Earthworms in indoor soil?

[LittleDabbie]

Bro my compost bin was full of flippin thrips and mites prolly not anymore thanks to freezing temps for last week but are those bugs beneficial to compost? Also respect on your arguing skillz @LittleDabbie

From what ive read for vermicomposting yeah they help break down the food faster so the worms can eat the mold and shit that grows on it faster..

http://www.naturesfootprint.com/community/articles/worm-bin

Some are beneficial some are just down right creepy :p

 

[VERMONTSKUNKS]

sheet mang everybody gotta eat tho!

 

[Canalchemist]

If you find your worms are crawling out of your bin it means either they are hungry or the environment is not right, If you keep a light on the shining on the top tray it will prevent the worms from escaping. For separating your worms for harvest in a tray system to get as many worms out as possible take your bottom tray, the one your harvesting and cycle it to the top for a week keep the light on the top tray and continue to feed the tray below it, the worms will migrate to the second tray where the food is leaving a minimal amount of worms in the tray you want to harvest.

 

[shesatoker]

Here it is, the bin im working on, just a few worms now. I actually seen alot more today under the bedding and food I put in. I food processed their food to hurry it up.

 

[SeaF0ur]

I use a no bottles natural system with predatory insects... I've not had issue with worms in my pots ever. In fact they seem to thrive.

 

[Canalchemist]

My new bin is getting established at the moment, I have food in all the trays as I had to populate the bin with a mix of compost and worms already in progress, my hope is they will eat everything there is to eat in the lower trays and work there way to the top starting the cycling of the trays. I am hoping for another worm farm for the holiday season we shall see.
For now I will work on collecting biochar till I have enough for a good pile of organic raised beds.

 

[LittleDabbie]

I just harvested the castings from one of my three bins today! Always fun to dig around in there.

 

[Canalchemist]

Ya I have to agree it is hard to believe that they can eat a whole banana peal in a day or two, you have to have faith when you have a worm bin. Pretty awesome though, when I first got my bins I no longer felt bad about the odd produce going bad in the fridge cause it all ends up in the garden.

 

[LittleDabbie]

HAHA I know im like scouring the fridge for things i can feed them they eat so fast, Plus i food processes and freeze the food before hand so a good cpl pounds of food at a time is gone in 3-4 days.. Amazing little creatures.

 

[Canalchemist]

I do the same with a blender, smashes everything to bits, then I got an Idea from a guy to use ice cube trays to freeze the stuff and feed a few cubes a day for now till they are established then I am going to ramp things up. I wanted to try the African night crawlers, I heard they are voracious eaters but I cannot find anyone who deals in them at the moment.

 

[LittleDabbie]

I do the same with a blender, smashes everything to bits, then I got an Idea from a guy to use ice cube trays to freeze the stuff and feed a few cubes a day for now till they are established then I am going to ramp things up. I wanted to try the African night crawlers, I heard they are voracious eaters but I cannot find anyone who deals in them at the moment.

Check ebay? Almost 100% ive seen them listed.

 

[Canalchemist]

I will do that if I get my new bin, I saw a vid on youtube where a guy was comparing the castings and he said in his opinion the Africans make better castings but I am convinced it is all what you feed them.

 

[LittleDabbie]

I will do that if I get my new bin, I saw a vid on youtube where a guy was comparing the castings and he said in his opinion the Africans make better castings but I am convinced it is all what you feed them.

I think it REALLY is in what you feed them, Ive got a mix of Black castings and then i have some HUGE ( like did this really come from a worm? ) Grey/multi colored if you break it open in the middle Castings as well ( I suspect those are from the nightcrawlers )

I pulled out a cpl castings round as a quarter and about as thick as a marble pretty impressive shit ( no pun ) lol

 

[VERMONTSKUNKS]

Ya I have to agree it is hard to believe that they can eat a whole banana peal in a day or two, you have to have faith when you have a worm bin. Pretty awesome though, when I first got my bins I no longer felt bad about the odd produce going bad in the fridge cause it all ends up in the garden.

my dudes I was shocked at the amount of ruffage these badboys can consume! truly a perfect gift for that gardener who didn't realize how beneficial they actually are. that realization is a ear to ear smile!

 

[Canalchemist]

LMAO!! Ya that is impressive shit, I never thought it could get that big, I like the fact that they multiply and your initial investment pays for itself, as a Dutchman that part really appeals to me, I love self sustaining things that return what would be a loss into something so valuable. I really think that a lot of people really love worm farms for this reason. All people really need to do is Start gardening, start eating from your garden, stop using store bought synthetic ferts, start a worm bin, start composting and you will make the planet a better place.

 

[VERMONTSKUNKS]

All people really need to do is Start gardening, start eating from your garden, stop using store bought synthetic ferts, start a worm bin, start composting and you will make the planet a better place. :D:D:D:D:D that's some beautiful knowledge your spreading right there!

 

[LittleDabbie]

Yeah cpl months ago when i swapped bedding i hada sift thru and pick out 100's of cocoons, Cpl weeks went by and i checked back on the bin and there was a ton of babies crawling all over. Im not sure but i think i may have come across 2 VERY LARGE nightcrawler cocoons as well, Sure hope so that would be fantastic if those are breeding as well.

 

[Canalchemist]

Thanks... It was a revelation to me in recent years when I realized how dependant I really was on the infrastructure around me. It wasn't long ago my Grandfather supported a family of nine kids on a farm. A self sustaining farm. Looking back at my roots and adding the knowledge afforded to me by the information age I have all the info I need to learn what I have to. I started in my home and I hope to expand to something bigger someday

 

[Canalchemist]

Oh wow... that is great news, isn't just awesome... I feel like I have a army of buddies helping me with my soil improvement. So did you leave the cocoons in there or did you put them in a special area?

 

[LittleDabbie]

Oh wow... that is great news, isn't just awesome... I feel like I have a army of buddies helping me with my soil improvement. So did you leave the cocoons in there or did you put them in a special area?

Just left them, soon as they hatch they go to town on food lol

Ive also found Horse shit ( air dried enough that the piss is gone ) but not totally composted is an awesome addition to the farm as well they swarm that about as much as they swarm any other food, and i read the horse shit helps release carbon and promote breeding so.. Good stuff Again Ebay you can get a good 20lbs or so for about 20$ Lasts a while but it fucking REEKS so suggest ya order in spring when you can air dry that shit outdoors lol