out on the ground. You have to sneak up on them quietly and then smack down on them with your hand. Then you grab them next to the hole with the other hand and gradually and gently pull them out. You really have to just get out and do it. My grandma taught me when I was a small child.
They absolutely love watermelon and bananas, I guess because of all the natural sugars in them. And overripe avocados! Invert one half of an overripe avocado in the top layer of soil and that will become a nursery for the worms!
Would you be able to recommend some tips and maybe a good fertilizer for hot peppers? I have 8 plants growing in buckets, cayennes, thai hots, habaneros, and ghosts. All of the plants have new leaves growing on them, but the ghosts are the only ones that seem to really be taking off. Granted it is earlier in the season still, I'm just worried that I might not get a very great yield out of them. I know it's a little difficult without actually seeing the plants, but any help is greatly appreciated!
You could also put a Tupperware bin inside another Tupperware bin and drill holes in the first one so that it collects any excess water in the second one… Oh yeah put a piece of fabric across the holes so the worms not fall through into the water bin and then once the water been fills up if you have a Spicket on the bottom attached to it you can get out the worm tea or you could just lift up the second bin and get to it that way
I started my worm bin with 8 big Canadian night crawlers and when I dumped the bin after a week to look for them they were all gone except one. What could be the cause ? I know they did not escape because I did not put any holes on the bottom of the bin. Can anyone help ?
no it doesn't. just don't use ANYTHING with glossy ink on it like magazines. i once composted a box with glossy ink on it and the ink was actually on a thin film of plastic so basically the box composted but the plastic on it didn't.
I have learned a bit about worms and doing is best. I live in the Phoenix area so I kill with heat if I don't protect. I found that burying about 1 foot deep makes it cool (and warm) using a 5 gallon bucket or Rubbermaid bucket of similar dimensions moderates temperatures. I have kept worms year round with few problems for about 3 years running now. You seem to have the recipes right for food, paper, soil and water etc.
Great video. Thanks! I bought 1000 worms last year. I started with two 10 gallon totes and now have 4. I think I'm going to have to release some into my garden. I don't have room for 8 totes. lol
Generally I make my own. I'll sometimes supplement with bloodmeal and bonemeal from the store depending on what the soil here needs, but I'm mostly using compost, chop and drop plants, and worm castings.
Just an FYI regarding uncle Jim’s ‘worm farm’- the business is merely a broker selling worms, they do not actually raise any worms. The worms you get come from growers who subcontract. Thus your worms may come from Minnesota one time, Alabama the next. This isn’t good or bad, but may be inconsistent.
you can use any container. there are only 2 rules pertaining to the containers mainly. 1. it should provide a lot of room. i say this because many people post videos of super small and extremely shallow worm bins which is very ridiculous in reality. the bin is maybe 1gal or less. 2. it needs air flow for the worms to breath either you drilling holes in it or keeping the lid off. a 3rd rule typically is to not use anything clear. you can use clear containers but keep them out of sunlight. i used to use an old 10gal fish tank and kept my worms in it in my bedroom closet they were fine. out in the open where sunlight can get it is a no no.
When I was a kid in the 70s a buddy and I had an old refrigerator with the door removed that we grew worms in. We sold them as fishing bait at a roadside stand Obviously Bill Gates had a better idea for a business at the time... LOL That was NW Ohio, we would collect night crawlers at night while they were mating and store them in the fridge. We fed them spent coffee grounds. True story...
Mark Wood we did the same thing Mark and those Ohio night crawlers put 2 brothers and a sister thru college at Ohio Northern university over in Ada. We sold them by the thousands in styrofoam fish boxes. I’ve got a small 21 acre farm now that I’m trying to grow organic produce on so I’m getting setup to raise them again except on a much larger scale so they can provide nutrient rich compost to the crops and greenhouse. I hope to have it all up and running this month. It will be much different than going thru the fields at night with flashlights scooping them up before they could scurry back down their holes but I’m so looking forward to it all. Take care brother
Interesting idea! You probably could, with some modifications (and ample top dressing for the worms to hide in.) My main concern would be ammonia gas exposure (for your birds) if you don't have a regular plan for covering or turning the waste in the bed, esp since coops tend to be on the smaller side and without great airflow. I'm planning on eventually doing stropharia and worms under wire in part of a run here, as the pathogen digesting fungal addition will potentially help break the waste down into safer compost (and the worms can then work in tandem.) I like where you're going with this! If you can figure out venting and turning, you could be onto something for sure.
Whenever they're hungry? 😬 Lol I have never had them on much of a feeding schedule, just check in about once a week or so and add more scraps as they need it. (I do have chickens who take care of the excess the rest of the time.)
There is absolutely nothing wrong with Egg shells in there. Just crush them up first. Its perfect source of calcium for both the worms and the composte.
I keep egg shells in a bucket. When the bucket is about full I hand crush them into a small blender I got for the purpose. Then I take the finely ground egg shells along with coffee grounds and sprinkle them around various plants. So far, so good.
@@feralfan786 small rocks, dimetacious earth, crushed egg shells, grit helps the worm digest the food it is eating. Some time you can crush rocks to dust and use that, the worms swallow the particles and it helps them produce fast and stronger.
