Good morning, Ann, from Windermere, Florida zone 9b 🇺🇸 Always mesmerizing watching you massage the worms 🪱 😂 I hope it's getting warm enough to turn off the heater soon. We have been using our AC all through April, night-time it gets stuffy. Thanks so much for all of your support ❤️ Take care ❤Peggy❤
Good stuff! My bin is now 6 months old and I am amazed how fast the worms are consuming. I did my first harvest and set the castings in a separate bucket with a small yogurt container with bedding, some castings and frozen apple peels to lure any baby worms. It worked! I put the babies back with the grown ups and reset the bait cup. This is going to be a Great gardening season!
I've been finding a lot of small worms in my plant start pots. cocoon hatch from using castings in potting mix. Now that i'm past the spring potting mix need i'm thinking of trying a baby worm trap in my castings buckets and letting it age and hatch the cocoons in there. can't pick them all out. Not that i mind them ending up in the garden when the plants go out. But i want to keep my population up for starting new bins like you did. :) always something new to try and learn :)
Tis the season to start new bins and garden beds 😀 just emptied out the Can O Worms- it is so much harder to get good castings from- at least for me-the half barrels are much easier to maintain and a really efficient system. Just finished The Worm Farmers Handbook per your reading list-I’m inspired! And now the May goal/experiment is expansion into a homemade CFT or a wedge like Arizona Worm Farm🤞🏻
i've tried totes of all sizes and buckets and none did well. i finally have success with the half barrels and the wedge feeding / turning. half barrels seem to do best for all the different reasons.
You do an awesome job in your basement. I'm pretty envious. I only have one of those multi-level bins and a couple of totes. I can still get a harvest every 2 or 3 months depending on the weather. Mine are out in a sheltered spot in the garden or sheds, so in winter, they are very slow. A great video on starting a new bin. Cheers!
I started my new worm bins back in August/September and I’ve just been feeding and aerating the bed. I was so confused about when I would get real castings. When you mentioned it would take about 6 months, you were so right. I probably could’ve harvested last month but I’m letting them eat most of what’s in there and then I’ll get the castings and add more bedding. I love watching you go through Blue. It’s a very ASMR thing! 😁 Great video, thanks!
Thanks for the video. I always learn something new from watching your videos. When I started, I used multiple, single-bucket worm bins but I ended up merging them into one large bin. Seeing your big blue bin inspired me, and the larger, merged bin is the one that has worked out the best. My worm environment is 3 yrs old now (I keep a large part of the worm castings in the bin each time I harvest). They do well with one large feeding every 2 or 3 months and they're happy.
I think the longer you are a worm wrangler the more you are comfortable not peeking at them weekly. They seem to be happier for it. I'm glad your big bin is thriving.😁🪱👍🏼
I wasn’t sure if you knew, i just found out that Sourdough Cathy passed away in September. I just put it in my community section. I just happen to check on her channel today. I found the info on google. 😢
Good one Ann! 💚 I long for day you are back to sifting though. 😁 It's so relaxing to watch you sift and sift and sift... 💤😉 Still haven't got those onions out. Working on it. Slowly. 😅
About a month left. A bit more to be sure. But last year I missed a whole month of summer in may and ended up trying to establish my seedlings in a hot drought. Wasn't enjoying that, so am pushing it a bit this year. But not onions it seems. 😂 It gets a bit much this time of year... 😅 Seeds sown in january though. 💚
Yay, the freedom of a no sift, harvest! What are your plans for the new raised bed, Ann? I would like to start a Euro bin one day (not that I would be able to keep them separate from my other worms!). ~ Sandra
The new raised bed is going to be for my dwarf tomatoes. There was a homemade pallet bed before. The wood rotted so I bought the birdies to slip on top. It has rained so much I can't get back in to work on it. I'm still almost a month until my last frost. I have time.👍🏼🪱😁
@@barhnineranch812 People tell me that they have observed less microbial activity under a microscope from store bought castings. Essentially, the microbes have senesced. This even happens to castings one grows themselves, but let dry out.
I'll expend my comment to say, this State, N. MN specifically, is getting a slow daily rain. We all say to each other, "We need it" in chit chat But it's incredible, what it's doing for the forest floor. Anyway, plenty of GREEN coming soon! And mosquitoes, and wood ticks! HA!
