Need help with worm compost!!?
I just started a worm compost a few days ago. The compost is in a plastic container with good sized holes in the bottom and small holes on the side (at the top) and in the lid. It’s sitting on 2 blocks of wood.
I started out by wetting/shredding newspaper and cardboard and then adding the few worms I was able to find outside. After 2 days, I added some veggies, peelings, etc.
On Wednesday I also added some moss and loose dirt.
And yes, I add a little bit of rain water each day to the compost to make sure things are cool/damp for the worms. It’s been raining off and on for a week so that is all I’ve been adding for water.
Today I was able to find a place that sells worms and night crawlers. I added them and some more left over veggies, peelings, etc. I also added a little bit more moss and loose dirt from the woods.
My Questions:
1) Have I done everything right?
2) When should I begin turning the compost? How should I do so? And won’t turning it hurt the worms if I snag any?
You need about 18 months for compost to look like compost
(- what’s "loose dirt" ???) your problem right now is the small quantity of matter – the process will work very much from compression-heating process and this you’ll see maybe in nov or december when the compost starts smoking – then it is the right time to turn it -generally gardenning and haste don’t make good neighbours –
Cut lawn and dead leaves ( small ones) are a great stuff for compost – and worms – may forget them – unless they sing at night -
Without offend animal or human urin ( and co ) accelerate the rotting process
Never throw rose-tree branches – they very often are germ-vectors – nor weeds in their grain period ( fertilization ) – no plastic – no chemicals – no cat-litter – no branches of trees and fruit-trees if too thick and not dead -
Does anyone have any experience with Worm Farms? Both selling worms and the compost left behind.?
What are the pitfalls / advantages to this kind of home based business?
Been doing it for 2 years.
It is a LOT of work with very little ROI.
My deal is that it allows me to be home with my kids so I take next to nothing for my time and that is ok for me. Teaching local composting classes is a decent source of monthly income for me.
If you are looking to make a consistent income, it is not for you. It is very seasonal, I sell worms March-October and that is it.
I would suggest looking into starting a website, long term rewards, not a get rich quick. You can check out my website if you want. The link is below.
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is this a good bin for compost and worms?
ok so im planing on having a big compost/worm pile, and i have this old tub i use to water my cows with, its about 8 feet long and about 4 feet deep, and metal and i was wondering if this would be a good compost bin….i was gonna make a roof over it to keep it from flooding.
yea i was also gonna drill holes in the bottem.
Yes it seems like the right size and with holes for air and draining it should work great.I have never seen metal bins but if plastic can work; then why not metal.
Worm composting, what is the yellow liquid?
I saw on Victory Garden when the host was talking about worm composting he poured out this yellow type liquid and said to use it dilute it to one part liquid to 20 parts water. Where did the liquid come from? Exactly what is it? My worm compost only has dark brown almost black fertilizer. Where did this liquid come from and why don’t I have it? lol Thanks for the help!
I didn’t see the Victory Garden show about this. However I believe it’s worm tea, the liquid part of excrement. If you have a pre built plastic worm bin, there should be a spigot at the bottom of it. This is to drain off the tea, otherwise the bedding becomes too wet and the worms can die from drowning. This tea is then diluted as they said on VG and used to water your plants. It is wonderful fertilizer.
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Has anyone done a business plan for worm composting?
I’m doing a project in one of my classes. I’m having trouble figuring out what the direct costs are for compost, worm casting, and worm tea . Most of the materials (as far a I can understand) are depreciated. Anyway, I would greatly appreciate your input. Furthermore, if you own a compost business I would like to know the general amount of startup costs (just to make sure I’m on the right track). Thanks.
Of course, you must choose the amount
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Can a bin compost work without putting worms?
Hi I want to make a bin compost, the ingredients are paper, cart board, water, dirt, and leftover. Will it work without worms? Will they grow worms in there? What will happen there?
The other answers are completely wrong. There are several different types of composting. One is worm composting but another is just natural bin composting. You really should add other natural materials to get your compost going such as: grass clippings, dead flowers, sawdust, rotten fruits and vegetables, coffee grinds (including paper filters), etc. I have a bin compost such as the one you are discussing (as do many people I know) and it works great. The materials will give off natural heat as they break down which will speed up how fast everything breaks down, additionally, it will also create enough heat to keep rodents away and the smell down. Make sure to turn the pile occassionally and if it is dry add a bit of moisture to it. If you do have problems starting the pile then by all means you can purchase a compost starter at any garden center as one of the other answers mentioned. Good luck. Check out some of these links for help.
http://getready2garden.com/page6.html – there are some helpful articles here and some more here:
http://getready2garden.com/page4.html
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Should you put worms in your compost pile?
I just started a compost pile.
There’s so many leaves and stuff and grass clippings around my house I put them all into a HUGE pile, I mean huge.
Anyways, I heard it was good to put worms in there. If so, what kind?
Any tips for a compost pile?
Oh, and where can you get the worms?