Sorry for all the comments but I like your video and I have some ideas that you might like. I was thinking about using a regular cooler also ....a big oneThen you can leave the lid open a little bit and they can have air plus you have a Spicket all ready installed at the bottom it’s on wheels and it sometimes has like a little handle you can pull it by too! Dead leaves or grass works really well on top just make sure it’s not sprayed with pesticides or that it’s too much that it suffocates them you want dry fluffy stuff on top
The Sonoma worm farm in cali is like half the price of the uncle Jim’s worms. And Sonoma has a lot of great videos and shows how’s it’s used for organic farms and vineyards. I ordered from em and recommend em.
I've considered it, but I decided that I'd rather spend the time I have learning about and engaging with my immediate ecosystem whenever possible, and in a way that benefits as many organisms as possible. I'm still looking into doing flooded trays for greens and what not at some point in the future, mostly because I think it's cool tech... but growing soil (and interacting with it) aligns more closely to my personal values than secondary silos like separate closed loop systems. Still, would be fun to play with. :)
Would you give a suggestion as to how to combat against the effects of summer heat Texas; place in shade, maybe a fan; anything else would help and Thanks! Last year they died in summer, had plenty food and wet. Black soldier flies came in too.
Shade is SUPER key to survive the heat, as well as having pretty deep bedding and not staying too wet. Depending on how large of a bin you're running, you may want to consider digging a hole to set the container in so that the soil will help keep it cooler. Alternatively, look into a container that's more permeable (like a grow bag, though they make setups specifically for worms) to keep them in over the summer.
I'm honestly not sure, but I don't see why you can't give it a try! Many worms you buy are some variety of red wiggler- they eat a ton and reproduce rather quickly. I'd just keep an eye on how much food your worms are going through, as it might be slower for other species than what worm sites say for whatever ones they are selling.
Actually, down South where I live in Jacksonville, Fl ..HUGE EXTREMELY lively and almost snake-like (in their movement) worms called "Alabama Jumpers" are very common. They are a non-native species and there is much debate over the amount (up North perhaps..but not here in the Southeast where they THRIVE and are a welcome addition to most Gardner's as they aerated the soul AND produce nutrient rich castings. They do well in larger bins and can be raised just like Red Wigglers with the (optional but encouraged) exception being a 5 -6 inch layer of soil..either straight or Mixed with Peat Moss or aged and composted manure. All the normal bedding materials can go on top. These Worms are diggers capable of burrowing up to 14 feet underground but frequently stay within 6 inches to come topside to eat decaying leaves, mulch, grains, fruit or whatever vegetation they grab from the top...which is why they are considered good ( not quite as fast breeders as Wigglers) but not the "BEST" for composting but certainly not the worst..not by any stretch and they have the added benefit of being a favorite baitwirm amongbfishermenm
I think EARTHWORMS, although they will eat decaying matter, are not very effective composters, as they live in the earth/soil which they aerate by creating numerous channels. For effective composting, I believe you need the 'red wigglers' as they are referred to, which are probably the most effective form of COMPOSTING worm. The majority of worms you find in your garden beds are EARTHWORMS. So you see, different species of worm behave differently, and therefore have a different purpose in the circle of life ☺
I think it's important to mention to future vermicomposters that you need to have a specific type of worms in your worm bin. U cannot just put worm from your garden in there..
I started composting in an old refrigerator and somehow ended up with a massive amount of worms. I dump all of my plant based kitchen scraps and grass clippings in there and they are massive!
How do you collect your "worm tea"? I've heard about it, but never used it...I plan on having a worm bed soon. I already have HUGE worms in my garden, they seem to love the area under one of my pecan trees (maybe because its shaded?)...sadly many get "chewed up by the tiller. :( I've made another video of my garden...will update in a week. I have tiny squash already! Finally getting a much needed "long/slow-soaking rain". Planted okra the first of this week...we've been having 90°+ days, should be popping up soon!
I have 3 bins bin 1- ANC bin had 20 worms bin 2- red wiggler + tiger worm had 200 worms bin 3- local earth worm Allolobophora caliginosa (used as fishing bait)
Veronica, would you please do something to improve the quality of audio recording? Otherwise everything else is great, especially the info you are providing......thanks!
I'd love to! What do you suggest? I barely have time to shoot, upload, and field comments in addition to my actual work, let alone parse A/V equipment, and am on a shoot and run iPhone budget, so any suggestions that fit that picture are appreciated. (If you're talking about background noise, I can't exactly do "quiet on the set", as I'm literally on a working farm full of animals and other people.)
We had great worm dealer) it's the mother Earth) and it works fine for us. I am not sure about newspapers since the paint could potentialy be the problem, we use coco or tree shavings. Looking great Veronica)
Everyone knows east coast worms work harder than those slackity west coast worms xD We started using worm castings w/ our transplants this year, seems to have made a real difference - Another great video, thanks!
Keeps warm in the greenhouse and provides a flat work surface. Win win. I have a multi-tray system and the full trays are HEAVY, at least 20+ kg, and you have to remove them as you want to harvest from the lower trays first. Castings also accumulate in the base. I would definitely not buy again if I knew but shell out for a more expensive flow through type system or just go with a cheap / open system like this if I had the space.
Awesome! You always have the best videos. You are my kind of woman Veronica! lol We are running a fairly large worm operation at my compost job! Seems like I'm gonna are the worm man there as well, and we have a 40'x40 garden plot so we are literally turning food scraps into worm poo and more food as well as selling compost. Before I got the job I bought myself some worms(from uncle jims lol)eat worms! and put it in a plastic contain uncover with peat moss and I just put blender-fulls of my veggie scraps in there and they tear it up. i need to get a sifter like i have a work and can get the casting but I kind of just plan on releasing my worms in my raised beds but keys for good worm bini found in my brief experience.moisture(but not too much) and lots of food When i was researching worms someone said that if you don't feed them enough they might stop reproducing. not sure how true that is but
Yeah mine slowed down on reproduction over the winter- not sure if it was food, temperature, or both- but they're seeming to ramp back up now! The sifters are great- there's a commercial vermicompost operation down the road here that has these huge tumblers I'm super jealous of... still doing so much by hand over here.