Yes here in Illinois we are all talking the good talk. It's good for the farmers. Bla bla. Some farmers have more swimming geese than seedlings currently. 😃👍🏼🪱
Question on bedding. I know you have said dont use the freezer boxes. But normal cereal box cardboard that i sometimes peal the top layer off of to use the just cardboard. If i was to run it through a shredder, can it also be used or does it take forever to break down. Ive thought of just using it in my outside bins. Whats your opinion
I use cereal boxes, pasta boxes, granola boxes whole. Soda and beer boxes take a while but will 100% break down. If you are good at taking the top layer off even better. I don't have nails and struggle with tape. Lol. 👍🏼🪱😁
@@PlantObsessed thank you for your response. Maybe I'll do a small section in a bin and see how it goes. And just want to say I love watching your videos. 💜
Have you ever experienced a pill bug explosion? One of mine seems to be dominated by them and everything I read is how they're normal and great. I dont mind a few, but its nuts
Yes, I had one in my large blue bin. It seems to happen in fall. There were hundreds. I actually scooped some up and put them in this bin because it didn't have many. They love the bedding I think. 👍🏼🪱😁
I totally agree about patience. But...I just started a VermiHut with 100 Euros that I got from Uncle Jim's for free. Why not, right? I put them in with coconut coir and a couple of cucumber ends and ground oyster shell about two weeks ago. After a few days, I realized that I could add some castings from my 20-year-old red wiggler bin to get the microbial life going a bit. Then, a few days ago, I added some water I had soaked castings in, a teaspoon of molasses, and a handful of cucumber peels. I topped that with a bit of cornmeal. Well, three days later, the cukes are gone along with nearly all the cornmeal. Really? 100 worms did that? Maybe I jump-started the microbial life with the castings and casting-water-molasses mix. But I'm going to give it another day or so and give them some watermelon rinds.
This same level worm casting making seems too labourious and finger nail dirtying. Have you thought of vertical casting, using a solid box, above which are two boxes with wire mesh on the bottom?. Here you would just feed the top box and have the worms poop below into the solid box. Clean hands and happy worms undisturbed in their hotel.
I have a vertical tower too. Check out my red wigglers playlist. I like to explore different ways to make vermicompost so I can help people in whatever situations they may have. I also leave all my mistakes in so everyone can learn from them too. 🪱👍🏼😃
Awesome video Ann!! Lots of good info on how old and new bins are different. It's so hard as a beginner to restrain yourself from over feeding and you do a great job of explaining the how and why!! Evergreen video for sure!!🪱🪱🪱
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Good morning, Ann, from Windermere, Florida zone 9b 🇺🇸
Always mesmerizing watching you massage the worms 🪱 😂
I hope it's getting warm enough to turn off the heater soon.
We have been using our AC all through April, night-time it gets stuffy.
Thanks so much for all of your support ❤️
Take care
❤Peggy❤
The furnace will be on and off for the next month. 3 weeks and the tomatoes can go out.👍🏼🪱😁
Good stuff! My bin is now 6 months old and I am amazed how fast the worms are consuming. I did my first harvest and set the castings in a separate bucket with a small yogurt container with bedding, some castings and frozen apple peels to lure any baby worms. It worked! I put the babies back with the grown ups and reset the bait cup. This is going to be a Great gardening season!
I have high hopes too. I got my brassicas outside a month a go. I may get some Brussels sprouts this year.😁🪱👍🏼
@@PlantObsessed Yum! I love Brussels sprouts!
I've been finding a lot of small worms in my plant start pots. cocoon hatch from using castings in potting mix. Now that i'm past the spring potting mix need i'm thinking of trying a baby worm trap in my castings buckets and letting it age and hatch the cocoons in there. can't pick them all out. Not that i mind them ending up in the garden when the plants go out. But i want to keep my population up for starting new bins like you did. :) always something new to try and learn :)
I have worms in all my potted plants. Lol I can't seem to ever get them out. So they are all little worm bins. 😁🪱👍🏼
Great information Ann! Seen some happy fat ENCs. New raised garden bed looks great.