You don’t have to put worms in with grass, clipping and leaves , there will be a great number of what Anglers call Canadian Night Crawlers just gravitate to your pile I highly recommend turning the pile often it will facilitate rapid decomposition, and you can remove the castings to where you want them and put in more material, anything other than meat scraps is ok. The more work you put in the better. Personally since I use horse and rabbit manure, I have what is called a red wiggler, it is not needed in your bed, because essentially it is a manure worm. If you ever get a good source of straw, I don’t’ know what it is about the stuff but when decomposing it one will often attrack what is called a Georgia Jumper, very entertaining touch it and it will flip all over the place. I’m a large gardener been in the worm business selling to bait shops in years past. Even raised crickets, but you don’t have to add worms, if it makes you feel better when it floods and you have those things crawling everywhere collect a few and put in your bed. But you will have plenty anyway.
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What color should he paint the worm compost?
My father-in-law built us a worm compost box and he wants to paint it. What color(s) would be good? We live in a suburban neighborhood and the box would sit alongside our brick house in sight of some neighbors.
We’d like to stay away from flashy sport’s team colors or anything too gaudy. Thanks!
If it helps, here are the directions he followed to make the box. It is likely made out of plywood, so a stain wouldn’t be applicable:
http://whatcom.wsu.edu/ag/compost/wormbins.htm
If you could provide a link to specific color samples that would be great!
Composting is always a good way to go. I am glad your into it. Is there no where else this compost box can be built somewhere in your yard? It would be ideal to be at the very back and somewhere hidden at least. Anyway, if this is the best place for it, why don’t you paint it like the brick of the house too? Paint it like the brick work. This way it’ll match the color and design of the house. At least it won’t be so obvious to your neighbors who sees it. Good luck!
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What would you like to ask? When you compost horse manure, how do you do it to make sure it is done properly?
My horses and our family live in Southern California and would like to recycle our horse manure as part of our home gardening system. I would like to make sure that the following pests are taken care of:
1. bermuda grass seed from hay 2. e. coli and other bacteria are managed 3. ph level correct 4. do I need to worry about horse intestinal worms when composting? You never see this topic in gardening books
You need to start off with a compost bin that is the proper size to enable the compost to reach the optimal temperature.
In a good working compost pile, the temperature can reach 150F +. This is good because this temperature will kill the weed seeds and any pathogens in the manure, as long as it isn’t carnivore (cats and dogs) or omnivore (pigs and humans). Carnivores and omnivores carry bacteria in their guts that are zoonotic (transmissible to humans). It takes even higher temperatures to kill these bacteria, and even then it is not recommended to use on food gardens.
I have built a 2 bin system, 4′x4′x’4′. This size allows the compost to build enough heat to do the job properly. You can make it bigger, but you must make sure you turn every part of it over so that it gets heated thoroughly.
The pile should be turned over every couple of weeks. To tell when to turn your pile you need to watch your temperature. They actually make compost thermometers. They look like oversized turkey thermometers.
If your manure is in wood shavings, you will want to add some blood meal to the compost. Blood meal will add the nitrogen that is needed to break down woody material. You don’t have to add any kind of compost starter because the manure itself will have enough bacteria in it by itself. There are three stages to compost breakdown. The first stage the compost is heating up. This all works through bacterial action. Then another sort of bacteria begins its stage and heats the compost even higher. It will reach a peak after about 2 weeks and the temperature will start to drop. Then a third type of bacteria takes over and completes the process.
Turning your compost is an important part of the process. It allows the compost to heat back up again and the decomposition goes much faster. When the temperature drops, it is time to turn your compost over. This is why I have 2 bins – I can turn the compost into the empty one to start the process over again. If you have the room, I would build a third bin to store the finished compost. To check the pH, you need a pH test kit.
So, all your questions are answered because of the heat the pile generates. I am including a link to the compost thermometer.
http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page.aspx?c=2&p=57098&cat=2,33140&ap=1
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My worm compost does not smell great, Help?
I have been keeping a worm compost for a few years, and it does not normally smell very much or even at all. I think I loaded up one of the stacked bins too much and now I have a yucky smell in my kitchen, almost like the smell of dog poop. If memory serves I have allowed anaerobic bacteria to multiply by filling it too much and quickly. There are very few worms in that bin, if any. It is now on the bottom. So I guess it is not getting much air, either. What can I do to deal with the problem? Is there anything that will absorb the scent or bring the compost environment back to normal?
I live in Quebec, so it gets very cold in the winter. The red wiggler worms are tropical, and can’t survive the cold. Also, you only get extra critters with outdoor composts 
I know this from having put it outside one summer.
Also, you can add meat and such to worm composts. It’s not like a regular compost. They eat everything. You just have to bury it well so that it does not smell. Still, that is not what I did to cause my current compost stinkiness 
You may need to take some of the food out if there is still way too much. Then add lots of shredded paper and loosen the bedding up to get some air moving around in there. Also, if the moisture level is too wet, you may need to add dry leaves and newspaper. It should be like a damp sponge. If there are no worms in there, then you will definitely need to get some!
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