Actually eggshells are very beneficial to worms as long as they are rinsed out well and finely crushed or pulverized. They add calcium which drastically improves and increases reproduction. Actually kind of shocked you aren't aware off this as it's a well known and recommended addition to the bedding.
I finally realized the reason we don't do eggshells here (other than them potentially attracting animals to the bin) is because we usually crush them and feed them back to the chickens. :P
i use peat moss for my worms. I feed them fruit scraps blended up they love it. I also have bought a cricket food that they also love they have it at the pet store. they also like the used coffee grounds occasually . they also like cardboard wet i keep my egg crates that i get my eggs in and i tear them up in small pieces and wet it with scrap paper shredded. i have had mine about 2 years now and i keep them in totes from walmart and in my house. i love watching them and i have to change the tote dirt occassually and give them frest peat moss. hope yours do well for you. i live in alabama and the weather here is hot so i have them in a room with air conditioning. they are spoiled. lmao
They ARE spoiled! I tend to avoid using peat simply because it's a resource that isn't easily renewed, but I have no doubt that your worms really do love it. :)
Hey, worm farmers! I started my worm "condo" about a week ago and I have a huge aphid infestation. I really don't know what to do, has anyone had the same problem? I can't find anything on TH-cam that's specific to aphids in a compost bin. I certainly won't want that future compost anywhere near a garden... Help!
Veronica Flores thanks for the response! Not really, no ants... I took all of the worms out of the bins. I have hundreds of them , took me two whole mornings! I’m gonna rinse them all on a net (cuz every worm has aphids on them at this point). Then I’ll leave them on a new box till I wash off my worm condo. I have three boxes piled up with whole in them so I could have worm tea at the bottom and so they could climb to the top as the middle box filled with castings... the idea was great, but now I have so much to clean! Never thought gardening would be so hard! Those darn aphids... I put dry grass at the bottom as a bed, I think that’s how the aphids got in.
Built a worm bin from a Walmart storage bin that was on sale for $4 last fall after watching your video. I drilled holes in it and half buried it in a cooler section of one my garden beds. I sit a flower pot on top to make it look pretty and it has been working great. Thanks for the gentle nudge to try this out.
Great to hear! I really need to get a new one up and going at the new place soon. 🙂
Always good to encourage gardeners to have a worm bin. We've been using geobins for the last four years using our paper and cardboard shreddings and kitchen scraps. Works well enough if you only plan to harvest once a year.
Thanks for producing another educational video Veronica. I plan on starting a worm bin soon myself and hope it's as successful as your bath tub.
Gardening is fun and it's not really overwhelming, it's just there are so many things that you can do to achieve the same thing. At the end of the day, we just want the plant grow well and healthy, but you can use a lot of different tools, techniques, concepts to get that. That's what makes gardening never boring. Just like programming :D
The book Worms Eat My Garbage is very simplified and a great guide to get started with worms. I through cardboard in my bis with a little peat between layers and top feed food scraps in some soft bedding. Also lay bubble wrap on top of bedding and have better results than a thick layer of paper. Agree that some of the info is overwhelming and marketing products is insane.
Years ago I had a neighbor in an apartment complex who raised his worms in the same pots as his many tropical plants. He had a couple of pet bunnies which supplied plenty of pellets that he would add periodically to the pots and he would lightly cover them with the soil. You would not believe how luscious and beautiful his plants were!
I KEEP A WORM BIN TO HELP OUY MY COMPOST AND I ALSO TAKE A HANDFULL EVERY NOW AND THEN FOR FISHING! A MUST HAVE ON THE HOMESTEAD. I GET MY WORMS FROM ANY FISHING AND TACKLE SHOP, THERE;S DIFFERENT VARIETIES AND THEY MULTIPLY QUICKLY AND CHEAP TOO!
Your very smart I like to watch your videos about gardening and gardening related stuff 😊 I am starting a worm bin this year too
Hi Veronica. Great video. I’d like to add that worms will process egg shells. Try washing the shells, dry them and then grind them up. The worms love grinder up egg shells and process them this way extremely quickly. Thanks again for the uploads.
I heard that the extra calcium from the egg shells processed this way is great for tomatoes!
Sadra Claypool they help prevent blossom end rot.
I was overwhelmed with info also, so I just bought fishing worms and placed them in a half barrel with soil and potting mix. I feed them my vegetable scraps before I cook and they are doing really well. I just use the soil when I'm ready for it and replace it later so my worms have plenty of space to live
Fantastic Veronica and so glad you finally had time to do a YT video,Missed you.On the worm container ,I leave 1 drain hole for the excessive water that may happen from time to time and I use a catch container and capture the Tea.Great video.TY73s
Thank you
I was having issues with my new worms and unsure of what my issue was. I think you helped me realize, to not overthink it and just keep an eye on it and work on it to know how to take care of the wormies
I love my worms. I built mine with 3 Rubbermaid storage bins. It was so easy to get started. My tomatoes love that black gold.
