Worm Compost – Worms Escaping?

I have a worm compost that I am trying to start, and my worms are trying to escape! They have been trying for a while, but it was just a few ( like 10 per day). This morning, however, there were two HUGE clumps of them near the top of the bin. Fewer were trying to escape through the drainage holes in the bottom. I did notice that it looked like little particles of sand had spilled through the bottom, and I did not put any sand in the bin, so I am concerned about them. I recently had to re-start my bin because it had become infested with fruit flies to the point where their eggs were everywhere and it was very bad. I got that figured out, and re-started the bin with fresh newspaper and some dirt etc. Maybe the sand came from the dirt, as our soil is rather sandy. They aren’t eating the banana peels that I put in there for them (literally, there were no worms on them this morning, and I put them in two nights ago) and they were all at the top of the bin.

What am I doing wrong?


If you are not using Red Wiggler worms, that could be your problem. Different types of worms have favorite foods and habitats and Red Wigglers are definitely the best worms for composting. The most significant characteristic of Red Wigglers is that they like it dark and they hate the light, so during the day, they are going to want to stay in the bin. Some other worms are accustomed to light, so they may feel free to leave. Red Wigglers also have an ideal digestive system for composting.

I have heard that occasionally Red Wigglers will even try to escape when they are first put into a new environment (usually after being shipped), but they settle down quickly. You can try keeping a light on at night until the problem subsides.

I wouldn’t worry about the sand – it will actually help the worms digest what they eat. If you didn’t cut up your banana peels, try that. Worms will eventually eat it, but they do like smaller pieces.

Good luck.

Posted on October 30th, 2009 by admin and filed under worm compost | 2 Comments »

Hydroponic Cultivation Techniques for Indoor Cultivation

Many indoor growers have utilized hydroponic methods to measurable success. By cultivating plants only in water that is filled with nutrients specifically designed for them growth can be maximized.

All types of plants require nutrients to grow and flourish. Most species have a specific concentration of nutrients that are ideal for them and can promote optimum growth. Many types of growing plants will even have changing nutrient needs as they develop.

The reason that indoor cultivation with hydroponic watering systems are so effective is because they allow growers to provide whatever nutrient solution is best for the crops they are raising, providing the same degree of nutrient delivery with soil mediums is extremely difficult.

Soil is too cumbersome to always recycle and determining whether nutrient concentrations are correct throughout it is not possible. The option to alter nutrient ratios whenever sets hydroponic methods apart from other cultivation methods.

Hydroponics can also help growers provide the right amount of water for their growing plants. Plants need a minimum amount of water to survive. Most species also have a maximum amount of water, anything over that and it could kill the plants.

Plenty of plants have specific water levels they require throughout their growth; an overabundance or not enough can impede growth.

While growing with dirt, whether indoors or outside, it is hard to control the water available for your plants. With methods it is a cinch to precisely alter the water that is available for your crop.

Just by switching up or down and adjusting the rate of flow for your hydroponic system you can dictate precisely how much water and nutrients your plants receive.

For gardeners who do not have a suitable garden outdoors or who would like to grow very highly quality plants indoor cultivation with hydroponics is an excellent option. It can be used to cultivate just about any species you would like.

The writer has many year of indoor growing experience with hydroponic systems and knows about the ever expanding variety of indoor garden methods and supplies including growing lights

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Posted on October 30th, 2009 by Rebecca Whitten and filed under horticulture | No Comments »

The Compost Tumbler As The Best Compost System

Bury your problem of where to throw the perishable waste materials by composting. Compost is consisting of waste materials like dried leaves, kitchen food scraps, vegetable and fruit scraps, dead flowers, and other perishable and decaying items. These materials are then used as part of the decomposition process. The process is done by mixing them and keeping them damp by adding water, soil, and the combination of these waste materials. The entire heap is then turning about every other week and in two months time it produces fine rich compost. This is how compost works.

The compost tumbler is a superb piece of equipment that can assist the self-sufficient gardener in making the waste materials into useful fertilizers for the garden. It provides both benefits to the gardener as well as to the environment as a whole. It gives a good sense of balance between nature and the ecosystem. A good gardener can have his own way of making this rich and good compost by using a compost tumbler.

A compost tumbler has a lot of advantages as compared with other compost systems available in the market. Some of the common features of the tumbler include the easy locking latch, double wall construction and the vents. It is effortless to turn, and you can quickly transport it to your garden. It is garden equipment that provides a speedy, neat and clean processing of the compost materials.

Some of the best compost tumblers in the market are the tumbleweed, spinning horizontal typed, envirocycle spinning tumbler composter bin and a lot more. These different compost systems are designed to meet your expectations. They are made of high quality materials using the best composting technology today. They make composting processing easier and effective.

And one of the best reasons for purchasing one is that it not only helps in conserving the environment but it saves more time, energy and money. Imagine making the plants, vegetables, and fruits in your garden healthy looking, bountiful and abundant by owning a compost tumbler. You do not have to spend a lot of money in buying expensive fertilizers because the tumbler is the answer to all your garden needs. That is why buying a compost tumbler is a must for any gardener.

You might need organic plant food and fertilizers for your growing plants. One good way to furnish these is to secure compost tumbler that will help you produce what you need for your plants and at the same time help you cut costs on expenses. Having this will prove beneficial in the long run. Visit www.ourcrazydeals.com to know more about it.

