The red wigglers I have here have over the years become accustomed to how much I fed them and how often.  I have found ways to be away on holiday for up to a month and still have the worms doing well when I have returned.  For all 90+ bins this is not always easy, but it can be done.  It is helpful to recall if you began with either one or two lbs of worms, as that will dictate the amount of wastes you can give them.  If you challenge them with too much your worms and bin are in for some nasty surprises and so are you. Dead worms are not happy ones.

As I mentioned in other blog posts your should always error on the side of feeding your worms too little rather than overwhelm them with too much food. That can and does lead to the food wastes heating up and since the worms have no where else to go they perish.

I recommend you feed them in the beginning of your learning about them about  one cup of food waste from your kitchen every three days.  If you rotate the feeding sites in the manner of looking at a clock face.  Using 12:00 at the top and on the right side you can feed there the first time, in spot to the side or under that first one  of 1:00 in three days, in spot 2:00 in another three days, until you are at the spot of 6:00.   Once you have reached the 6:00 area pull back the bedding at 12:00 into which you have buried the food well down into it.  If all the food wastes have been consumed you can safely continue with this feeding schedule.  You may even find that the worms are doing better than you thought and are consuming the wastes at a faster rate.  At this time you can safely step up the feeding to more than  a cup at a time to two cups.

Over time I have found one way to speed up the consumption by the worms.  This will require you getting over the initial ‘ick’ factor of the process I use.  I place all the wastes into a large covered pail.  I make sure the pail has a rock on it to keep the vermin out.  I place it in the sun for at least one week.  At the end of the week the wastes have all become a type of soupy mass.  It is not easy to determine if the  apple core is really that or if the banana peel is a peel, it is that well degraded.  Do recall this: the goal of your worms eating and preforming well in your bin is to have a balanced diet for them and on which they can readily eat.  Because the worm’s mouth is microscopic in size, the smaller the particle size is the faster the worms can eat it and make castings for you.

How to feed the worms this soupy mixture?  Good question.  I use long gloves, which are called Bluettes.  They are durable and will last you for at least five or more years.   I use a long handled scoop to ladle the mixture into the bedding, cover it well, add more bedding only  if the level has dropped below how much I need to have cover the food wastes well.   Do recall this: the bedding is an insulator for the worms, as well as a place for them to mate, rest and eat.  Without adequate bedding they will not do well for you.  I add more food to the soupy pail contents as I have it or the worms need more food, leaving it in the sun as before.

How much bedding is needed in the start of your bin or the first 2two months?  That is dependent on how quickly the worms are consuming it along with the food wastes you are giving them.  For the first two months I suggest that you keep the bedding to within one inch of the top of the bin. This gives the worms that added cushion of both insulation and an organic food source, should they need or require it.  Do recall also that the bedding is always shredded and soaked paper.  I found in one bin that I had unfortunately left unfed, except for cardboard, which had been shredded that the worms survived on just that and no food for over a month. Of course the casts were all of a yellowish tinge. The worms were all smaller than normal.  These two things told me that the worms have to have a balanced diet of both bedding and food wastes. I also told me they would make it on bedding alone, not well, but they did survive.  I remedied the situation as quickly as I could and the worms became large and happy once more.

To recap:

>  How much, how often your feed your worms is vital to their well-being.

> Getting over the ‘ick factor’ in a soupy mixture  of the food wastes is a good idea.

>  Limiting the worms diet to just one food source is not the best idea.

>  Making sure the worms have enough bedding is key to their well being and moderating the temperature in their environment.

Until next time when I write about the do’s and don’t's of what you can feed you worms, I hope you are learning from your worms, as they can teach you a great deal.

Enjoy your worm bin!

~Shel

Which type of worms will work for my bin?

That is a good question. There are many different types of worms on the market today for vermicomposting. Red worms, or red wigglers have always been the ones, I have used with great success over the years, as well as my clients. Now Alabama Jumpers are on the market and fellow breeders tell me they also do a fine job.  I am staying with the breed I do know a great deal about.  You can choose, after reading up on the various species, which ones will work for you and your situation.

What is the right size of container is right for my worms?

Take a week or so, look at or weigh your organic waste recyclables from the kitchen. Compare the volume of your waste with this rule of thumb: for a one to two person household a twelve to sixteen quart bin will work. To meet the needs of a two to four member household, a twenty-two quart will do the job.

The container doesn’t have to be very deep, remember E. Fetida are top feeders, anything deeper than one foot is wasted. The more surface area you give the worms the better.

Measure the length and width of the container in inches.  Multiply the length by the width to calculate the surface area of the container in square inches.  One square foot equals 144 square inches.

The ideal beginning volume of worms will vary depending on the size of the bin you choose.  Once the bin has been set up the worms will begin to multiply.  In about four to six  months the worms will have doubled the number you began your bin with.  When the volume reaches three quarter pounds per square foot, the worms will become over crowded and will try to begin to migrate.  Worms on the sides and top of the bin trying to escape are good indications that it is time to harvest the castings and divide the herd, as it is sometimes called by breeders.

How much and how often should I feed my worms?

In ideal conditions in the wild, a worm will eat its own weight daily.  In the confined space of the worm bin you can expect a worm to eat up to one half its weight per day. Worms burn up less energy in a worm bin.  They do not have to range very far to locate food and they cannot travel far in a confined space.

