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Since you asked... I would love to add some special amendments like that to my bin for micro nutrients. I would pay no attention to the pH nor expect it to balance the pH of the bin. I expect the bedding to do that. As with fish tanks, worm bins are better off with no pH meddling due to quick swings. But I have read about various types of amendments like that and if some landed near my I would add it. Yes I could just put it into the garden but I like the idea of it being incorporated and bonded into the vermicompost.

Well I was just thinking of grit in the bin and of course now use lime to sweeten the bin. I use castings in vegetable growing containers and was trying for a more nutritious produce. I of course think the castings I have are quite complete due to the worms diet of domestic and imported food scraps. The Hydroponic thing is just a lark. In my search I could find no recommendations for using the castings. I am growing lettuce under lights in a raft system using the castings so far so good (three weeks in) I am also growing tomatoes potted in pure castings and that is not recommended either and they are growing great. These are not experiments by any stretch. Just a way to while away some winter boredom.

Curt

We talk a lot about controlling the pH of the bin without giving any thought to whether the pH of the bin NEEDS to be controlled. I would add the granite powder and/or lime to the finished castings, not to the bin.

Of course the PH is only adjusted when it is necessary! Why would a person do otherwise? ;)

Curt

I don't know why a person would do otherwise, but we hear a lot of talk about [choose your favorite food/bedding] being too acidic, even though I doubt anyone actually checks the pH of their bin, which would be pointless, since the pH is probably not consistent throughout the bin.

So, do you know that it is necessary to adjust the pH of your bin?

Well you can buy a water or soil PH tester at Ace Hardware, mine has both. I haven't looked for a litmus paper test kit but any Drug store should have one. Did you see that I am growing plants in pure castings? It is nice to know what the PH of the castings are for doing this. And I think it will be important for the hydroponic also? I am only looking for a range around 7 About 6.5 to 7.5 I am sure my test are close enough for that. A good point on the bin having different areas of PH I will keep my eye on that. ;)

Curt

Maybe I do not recollect accurately but old geizers who never gave a hoot about pH used to have spectacular tropical fish with beautiful fins while those who lived and breathed every .2 change of pH and worked hard and $$$pent to keep it balanced with in supposed perfection by every means humanly possible seemed aged prematurely. If the micro nutirents of granite powder were in an acidic medium I would still want them in the bin or at least on the garden later. Bin maintenance would not change. Granite powder would seem to be a good thing even totally discouting any value it may or may not have for pH. Still very good for something nutrient wise I can not yet describe. I would add it to my bins not for grit because I do not feel they need any but for nutrients.

I'm not sure that having 50 years of pH testing of worm bins would give us any more information than what any old worm grower already somehow magically knows about what their worms want and need. Like their knowing the exact pH of their bins is it going to make wheels rounder?

If the pH is off in a bin a worm person should be able to notice things, something, way before the pH test shows something. If the worm person has to wait to see the results of a pH test to let them know how their worms are doing then maybe worms ain't the right thing for them. Or anything living.

Yes the grand scale worm grower or wine producer should use scientific'e pH testing to back up their initial suspicions if they have a million dollar product. But if they need the test to give them the first clue then...

Even a brand new worm grower should have more of an idea of what is going on in their bin than to have to use a pH test kit.

Now if they are trying to breed a specialty fish or worm that requires a special situation then break out the pH kit.

The goldfish or compost worm should not need it.

Its not you its me :-)

Its not your posts curt grow that have me over reacting. I value your imput and experience on all topics. I am glad you put this great topic on the table. It is other posts online elsewhere that have freaked me out due to their attempts at balancing pH freaking me out. I am not convinced that accurate pH testing can even occur in a bin. Probably what can happen is just general direction of pH change testing.

It is not the pH the worms are exposed to that kill them because they can adapt to extreme pH, but it is the quick Changes or helpful Corrections in pH that kill them. So pH adjusters tend to be "worm make them suffer a whole lot and then kill them ers". And this was supposed to be my post to attempt to make pH peace.

Every time a person talks about adjusting pH they should just instead add more bedding. It fixes every evil. It Does No Harm.

Worms want air.

Worms want moisture.

Worms want bedding.

Worms Do Not Care what the pH is.

The worms will adjust to the pH.

pH does not have to be adjusted to the worms.

Thank you equinoxe!, you got the main thrust to the post. I was only explaining the PH part because I was asked. The nutrient question of the power was my main thoughts, The PH was only an afterthought because I guessed It would add some dialog. I did not know it would take over the post or I would have left it out. IMHO you are a great wormer Thanks again I value your input. ;) All that said I still want balanced Castings with micro nutrients, not compost!

Curt

I am one of the old geezers who had an aquarium of tropical fresh water fish. I can assure all that I did not sweat the PH as long as the fish were doing good. Just thought I would add that for fun ;)

Curt

I wonder how many vermicomposters used to have fish in tanks? It seems like a lot. Maybe it is not the fish or the worms but the balanced system that we like.

Although cast out twice I am glad I averted my eyes and did not take the bait on the whole grit thing or it would of dragged the posts in the other direction.

Granite powder, green sand, and other really cool things to add to soil for micro nutrients do interest me. I have read about them but they are not readily available. To get them I would have to travel through a few small states or mail order and pay shipping per pound. If used in a garden situation I would put them in a raised square foot system due to cost. I would prefer to put them into a vermicompost system first to incorperate things. Or use them for seed starting and right around the plants.

"lime to sweeten the bin" really who talks like that.

I probably have one of the smallest vermicompost systems of any poster since it is two that total less than 10 gallons. I do take them apart frequently to see what is going on in there. Most other posters have been at this way longer than me. All I know I have read from their posts. I have read all ALL the back posts on many of the vermicompost boards. After a while they get tired of answering the same questions about orange peels and lime and sand. It is also interesting because each question seems to have two answers and each is the opposite of the other.

Granite powder, a waste product generated while sizing granite slabs has been posing problems of disposal.

Granite power a waste power from a granite aggregate crushing operation a few miles north of me no aluminum oxides used as in slab manufacture. Free for the taking. Lime to sweeten the bin, well now and old Midwest boy like me talks like that! Comes off of the farm and the smell of things like horse stalls and out houses when piss starts to stink. Funny It is necessary to qualify every word and action on here! Sorry I posted! I will leave now! I get the hint! :[

Curt