Have you tried doing all-natural hydroponics with the worm tea? Dilute it and put plenty of oxygen in the water. I haven't done it, but I know it would work!
I haven't, but it sounds like it could work!
The US intern system is basically legal slavery
gerryjtierney
Please don’t bring politics into gardening! Just enjoy the info and move on.
WHO THE HELL ARE YOU TELLING PEOPLE WHAT TO DO MOVE TO CHINA BITCH!!!!!!@@116falconer
Jeb Gardener oxygen is good
I would build a leaf compost pile and add a few inched on the bottom and on the top. I shred cardboard for the top layer. The worms will lay eggs into the cardboard. Get some coco core or peat moss for the main fill in the center.
Awesome. I literally put my worm bin together from a plastic bin I got at Home Depot less than a week ago! I think I have a little too much water, and having the paper scraps on the surface to retain water once I get the right moisture content is something I will definitely implement due to this video.
Thanks!
Get a cheap cross cutting shredder. Cardboard lasts longer than paper and is in plentiful supply.
Yeah I've had the "mud" problem before as well- definitely helps to not water the soil/castings medium directly!
I was thinking about doing cardboard as it begins to heat up around here (we get so many Amazon boxes lol) because of water retention. Glad to know it works!
Hey Veronica. nice job. Already got my worms. I have had them for about 3 weeks now. I got egg cases looking like course salt on top of the bedding. You should see all the little ones. BIG TIP: do NOT use GARLIC or ONIONS as well as the meat and dairy and leftover cooked stuff. Probably should not put any kind of hot peppers in there either. Coffee is fine but I found that after a few days, half of them wanted cream and sugar, and half of the rest of them wanted decaff. *picky picky picky*
SOME POINTS: 1.Approximately 1000 worms per pound. they can eat half a pound of food a day. I bought a blender at H2O (Help and Hope 2 Others Its like Good Will but more local) and use it to make slurry. they will get to it much faster. I can mix water with it. I am using up a lot of wood hyacinth stuff before it all dries up. Planning on trying out English Ivy as I got a lot of it. If it works out, there will be plenty of food for winter and a good way to get it under control. Another thing... the coffee filters( I use unbleached) kind of disappear in the blender.
2. The first few days I had worms trying to get out. But they were still new to the box. They quit after a few days. I have a second box ready because they are exploding in population.
3. My box is an old Styrofoam thing that some medIcations came in. I put 1/2 in holes in the top and covered inside and out with some old screen from a sliding door. Hot glued it in place. I put 1/16 inch holes in the bottom for drainage but the bottom layer of bedding is dry. The worms stay out of the dry layer so I really don't have anything draining.
4. I do not like newspapers because of all the colored ink. I tried using newspapers for weed barrier when I started my no-till garden beds and noticed a huge difference in the corn planted on or off the newspaper. Not sure about regular office stuff. The paper is fine, its the ink that isn't what it used to be.
Needless to say, I'm having fun with my worms.
It's always a good day when you make a new post :) My peppers just started taking off, it's been so hot here in AR they are exploding! The ghosts and habaneros aren't as leggy as the cayennes but it'll be time to top em off soon. Have an awesome weekend beautiful Veronica and family!
Yeah same- my superhots are pretty stocky as well this year, but my cayennes are so wispy! Can't wait until they're big enough to trim back!
You are so cool!! Glad I stumbled onto your channel..😁I had thought about raising worms but with over 6000sf of garden, 18layer chickens and up to 100meat chickens a year,an ongoing community of rabbits,4bee hives, a family of turkeys with two hens brooding at least a dozen eggs at the moment, the never ending wood pile for heat and a greenhouse( well kind of a hoop house made from several old trampolines lol) that the plastic NEVER seems to survive our brutal Upstate NY winter... I am running crazy most every day... then I realized that every time I pull bunny poop from under hutch compost for garden, I have MILLIONS of worms!!!! 😉.. and afraid to freeze them in a bin overwinter, soooo I like to think of the hutches as a worm farm!! So anyway, you are so cool,our daughter would LOVE you and say you are "so cute"(lol 17yr olds) THANKS for your vids and endless supply of information!!! Keep up the good work!!
HAPPY GARDENING
Sounds like you're already raising worms! Happy gardening!
After how many days can we vitness warms take them out to use for another bucket? Sorry, i didn't notice the number of days.
thanks. I've been thinking i need to grow worms but now I will. so simple yet perfect way of saying things u have. love it.
Worms love oak leaves! They grow really big in composted oak leaves.
My vegetable garden got poisoned once when some drunken bum sh*t in mine. It killed my tomatoes, Jalapenos, and my basil. It doesn't help that I live across the street from a bar. One morning at 3 AM I found a young lady from the bar puking in my raised bed garden. Never ends.
The worms do eat the bedding material I would think And can you mix the red widdlers So they cohabiti with African night crawer? As red widdlers feed high up in the container and the African night crawer feed lower down?
I always get my worms from bait shops. They usually don't sell them in bulk, but if you want to get started, it's usually the fastest way to go, and if you feed them a lot, they will multiply and fill your bin.
Thanks Veronica, yes it is a bit overwhelming watching do's and don't videos. I'm reading some of your comments here of various experiences. I'm going to go with ur method to see if my trial works. I have ton of newspapers and expect a fair bit of green waste as the new greenhouse ramps. The bath is a neat idea so too is the old refrigerator carcass in comments. So many things to learn just to get some worm compost tea lol! BTW I'm enjoying these videos muchly :)
Ahhh I know right?!? I've learned like a dozen plus things from comments, AND even more beyond that since shooting this!!! ALWAYS room to do better and learn more. Thanks for joining! :)
Did they put holes on side of the old tube?