Thank you. We are having a mini heat wave and all my brassicas are bolting. Peppers are happy lol. :)
Tis the season to start new bins and garden beds 😀 just emptied out the Can O Worms- it is so much harder to get good castings from- at least for me-the half barrels are much easier to maintain and a really efficient system.
Just finished The Worm Farmers Handbook per your reading list-I’m inspired! And now the May goal/experiment is expansion into a homemade CFT or a wedge like Arizona Worm Farm🤞🏻
i've tried totes of all sizes and buckets and none did well. i finally have success with the half barrels and the wedge feeding / turning. half barrels seem to do best for all the different reasons.
Cheap and easy 👍🏼🪱😁
Nice!! I love the barrels too 😁🪱👍🏼
You do an awesome job in your basement. I'm pretty envious.
I only have one of those multi-level bins and a couple of totes. I can still get a harvest every 2 or 3 months depending on the weather.
Mine are out in a sheltered spot in the garden or sheds, so in winter, they are very slow.
A great video on starting a new bin. Cheers!
I still like the multi bin. I enjoy seeing how the process works in different ways.👍🏼🪱😁
I started my new worm bins back in August/September and I’ve just been feeding and aerating the bed. I was so confused about when I would get real castings. When you mentioned it would take about 6 months, you were so right. I probably could’ve harvested last month but I’m letting them eat most of what’s in there and then I’ll get the castings and add more bedding. I love watching you go through Blue. It’s a very ASMR thing! 😁 Great video, thanks!
That is great. Blue is next week 👍🏼🪱😁
Thanks for the video. I always learn something new from watching your videos. When I started, I used multiple, single-bucket worm bins but I ended up merging them into one large bin. Seeing your big blue bin inspired me, and the larger, merged bin is the one that has worked out the best. My worm environment is 3 yrs old now (I keep a large part of the worm castings in the bin each time I harvest). They do well with one large feeding every 2 or 3 months and they're happy.
I think the longer you are a worm wrangler the more you are comfortable not peeking at them weekly. They seem to be happier for it. I'm glad your big bin is thriving.😁🪱👍🏼
@@PlantObsessed Thank you!
Yay! A new worm bin 👍🏻
It has been a long time. 😁🪱👍🏼
many of us are waiting to get those pepper plants out into the garden spaces. Testing a few right now in pots..... Nice to see a new bin.
About 3 more weeks and they can go outside. I'm excited too.😁🪱👍🏼
I wasn’t sure if you knew, i just found out that Sourdough Cathy passed away in September. I just put it in my community section. I just happen to check on her channel today. I found the info on google. 😢
Thank you. I didn't know. That is so sad. She was awesome. gardening and worm farming in Alaska takes mad skills.
@@PlantObsessed you’re welcome. I know that you checked on her channel like I did every once in a while. She’ll be missed.
Good one Ann! 💚
I long for day you are back to sifting though. 😁
It's so relaxing to watch you sift and sift and sift... 💤😉
Still haven't got those onions out. Working on it. Slowly. 😅
I hope you have sets or starts. How many frost free days do you have up there? Sifting will resume next week :)
About a month left. A bit more to be sure. But last year I missed a whole month of summer in may and ended up trying to establish my seedlings in a hot drought. Wasn't enjoying that, so am pushing it a bit this year.
But not onions it seems. 😂
It gets a bit much this time of year... 😅
Seeds sown in january though.
💚
Yay, the freedom of a no sift, harvest! What are your plans for the new raised bed, Ann? I would like to start a Euro bin one day (not that I would be able to keep them separate from my other worms!).
~ Sandra
The new raised bed is going to be for my dwarf tomatoes. There was a homemade pallet bed before. The wood rotted so I bought the birdies to slip on top. It has rained so much I can't get back in to work on it. I'm still almost a month until my last frost. I have time.👍🏼🪱😁
You have the microscope listed as things to purchase. Can you show us how you use the microscope with your worm castings?
Do you mean a tutorial on how to use the microscope or show the videos of the casting?😁🪱👍🏼
Both! And have you ever looked at castings from the big box stores? It would be interesting to see how they stack up.
@@PlantObsessed Both would be great! Would like to see the scope in action and results of the analysis.