A family of four with a 22 quart bin, starting with 2 pounds of worms, can expect them to consume one pound of waste per day.  Estimate processing 3 to 7 pounds of food waste per week.  Feeding the worms twice a week should work out well.  Having written that I do need to tell you that the most common cause of worm bin failure on the part of the new bin owner is over feeding of the worms.  In their  haste to have the worms consume as much as possible and see the results in the vermicompost, or castings they will give you, many people over feed the worms.  What happens in the bin is catastrophic for the worms.  Too much waste in the bin will cause the wastes to heat up or hot compost.  This means it will cause the bin to over heat. This over heating of the bin will, in turn cause the worms to panic, as they have no where to escape to since they are in a confined space.  The only way the worms can tell you there is something wrong in the bin and it needs to be remedied ASAP is this: t hey will all congregate at the top and sides of the bin, as they are trying to get away from the intense heat. I always caution the first time worm owner to error on the side of too little food wastes to begin with and see how the worms handle this in their new home.

The rotation method of feeding your worms:

In the show and tell bins I use for demonstrations I have the top of the bin labeled with a marking pen into a grid of numbers 1 through 8.  I mention that the worms are new to their bin and should be fed on the third day after they have been transferred into the bin.  The amount they should be fed can be 1 to 2 cups only and that should be placed in the spot labeled #1.  At three day increments of time the worms are fed again, this time in spot #2 and so on. Once the spot #5 has been reached pull back the bedding in #1 and see if the food wastes have been consumed, if they have you can carry on with this feeding schedule until the worms are used to it and have adapted.  All the food wastes are buried deeply as you can into the bedding.  Since the bedding is shredded, soaked household paper wastes you will need to always have on hand both wet and dry bedding, as the worms will consume this organic waste, too.

I also ask that everyone, who is a client of mine to have a worm annex on hand. Any old sweater box, a dish washing tub will do.  Have it drilled out along the bottom with your 1/4 inch drill bit, 9 holes evenly spaced, lined with cardboard and ready.  If the worms have a problem you already are prepared for it.  You have a new and safe bin to transfer them into, while you fix their real worm bin. You have an adequate supply of wet and dry bedding. You are prepared for any eventuality!

To Recap:

> Determine the ratio of food wastes your home produces in a week, to tell you the number of pounds of worm you will need and size of the bin you  will need.

> Mark the top of the bin for feeding spots or stations.  Perhaps marking your calendar will help,  so you will know when and how much you have feed them.

> Always have your worm annex bin ready. You never know when the worms  and you will have need of it.

Good job. Well done!

I will be back in a few days with some helpful hints about a recipe for a worm bin, the instructions for it and how often you should add more bedding to the bin.

Until then: please enjoy your worms!

~Shel

The conditions that control worm populations are the same as those required for them to survive in a contained space:

1) ample, but not excessive food supply

2) sufficient surface area

3) population density

4) nutrition for reproduction

5) moisture

6) ambient ground and air temperature, 55- 85 degrees F ( 13-27 C)

What type of container should you use?

The type of container you use is limited only by your imagination.  Below are a few guidelines you will want to keep in mind.  Also, remember, a lid will keep it dark and help it to retain moisture, and keeping the birds from feasting on your worms.  Even a bucket can be used as a worm bin.(9)  When selecting a bin it is important to pay attention to the square foot surface area listed in the chart of worm to waste ratios.  This will be covered in the next blog I do here.

Consider the following when you select your worm bin:

> The inside of the bin should always be wet, so cardboard and similar materials are not appropriate.

> Select a size that is easy for you to handle.  If you maintain a bin kept in the house, it will need to be taken outside before harvesting.

> Appearance is important to some people, so obtain or build something that is attractive.

> Plastic holds up well and retards moisture loss.   Plastic containers often come with the necessary lid.  Caution: worms prefer to work in the dark, so try and avoid clear plastic or keep the container covered in the shade.

>  Wood breathes well but warps and rots.  It is also much heavier than plastic, especially when filled with worm castings.

>  Wood manufacturers infuse some wood with pest resistant chemicals to increase longevity.  These chemicals can be poisonous to the worms.

To reduce the cost and keep with the spirit of recycling, try to use a container that has had a former function.  You may build one of scrape, have one at home, or discover the perfect worm home for pennies on the dollar at a second hand shop or garage sale.

Some suggestions:

* old dish pans are a good size for an individual or a couple.

* plastic flip top storage bins work wonderfully.

* bins made from safe ( not pressure treated) scrap wood are effective.

* recycled barrels, cut in half lengthwise and bolted  together at the mouth provide inexpensive bins with lots of surface area.

Do clean the container thoroughly before you add your worms. If your bin doesn’t have a lid, a piece or wood or cardboard with a rock on the top will do.

Remember: No matter the type of bin you choose, recycling is part of the goal!

Recipe For A Worm Bin

Equipment and Ingredients- What you will need

* one container for worms, with a lid

*one  old sheet, or other porous liner

* one electric drill with a 1/4″ drill bit

* dry cardboard the size to conform to the shape of the bottom of the bin

* bedding: shredded newspaper, corrugated cardboard cardboard as a liner for the bottom of the bin ( soak all the shredded paper for at least 24 hours before you star your bin) It comes up to 1″ of the top of the bin when you have wrung it out well and pulled it apart for air spaces.

*  a tray to catch the drips beneath the worm bin

* 2 short sections or 3 of 2″x4″‘s to raise the bin off the tray it will sit on

* a hand full of garden soil to add in the micro-organisms who will aid in breaking down the food waste for the worms.

* Locattion in deep shade for the bin

* Composting worms– red wigglers–as many as you need to compost your waste volume

To Recap:

> You now know the type of bin you will be choosing and what to shy away from

> You have a few suggestions which should help you in obtaining your bin

>  the equipment you will need has been out lined

Next time I shall write about the worm to waste ratios, the ideal surface areas to waste volume and how to figure out the volume of youe organic wastes.

Until then: enjoy your worms, if you have them.  Learn from them.  Ask questions!

That is what I am here for, to help you all I can.

~Shel

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