Yes on the sides and bottom for drainage and air flow!
Thank you, Veronica! This video was very helpful.
Worms love leaves or leaf litter leaf mold. I pick up thousands every year. Go right into worm box or garden. I fish alot too 😂🤪
Very interesting..im a worm addict currently having 1000 worms.more videos please
Can use clean cared board!
My first year on this land someone placed a above ground bed in a place the sun wasn't gonna really hit during the summer. It never got moved & its now the worm bin.
Thanks for sharing. We use recycled geobins for our worms. So many different ways to do it.
Oh man, I've never even seen geobins before! Totally off my radar. Thanks for that!
Can we check out what you have been planting out in the yard and also how your mushrooms are doing, please.
worms have a gizzard similar to birds and need grit to help break up food particles, egg shells crushed to near a powder and or bone meal ) I save both and with my chicken bones i dry them to be brittle ( oven ) and crush them the same way as egg shells
Thank you for yet another great video! I have been reading about vermicomposting for a while and found out that there is a big worm farm like 45 minutes from my house! Planning on getting started this weekend.
I just found a new one not that far from me in Texas too! Yay for local worm power!!!
@@VeronicaFlores yay!! That is exciting!
Your channel has completely transformed my jalapeno balcony garden :) I love all your videos. Helps that you're a super babe on top of it all. Keep up the great work! Big fan here all the way from Key West
Glad to hear your garden looks good! Thanks for watching. :)
How do you deal with black soldier flies, mites and fungus flies?
I haven't noticed all that many of any of those, but I try to not keep the medium too wet (and I think having a "mulch" layer on top helps discourage it.)
Uncle Jim is wrong when he says vermicompost shall have the moisture content of a wrung out sponge. This saying is true for a hot compost pile and it means 50 - 55% moisture. The ideal moisture percentage for vermicomposting though is close to 80. Studies have come to this conclusion (can be googled).
Obviously worms have a broad spectrum in which they can survive. Still we should try to optimize conditions to their liking. The reason why worms like more moisture is due to the fact that they can slide easier through the material.
But because overdoing moisture accidentally can lead to air holes closing (close to 90% anaerobic conditions occur), try to aim a little lower than optimum. Go for 75%.
Can we get some more looks at the worms please. Would like to see how big they are and such. Thanks
For sure! Maybe I can figure out how to get a shot of them on the community tab here or whatever it's called.
Thanks. in Australia and Ireland there seem to be different types of worms.
Hi there! And hi to other gardeners also.
Question...what about overwintering the worm bins? How does that work out? I live in the mountain western states. I'm not sure how our winters would affect the worms. Would they be killed in the winter freezing/snow/cold, etc? How would this work since the worms are above ground even though they are in the bins?
Any other tips...welcome.
Anyone test out comparing their garden results on the garden section with the rehabilitated compost soil and normal uncomposted soil?
I move my bin inside the greenhouse when it gets close to freezing outside. Some people move theirs into the garage.
Idk about the comparative analysis bit. The closest I have is a few volunteer plants near ones that were planted- they tend to be smaller and less productive (produce very late if at all), but I doubt it's a great comparison since there are so many other variables. Am planning on doing such experiments at a location in the near future tho. :)
Thanks for messaging me back!
Also I saw a few other videos where people were claiming that you should only use red wigglers...do you think it matters? Can you pretty much use any type that isn't diseased? Have you tried more than one type of worms?
Idk if it matters, but the red wigglers seem to do well with temp fluctuations, break down material quickly, and continuously breed. YMMV with other types... I think every gardening experiment is worth a shot tho. :)
I like your video is there a special type of worms to buy for composting. ?
I've gotten mine from here and am happy with them! bit.ly/gardenworms
Smart and lovely to watch! Thank you Veronica.
If I don't have worms already I will be getting them soon from a friend or maybe from that old food I ate. It's nice to have Veronica to tell us how to take care of them.
You can catch 100's of nightcrawlers in 1 night. Just go out in a field or even your yard after a soaking rain in the spring or summer. Use a flashlight and just search the ground methodically. You'll see them half-hanging out of their holes stretched out on the ground. You have to sneak up on them quietly and then smack down on them with your hand. Then you grab them next to the hole with the other hand and gradually and gently pull them out. You really have to just get out and do it. My grandma taught me when I was a small child.
Great tips! I'd rather keep them working for me in the field though. 🙂
They absolutely love watermelon and bananas, I guess because of all the natural sugars in them. And overripe avocados! Invert one half of an overripe avocado in the top layer of soil and that will become a nursery for the worms!
Would you be able to recommend some tips and maybe a good fertilizer for hot peppers?
I have 8 plants growing in buckets, cayennes, thai hots, habaneros, and ghosts. All of the plants have new leaves growing on them, but the ghosts are the only ones that seem to really be taking off. Granted it is earlier in the season still, I'm just worried that I might not get a very great yield out of them.
I know it's a little difficult without actually seeing the plants, but any help is greatly appreciated!
