Anyone here with a worm farm?

[phillyguy]

I'm considering a worm farm to source my own castings. I have unlimited supplies of quality organic produce for them to eat. Do worm farms smell bad? Would need mine indoor because of winters here. Are they much upkeep?

 

[LeafyGreenPhotography]

I have a worm farm and let me tell you there is nothing better than making worm casting tea with your own fresh casting. I use red wigglers. I got my worms from Uncle Jim’s Worm farm. I use a 27 gallon black and yellow tote from Costco. I use no lid. Substrate I use coco or peat moss. To help keep moisture in I use a layer of newspaper not the glossy type and 100% burlap fabric . When you first get your worms a light above your bin will help keep your worms from escaping. Once they get settled in you won’t need the light. I feed mine all my green kitchen waste like banana peels, apples, lettuce, coffee grounds etc and grind up egg shells.

To answer your questions the bins do not smell bad. I keep mine in the garage and it’s currently 100F outside with no issues. In the winter the worms produce their own heat which helps keep them warm. In the winter I switch my fabric burlap to a piece of plastic panda film. This helps keep heat in and in the summer the burlap helps heat escape and the bin to keep cool. As for feeding I feed them once a week.Make sure when you feed your burry the food in the bin this helps keep flies and under bugs away from the food as the worms break it down. The most important part is keeping the bin substrate moist but not too wet. Worms need moisture to breath so I keep a small 1 gallon pump sprayer near the bin with filtered water to spray the top of the substrate when it gets a little on the dry side.

 

[LeafyGreenPhotography]

Worm bin

 

[LeafyGreenPhotography]

Worm tea

 

[Natep]

I do have a worm farm. However I am rethinking adding castings any more or less often. I have worms in my organic bed. They are composting the mulch layer constantly.

 

[Stokes]

I do have a worm farm. However I am rethinking adding castings any more or less often. I have worms in my organic bed. They are composting the mulch layer constantly.

Any particular reasons why youre second guessing the addition of castings?

 

[Natep]

Any particular reasons why youre second guessing the addition of castings?

In my smaller pots after 6 grow and amending with worm casting and craft blend. It all turned to muck. It was like the entire pot was just full of castings. I think with the worms in the pot and the added casting was to much.

 

[phillyguy]

Worm bin

Thank you. How much room do 1lb of worms need? May have a local source for worms.

 

[wormlady24]

In my smaller pots after 6 grow and amending with worm casting and craft blend. It all turned to muck. It was like the entire pot was just full of castings. I think with the worms in the pot and the added casting was to much.

Im new.. not a grower, but a worm farmer. If the worms were in the pot with the castings and the craft blend, they were likely eating the craft blend... making more castings.

 

[Soyface]

Thank you. How much room do 1lb of worms need? May have a local source for worms.

I think like a 5 gallon bucket would be more than good for that many, i started my worm farm with only a 1lb of worms and i really feel like i would have been happier with more. Also mine keep trying to escape and i think i've lost more than have reproduced inside my farm. :\

 

[SnoopingAsUsualI]

Worm bin

Gone Fishing :)

 

[phillyguy]

I think like a 5 gallon bucket would be more than good for that many, i started my worm farm with only a 1lb of worms and i really feel like i would have been happier with more. Also mine keep trying to escape and i think i've lost more than have reproduced inside my farm. :\

How do they get out?

 

[Natep]

Im new.. not a grower, but a worm farmer. If the worms were in the pot with the castings and the craft blend, they were likely eating the craft blend... making more castings.

Yes but it’s the pot my plants are growing in. To much castings makes the soil not aerate. I tried adding more pumice but was not successful.

 

[Soyface]

How do they get out?

They just crawled out of their worm bin thing, they end dying not very far from their bin too. Anything that could stress them out will make at least some of them try to escape. Also try to not overfeed them or give them things that are rotting. It can cause them to become bloated with gas, bumps on their bodies will develop because they can't expell the gas and it ends up killing them.