@@barhnineranch812 People tell me that they have observed less microbial activity under a microscope from store bought castings. Essentially, the microbes have senesced. This even happens to castings one grows themselves, but let dry out.
@@FarmerCheryl here is a play list until I can make a tutorial Worms under the Microscope.: th-cam.com/play/PLiDtxGXSEdZcPOq-dBCQ7lq0woiYJT5E6.html
I'll expend my comment to say, this State, N. MN specifically, is getting a slow daily rain. We all say to each other, "We need it" in chit chat But it's incredible, what it's doing for the forest floor. Anyway, plenty of GREEN coming soon! And mosquitoes, and wood ticks! HA!
Yes here in Illinois we are all talking the good talk. It's good for the farmers. Bla bla. Some farmers have more swimming geese than seedlings currently. 😃👍🏼🪱
All good!
I'm glad it was helpful 👍🏼🪱😁
Another great video. 🙂
Glad you enjoyed it👍🏼🪱😁
Question on bedding. I know you have said dont use the freezer boxes. But normal cereal box cardboard that i sometimes peal the top layer off of to use the just cardboard. If i was to run it through a shredder, can it also be used or does it take forever to break down. Ive thought of just using it in my outside bins. Whats your opinion
I use cereal boxes, pasta boxes, granola boxes whole. Soda and beer boxes take a while but will 100% break down. If you are good at taking the top layer off even better. I don't have nails and struggle with tape. Lol. 👍🏼🪱😁
@@PlantObsessed thank you for your response. Maybe I'll do a small section in a bin and see how it goes. And just want to say I love watching your videos. 💜
Hey girl!!!!👋🏾
Hello :)
Have you ever experienced a pill bug explosion? One of mine seems to be dominated by them and everything I read is how they're normal and great. I dont mind a few, but its nuts
Yes, I had one in my large blue bin. It seems to happen in fall. There were hundreds. I actually scooped some up and put them in this bin because it didn't have many. They love the bedding I think. 👍🏼🪱😁
@@PlantObsessed that would make sense. I pile in lots of bedding but its just paper not prepared like your's
Is it a good idea to add some bokashi compost activator, EM? That should add microorganisms.
I have not done either. I have seen the bokashi done. Would the EM make the bin heat up?😁🪱👍🏼
@@PlantObsessed I don't think so, but not sure. My bokashi doesn't heat up. Would be interesting to know. It might by useful to add EM to bedding?!
I totally agree about patience. But...I just started a VermiHut with 100 Euros that I got from Uncle Jim's for free. Why not, right? I put them in with coconut coir and a couple of cucumber ends and ground oyster shell about two weeks ago. After a few days, I realized that I could add some castings from my 20-year-old red wiggler bin to get the microbial life going a bit. Then, a few days ago, I added some water I had soaked castings in, a teaspoon of molasses, and a handful of cucumber peels. I topped that with a bit of cornmeal. Well, three days later, the cukes are gone along with nearly all the cornmeal. Really? 100 worms did that? Maybe I jump-started the microbial life with the castings and casting-water-molasses mix. But I'm going to give it another day or so and give them some watermelon rinds.
The bin critters helped 👍🏼🪱😁
I'm arguing with my friend. Please resolve it! :). Are worm castings the slime from worms bodies, or the worm's pooh?
Poop 🪱👍🏼😁
🥰
🪱👍🏼😀
This same level worm casting making seems too labourious and finger nail dirtying. Have you thought of vertical casting, using a solid box, above which are two boxes with wire mesh on the bottom?. Here you would just feed the top box and have the worms poop below into the solid box. Clean hands and happy worms undisturbed in their hotel.
I have a vertical tower too. Check out my red wigglers playlist. I like to explore different ways to make vermicompost so I can help people in whatever situations they may have. I also leave all my mistakes in so everyone can learn from them too. 🪱👍🏼😃
@@PlantObsessed Great, thanks for your reply.
🪱❤️🪱❤️hey!
Hello 👍🏼🪱😁
Awesome video Ann!! Lots of good info on how old and new bins are different. It's so hard as a beginner to restrain yourself from over feeding and you do a great job of explaining the how and why!! Evergreen video for sure!!🪱🪱🪱
Thanks so much! 😊 🪱👍🏼