Patience and compost. :)
You could also put a Tupperware bin inside another Tupperware bin and drill holes in the first one so that it collects any excess water in the second one… Oh yeah put a piece of fabric across the holes so the worms not fall through into the water bin and then once the water been fills up if you have a Spicket on the bottom attached to it you can get out the worm tea or you could just lift up the second bin and get to it that way
I started my worm bin with 8 big Canadian night crawlers and when I dumped the bin after a week to look for them they were all gone except one. What could be the cause ? I know they did not escape because I did not put any holes on the bottom of the bin. Can anyone help ?
Love the vibe.....great video
Doesn't the ink on newspaper hurt the worms?
I don't think so? I don't use the glossy pages, but also don't have a side by side without to compare health.
no it doesn't. just don't use ANYTHING with glossy ink on it like magazines. i once composted a box with glossy ink on it and the ink was actually on a thin film of plastic so basically the box composted but the plastic on it didn't.
I have learned a bit about worms and doing is best. I live in the Phoenix area so I kill with heat if I don't protect. I found that burying about 1 foot deep makes it cool (and warm) using a 5 gallon bucket or Rubbermaid bucket of similar dimensions moderates temperatures. I have kept worms year round with few problems for about 3 years running now. You seem to have the recipes right for food, paper, soil and water etc.
Great idea, burying the bin in a desert climate! I've heard of people insulating with foam etc on the outside, but burying makes a TON of sense.
Great video. Thanks! I bought 1000 worms last year. I started with two 10 gallon totes and now have 4. I think I'm going to have to release some into my garden. I don't have room for 8 totes. lol
Worms will stop multiplying once they sense theres not any more room.. On the other hand the more space you have the bigger they will get individually
do you ever buy fertilizer or do you make your own with manure and others things around farm/ garden?
Generally I make my own. I'll sometimes supplement with bloodmeal and bonemeal from the store depending on what the soil here needs, but I'm mostly using compost, chop and drop plants, and worm castings.
Good timing to come up on my feed. I'm looking into a starting a worm bin.
Great video :) have been looking into this recently and this video answered some of the questions I have had. Love you're videos in general
Just an FYI regarding uncle Jim’s ‘worm farm’- the business is merely a broker selling worms, they do not actually raise any worms. The worms you get come from growers who subcontract. Thus your worms may come from Minnesota one time, Alabama the next. This isn’t good or bad, but may be inconsistent.
Good to know thank you!
Would they survive the winter outside of the greenhouse?
They might, but we drop below freezing here, so I don't really risk it.
I am sorry if I miss it, what kind of container is that
It's an old bathtub I pulled out of a camper trailer I was remodeling.
you can use any container. there are only 2 rules pertaining to the containers mainly. 1. it should provide a lot of room. i say this because many people post videos of super small and extremely shallow worm bins which is very ridiculous in reality. the bin is maybe 1gal or less. 2. it needs air flow for the worms to breath either you drilling holes in it or keeping the lid off. a 3rd rule typically is to not use anything clear. you can use clear containers but keep them out of sunlight. i used to use an old 10gal fish tank and kept my worms in it in my bedroom closet they were fine. out in the open where sunlight can get it is a no no.
When I was a kid in the 70s a buddy and I had an old refrigerator with the door removed that we grew worms in. We sold them as fishing bait at a roadside stand Obviously Bill Gates had a better idea for a business at the time... LOL That was NW Ohio, we would collect night crawlers at night while they were mating and store them in the fridge. We fed them spent coffee grounds. True story...
Mark Wood we did the same thing Mark and those Ohio night crawlers put 2 brothers and a sister thru college at Ohio Northern university over in Ada.
We sold them by the thousands in styrofoam fish boxes. I’ve got a small 21 acre farm now that I’m trying to grow organic produce on so I’m getting setup to raise them again except on a much larger scale so they can provide nutrient rich compost to the crops and greenhouse. I hope to have it all up and running this month.
It will be much different than going thru the fields at night with flashlights scooping them up before they could scurry back down their holes but I’m so looking forward to it all.
Take care brother
I recently converted 4 plastic tubs into a worm compost bin. Haven't tested it yet. But how is it you are able to make worm bins seem so elegant 😙
Hahaha I would never describe this bathtub setup as "elegant", but thank you. :)
Can I build worm beds under my roost for my chickens if I put wire fencing over top so chicks don't eat them or is the poop to acidic for the worms?
Interesting idea! You probably could, with some modifications (and ample top dressing for the worms to hide in.)
My main concern would be ammonia gas exposure (for your birds) if you don't have a regular plan for covering or turning the waste in the bed, esp since coops tend to be on the smaller side and without great airflow.
I'm planning on eventually doing stropharia and worms under wire in part of a run here, as the pathogen digesting fungal addition will potentially help break the waste down into safer compost (and the worms can then work in tandem.)
I like where you're going with this! If you can figure out venting and turning, you could be onto something for sure.
Hi there, how often do you feed your Worms?
Whenever they're hungry? 😬 Lol I have never had them on much of a feeding schedule, just check in about once a week or so and add more scraps as they need it. (I do have chickens who take care of the excess the rest of the time.)
Great video. Very informative.! Going to start mine this year. I’m in cal too.. Have a great day..!!
There is absolutely nothing wrong with Egg shells in there. Just crush them up first. Its perfect source of calcium for both the worms and the composte.
Yes, but rinse the shells well to prevent the spread of salmonella.
I keep egg shells in a bucket. When the bucket is about full I hand crush them into a small blender I got for the purpose. Then I take the finely ground egg shells along with coffee grounds and sprinkle them around various plants. So far, so good.
Worms need grit for their guts.
@@IAmNoeyes what do u mean by "grit"?