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Posted on October 27th, 2009 by Benedict Perez and filed under compost | No Comments »

Do you have a compost heap, worm farm or both?

It makes such a difference to the garden – I can’t believe people would put their kitchen and green waste in the garbage (obviously unless you live in an apartment)

Yes I have both however I also have an extra that I call my ‘Garden Soup’. Garden Soup consists of a large bucket with a lid filled to the brim with ALL your green waste, bulbs – yes onion weed bulbs and oxalis all go into the bin. Fill with water and let it sit for about a week or so, your nose will tell you when this is ready. Smells just like fresh horse manure. You may need to water this down a bit, me – I just water it on straight. My household only puts our garbage bins out once per month. You should see my garden, and I live in Qld. We are on Level 3 water restrictions- bucketing only.
Oh…some people don’t know that you do not put dairy and or meat products in your compost.

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Posted on October 23rd, 2009 by admin and filed under worm compost | 14 Comments »

Indoor Kitchen Composter Review

Shawna Coronado reviews and discusses the benefits of an Indoor Kitchen Composter from Clean Air Gardening (www.cleanairgardening.com).

Duration : 0:3:57

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Posted on October 23rd, 2009 by admin and filed under kitchen composter | 1 Comment »

Worm Compost Bins For Sale – The 3 Things Everyone Must Understand Regarding Worm Compost Bins

Vermicomposting, or composting with worms, is a great way to compost your kitchen scraps. We can help you locate Worm Compost bins for sale. You could be asking yourself, “But why do I want to compost?” Foodstuff and yard waste contribute to the waste stream. Most people are already aware that we are generating a lot of litter. Our landfills are full to overflowing, and it is only going to get worse because the population continues to multiply. Composting is often a natural solution to divert some of that waste from landfills and turn it into a nutrient rich resource.

So when you get yourself a vermicomposting bin, we suggest a 3 bin vermicomposter, and some red wiggler worms, it’s time to create some compost. Your bin will have directions on how to start composting. Essentially, you want to do three things to become successful.

Create your bin using a bedding layer. The most effective bedding tends to be coir or coco peat. You may also employ shredded newspaper – just be sure to skip the inserts and any color print. Dampen the bedding so that it is the consistency of a well wrung-out sponge.

Put in your grocery scraps. Avoid meat, dairy, as well as fats. Those may cause problems as well as attract rodents. Your earthworms will consume all fruit and vegetable scraps, although many people have reported difficulty with citrus, onion, as well as garlic. Slice those grocery scraps into roughly 2-inch cubes. (This does not have to be exact) and submerge the foodstuff within your bedding layer. As you add additional food scraps, submerge them a little bit away from the last site. Once you’ve reached the end of the bin, you can return to the beginning site. Do this until the bin is three quarters occupied. After that place a layer of moistened, shredded newspaper on top and prepare your next bin.

Harvest your worm castings. After a bin is three-quarters full up you may cover it with a layer of moistened shredded newspaper. Place the next bin on top and prepare it as you had the first. Never add food scraps to this bin for a few days as your worms ought to finish the meals in the bin below. After you start to add food scraps to the second bin the earthworms can make their way to that bin. You will then have the ability to detach the bottom bin and remove the castings to be used in your garden or potted vegetation. Hint: you can discover a few earthworms the 1st few times you do this. Just position them within the “active” bin.

That’s all there is to it. And you wind up with a top quality, nutrient-rich, soil amendment from the garbage. Proving the old proverb, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure to be true, in this case at any rate.

If you are looking to buy a vermicomposter, we can surely help you to find Worm Compost bins for sale.

Click here for more info worm bins for sale

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Posted on October 21st, 2009 by Graham Allmanson and filed under compost | No Comments »

Help! There are worms coming from my compost bin, why is this happening and how can i fix it!?

We have a closed/animal proof compost bin outside in our backyard. This is our first time composting, so we’re newbies. We haven’t had any problems with it until lately we’ve been noticing black worms in our backyard! Now, especially that it’s raining, they’re everywhere!! What is going on?!
edit: i think these worms are actually "black soldier fly larvae" either way, what should i do to get rid of these pests?!

You want worms in your compost, they help break it down.

You only get magots if you add animal products like meat or fat.
You don’t want that in a compost anyway, they tell you not to add that kind of stuff.

Posted on October 21st, 2009 by admin and filed under worm compost | 3 Comments »

50 Cocoon Challenge – Shredded Cardboard

I just wanted to let everyone know that I finally got my ‘50 Cocoon Challenge’ (Cardboard Edition) bin set up on Monday. I won’t say it was easy to track down 50 cocoons for this bin, but the important thing is that I DID manage to do so, and we are now off to the [...]
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Posted on October 20th, 2009 by admin and filed under kitchen composter | No Comments »

Compost Kitchen Scraps in 1 minute

It’s EASY to compost in ~1 minute! Just toss your kitchen produce scraps under a pile of leaves. Let nature do it’s thing.

Duration : 0:1:12

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Posted on October 20th, 2009 by admin and filed under kitchen composter | No Comments »

Starting a Compost Pile

To View the Next Video in this Series Please Click Here: http://www.monkeysee.com/play/406-how-to-use-compost

Duration : 0:3:46

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Posted on October 19th, 2009 by admin and filed under kitchen composter | No Comments »
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