Kitchen Compost » compost worms

is it possible to create an indoor apartment compost without worms if so how..?

admin — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 07:28:11 +0000

i really want to make a compost but i live in an apartment and so i did a little reasearch and found all this stuff about worms i HATE worms and dont want them any where near me..!so it there any other way i can create a indoor compost WITHOUT using worms….. can you help me..?

The only other way I can think of would be to just let it decompose, but that’d smell really bad and might give your house mold, so it’s probably a bad idea.

Honestly, you should try to get over your fear of worms. Do a little research on their biology and learn about them. They’re really cool creatures if you’re willing to take a closer look at them. When you understand them better, force yourself to get closer to them and, if you can, hold one for a little while. If it goes well, you won’t have so much trouble with them being in your house.

Can a bin compost work without putting worms?

admin — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 03:26:11 +0000

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

Should you put worms in your compost pile?

admin — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 06:44:07 +0000

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.

Starting Out With A Worm Farm

Peter North — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 18:10:39 +0000

Frequently individuals decide to raise chickens while there are others who prefer livestock but if you want to help the soil or restore its nutrients, then what you should do is build a worm farm yourself instead of buying one. The nice thing about making a worm farm is that the price isn’t that much. The only things you’ll really need are 3 or 4 stackable bins or crates made of plastic, wood or some other light and water resistant compound, some worms, and some insect screen for the bottom portion ripped up newspaper, garden soil or potting mix, water and good scraps.

When you finally have all of these it’s time to commence building the new worm farm by placing a number of holes in the lid and on the bottom. The number of holes in the lid depends largely on the size of the box but keep in mind that this should be evenly spaced to allow oxygen to enter and excess water, as well as to let any worm waste drain along with the water. The insect screen you picked up needs to be put on the bottom of the tub.

Now that you’ve finished on the exterior of the worm farm, you now prepare the interior by filling some of the container with shredded newspaper. It is best to put three quarters of it in the tube and dampen it with water before you put in the garden soil or potting mix in the grit this is done to be sure that the worms will eat the scraps you throw in. Once everything is ready, it’s time to show the worms to their new abode. Some people might put in 1000 of these little creatures and as long as they’re happy they will reproduce and you will most likely lose count of their exact number.

But what do we do the other stuff? The last thing we need to do is to place the extras containers over the first one.

If you have any idea what worms like to eat, some examples are coffee grounds or tea bags, smashed egg shells, fruit peelings, hair, stale cookies and cakes, fine wood shavings, plate scraps, moist cardboard, vacuum cleaner debris and vegetable scraps. In short, worms love to eat dirt and leftovers but don’t put too much since you might over feed them. The best way to determine what enough is would be to only give them a little bit at first and then observe how long it takes for them to finish eating that batch before you put in more food. Since the area is large it’ll also help to lay their food in different locations each time.

Watch your worms regularly so you can be sure that the newspaper does not dry out and if it needs changed make sure you replace it.

As with all things in nature, poop will appear at the bottom of the box however this particular waste product is also called vermicast and vermicast helps plants grow. The only way to get to it without having the worms get out so it is best to open the container and just set it under the sunlight for a while. Worms hate sunlight so they will naturally look for cover and you won’t have a hard time to pick up the poop and shut the lid.

The worm farm is a great tool, and to help you grow flowers, fruits or even vegetables and all that’s required is some willpower to get the support from these small creatures.

To find out exactly how you can get red wiggler composting worms help visit my red worm compost bin website.

Technorati Tags: compost worms, worm composting, worm farm, worm farming

I want to start composting with worms, any help?

admin — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:55:19 +0000

I read everything I could online and the books in the library I am pretty set. Is there anything you guys know maybe tips and tricks and things that maybe I couldn’t get from reading all the books?

Congratulations on all the homework you have done and being ready to get going on your vermicomposting!

From my personal experiences, I do have a few bits of advice.

First, don’t be afraid to experiment with different size containers. I have seen people with small ones at work (maybe 1.5 ft square) for their lunch leavings. I find that wonderful.

Next, worms do try to escape. They do that at first because they haven’t settled in. So be ready for a few weeks of possible Stalag 13 like behavior. Do not feed them at first with extra scraps, just let them eat the moist paper strips or whatever bedding you have chosen.

Remember that they will reproduce and make many more worms, but it happens over time. Since you can’t count the little fellows, be precise about the amount of food you give them and see how long it takes for it to get eaten. If you are using a bin of, say, 3×2, add maybe a cup of scraps. Once that food is gone, then add more. That will save you from getting old, mouldy icky scraps that attract flies.

If you have managed their home and have everything perfect, and they still try to escape, make escape unpleasant. More holes in the lid will let in more light, and they will shy away.

Last, if you are using a bin, buy a second bin without holes on the bottom to catch and moisture that comes out. Simply stack your bin in the second bin.

I would enjoy hearing about your success, so please let me know how it is going. My email address is available on the profile site.

Worm Compost – Worms Escaping?

admin — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 03:52:20 +0000

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.

How is vermicomposting any better than just having a compost bin with worms in it?

admin — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:21:49 +0000

I have been entertaining the idea of doing the red worm composting thing then got to thinking that I already have a compost bin with worms in it. How is it different in terms of benefits?

if you have a contained vericompost, you get to use the ‘tea’ and the castings where and how you wish… and you could even give or sell some….. in your compost pile, you get the same, but you can’t separate it out…..

it’s also not got to be so big…… a good compost pile needs to be about three ft square…. a goodly vermi- can be in a rubbermaid box that fits about anywhere!….

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

admin — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 05:56:13 +0000

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.

worms in compost bin?

admin — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 01:52:38 +0000

I have had a compost bin for about 2 years now .but just recently it has got a lot of smallish red worms in ( I only ever put in compostable stuff). Is this normal only asking ,because to be honest they are revolting and it puts me of using it

Honestly you have the best thing going for you for your compost pile. There are a lot of people out there that pay good money to get their red worms shipped to them…and some that even go so far as to drain off the "juice" that comes out of their worm bins to put it on their gardens. Keep adding stuff to your compost bin…think of the worms as your little helpers. They are only speeding up the composting process.

worms in a compost heap?

admin — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 23:54:03 +0000

I just bought a house with a lot of property but the house has been abandoned for the last 2 years. Whatever used to grow is pretty much gone. I plan on doing a lot of gardening so I’ll be setting up a compost heap. I’ve done compost heaps before and I know that earthworms are a vital part. So when I’m doing the compost heap will worms eventually find it or should I add worms in?

Either. Adding worms will speed the process up.

But rest assured, if you pile it, they will come.