@@feralfan786 small rocks, dimetacious earth, crushed egg shells, grit helps the worm digest the food it is eating. Some time you can crush rocks to dust and use that, the worms swallow the particles and it helps them produce fast and stronger.
Sorry for all the comments but I like your video and I have some ideas that you might like. I was thinking about using a regular cooler also ....a big oneThen you can leave the lid open a little bit and they can have air plus you have a Spicket all ready installed at the bottom it’s on wheels and it sometimes has like a little handle you can pull it by too!
Dead leaves or grass works really well on top just make sure it’s not sprayed with pesticides or that it’s too much that it suffocates them you want dry fluffy stuff on top
Smart!!! I like this idea a lot!
The Sonoma worm farm in cali is like half the price of the uncle Jim’s worms. And Sonoma has a lot of great videos and shows how’s it’s used for organic farms and vineyards. I ordered from em and recommend em.
Good to know! I need to replace the bin here soon
BathTub for the Worms😂 Awesome Idea!🐛 Thanks for the good information, you make it seem like not so much of a hassle, Im definitely giving it a go!
Have you considered trying to make a hydroponics or aquaponics system?
I've considered it, but I decided that I'd rather spend the time I have learning about and engaging with my immediate ecosystem whenever possible, and in a way that benefits as many organisms as possible.
I'm still looking into doing flooded trays for greens and what not at some point in the future, mostly because I think it's cool tech... but growing soil (and interacting with it) aligns more closely to my personal values than secondary silos like separate closed loop systems. Still, would be fun to play with. :)
Worms are easy, but they need mass(foodwise to multiply). I stack tires for their home. Get rabbits! Worms and rabbits, woot!
You don't worry about chemical leaching with tires?
Would you give a suggestion as to how to combat against the effects of summer heat Texas; place in shade, maybe a fan; anything else would help and Thanks! Last year they died in summer, had plenty food and wet. Black soldier flies came in too.
Shade is SUPER key to survive the heat, as well as having pretty deep bedding and not staying too wet. Depending on how large of a bin you're running, you may want to consider digging a hole to set the container in so that the soil will help keep it cooler. Alternatively, look into a container that's more permeable (like a grow bag, though they make setups specifically for worms) to keep them in over the summer.
They say egg shells are good for grit or just use sand, but it’s a good way to recycle egg shells if you raise chickens.
lol "they seem to chill in the mud, like they have no reason to move" ....sound like the good life hehe
Great simple system. Can I use worms from my garden or are special types needed. I am blessed with a large natural worm population
I'm honestly not sure, but I don't see why you can't give it a try! Many worms you buy are some variety of red wiggler- they eat a ton and reproduce rather quickly. I'd just keep an eye on how much food your worms are going through, as it might be slower for other species than what worm sites say for whatever ones they are selling.
I believe normal earthworms don't work because the don't live in colonies like red wigglers do.
Actually, down South where I live in Jacksonville, Fl ..HUGE EXTREMELY lively and almost snake-like (in their movement) worms called "Alabama Jumpers" are very common. They are a non-native species and there is much debate over the amount (up North perhaps..but not here in the Southeast where they THRIVE and are a welcome addition to most Gardner's as they aerated the soul AND produce nutrient rich castings. They do well in larger bins and can be raised just like Red Wigglers with the (optional but encouraged) exception being a 5 -6 inch layer of soil..either straight or Mixed with Peat Moss or aged and composted manure. All the normal bedding materials can go on top. These Worms are diggers capable of burrowing up to 14 feet underground but frequently stay within 6 inches to come topside to eat decaying leaves, mulch, grains, fruit or whatever vegetation they grab from the top...which is why they are considered good ( not quite as fast breeders as Wigglers) but not the "BEST" for composting but certainly not the worst..not by any stretch and they have the added benefit of being a favorite baitwirm amongbfishermenm
I think EARTHWORMS, although they will eat decaying matter, are not very effective composters, as they live in the earth/soil which they aerate by creating numerous channels.
For effective composting, I believe you need the 'red wigglers' as they are referred to, which are probably the most effective form of COMPOSTING worm.
The majority of worms you find in your garden beds are EARTHWORMS.
So you see, different species of worm behave differently, and therefore have a different purpose in the circle of life ☺
Good info, very correct.
I’ve also learned you do not want to mix the two types, because they will all die.
I think it's important to mention to future vermicomposters that you need to have a specific type of worms in your worm bin. U cannot just put worm from your garden in there..
I started composting in an old refrigerator and somehow ended up with a massive amount of worms. I dump all of my plant based kitchen scraps and grass clippings in there and they are massive!
Hey Veronica. Is there any concern the worms all do a massive jail break and escape?
Only if they're unhappy (too wet or too dry)
so funny, I was looking this up just yesterday and you posted a video about it.
I enjoyed, thanks!
Buenas Verónica ,quería comentarte que tengo lombrices californianas pero no se reproducen
How do you collect your "worm tea"? I've heard about it, but never used it...I plan on having a worm bed soon. I already have HUGE worms in my garden, they seem to love the area under one of my pecan trees (maybe because its shaded?)...sadly many get "chewed up by the tiller. :(
I've made another video of my garden...will update in a week. I have tiny squash already!
Finally getting a much needed "long/slow-soaking rain".
Planted okra the first of this week...we've been having 90°+ days, should be popping up soon!
I don't collect liquid from the bin, as it never gets that wet. Instead, I "brew" it from the castings.
Interesting...Earthworm Jim Beam!
Easy answer: don’t till!
This girl is awsome, looks like the makings of some bad ass organics
Very cool, thank you!
Nice work 👌
I have 3 bins
bin 1- ANC bin had 20 worms
bin 2- red wiggler + tiger worm had 200 worms
bin 3- local earth worm Allolobophora caliginosa (used as fishing bait)
Sounds like a great setup!
Veronica, would you please do something to improve the quality of audio recording? Otherwise everything else is great, especially the info you are providing......thanks!
I'd love to! What do you suggest? I barely have time to shoot, upload, and field comments in addition to my actual work, let alone parse A/V equipment, and am on a shoot and run iPhone budget, so any suggestions that fit that picture are appreciated. (If you're talking about background noise, I can't exactly do "quiet on the set", as I'm literally on a working farm full of animals and other people.)
Try a Bluetooth ear piece for your microphone. I'm going to do the same for mine. You can use it for calls when you aren't making videos 😊
Awee, you're a worm mommy now. Hehehe :)
We had great worm dealer) it's the mother Earth) and it works fine for us. I am not sure about newspapers since the paint could potentialy be the problem, we use coco or tree shavings. Looking great Veronica)
I'm all for using whatever resources you have!
Thanks
Everyone knows east coast worms work harder than those slackity west coast worms xD We started using worm castings w/ our transplants this year, seems to have made a real difference - Another great video, thanks!
Keeps warm in the greenhouse and provides a flat work surface. Win win. I have a multi-tray system and the full trays are HEAVY, at least 20+ kg, and you have to remove them as you want to harvest from the lower trays first. Castings also accumulate in the base. I would definitely not buy again if I knew but shell out for a more expensive flow through type system or just go with a cheap / open system like this if I had the space.
Yeah weight is SUCH a big factor in these circumstances! I feel like everything is too heavy for me lol. Guess I need to lift more. :P
Awesome! You always have the best videos. You are my kind of woman Veronica! lol We are running a fairly large worm operation at my compost job! Seems like I'm gonna are the worm man there as well, and we have a 40'x40 garden plot so we are literally turning food scraps into worm poo and more food as well as selling compost. Before I got the job I bought myself some worms(from uncle jims lol)eat worms! and put it in a plastic contain uncover with peat moss and I just put blender-fulls of my veggie scraps in there and they tear it up. i need to get a sifter like i have a work and can get the casting but I kind of just plan on releasing my worms in my raised beds but keys for good worm bini found in my brief experience.moisture(but not too much) and lots of food When i was researching worms someone said that if you don't feed them enough they might stop reproducing. not sure how true that is but
Yeah mine slowed down on reproduction over the winter- not sure if it was food, temperature, or both- but they're seeming to ramp back up now! The sifters are great- there's a commercial vermicompost operation down the road here that has these huge tumblers I'm super jealous of... still doing so much by hand over here.
Actually eggshells are very beneficial to worms as long as they are rinsed out well and finely crushed or pulverized. They add calcium which drastically improves and increases reproduction. Actually kind of shocked you aren't aware off this as it's a well known and recommended addition to the bedding.
I finally realized the reason we don't do eggshells here (other than them potentially attracting animals to the bin) is because we usually crush them and feed them back to the chickens. :P
Worms love watermelon. Me too!
Another great video. Keep em coming....
i use peat moss for my worms. I feed them fruit scraps blended up they love it. I also have bought a cricket food that they also love they have it at the pet store. they also like the used coffee grounds occasually . they also like cardboard wet i keep my egg crates that i get my eggs in and i tear them up in small pieces and wet it with scrap paper shredded. i have had mine about 2 years now and i keep them in totes from walmart and in my house. i love watching them and i have to change the tote dirt occassually and give them frest peat moss. hope yours do well for you. i live in alabama and the weather here is hot so i have them in a room with air conditioning. they are spoiled. lmao
They ARE spoiled! I tend to avoid using peat simply because it's a resource that isn't easily renewed, but I have no doubt that your worms really do love it. :)
Great advice thanks for the videos! ✌️❤️
Not sure what trees you have (or if you do) in your area but worms absolutely love rotted leaves. You can skip newspaper entirely.
At this location it was really small oak and conifer. Now I have more broadleaf varieties to work with, so I'll totally be doing that instead. 🙂
Egg shells are ok!
As a kid I used to collect buckets of worms from a field for free, a bit time consuming and gotta wait for a good rain fall but free.
You drilled holes on the side I wonder they won’t escape through the holes 🤷🏼♂️
They will if they get too wet! But usually they don't want to if they have plenty of food.
Hey, worm farmers! I started my worm "condo" about a week ago and I have a huge aphid infestation. I really don't know what to do, has anyone had the same problem? I can't find anything on TH-cam that's specific to aphids in a compost bin. I certainly won't want that future compost anywhere near a garden... Help!
If you have aphids you likely have too much fresh green plant material in there... any ants?
Veronica Flores thanks for the response! Not really, no ants... I took all of the worms out of the bins. I have hundreds of them , took me two whole mornings! I’m gonna rinse them all on a net (cuz every worm has aphids on them at this point). Then I’ll leave them on a new box till I wash off my worm condo. I have three boxes piled up with whole in them so I could have worm tea at the bottom and so they could climb to the top as the middle box filled with castings... the idea was great, but now I have so much to clean! Never thought gardening would be so hard! Those darn aphids... I put dry grass at the bottom as a bed, I think that’s how the aphids got in.