Should I move my worms?

9 years ago

So when I decided to begin a worm bin, I decided on Euro's mainly because I thought they would be good for fishing and the composting was a bonus. I set up my bin two weeks ago, and added 250 worms on Friday. The worms appear to be doing great--eating, lively, not trying to escape etc.

Here is my question--when I made my bin I used a mixture of newspaper and bagged top soil but predominantly top soil. The top soil ingredients are--peat moss, composted pine bark, and peat.

Now, I'm not sure if I should set up a new bin with a lot less soil and a lot more newspaper, cardboard, etc....or just ride this one out and see what happens. I'm thinking the peat moss, peat, and bark will break down even more and the worms will compost it.

I know a lot of this stuff is trial and error, but I value the opinion of those of you who've done this longer. So what do you think, ride this out and see how it goes or set up a new bin? I

Comments (6)

sbryce_gw
9 years ago
Peat moss, peat and pine bark are all organic. I would ride it out. If your worms appear to be happy, that should answer your question.
mendopete
9 years ago
Ride it out. Your worms have settled in and seem happy, so just keep on going. The bin will fill up quicker and will have less castings than your next one. No big deal, you will have super-duper potting soil!
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hummersteve
9 years ago
Mendopete

Nothing to do with the thread but you mention something about worms being happy. My worms seem very happy in my triple decker plastic bin in fact Im not sure I can keep enough food in there to stay ahead of them. I usually just try to keep food in a corner just ahead of where they are feeding seems to be working. I have a gal. container that I fill when I run my juicer with pulp and save it in there. Luckily my sister is saving some scraps to help me out as I live by myself so I dont accumulate that much alone. My TD is really moving now so Im guess the herd is increasing at the rate they are going. I just harvested about a couple of weeks ago and in checking the bottom tray is now ready it is black as can be hardly any debris in it. Im not in a need for it but I could take it any time. Would it be normal for things to move along this quickly?
mendopete
9 years ago
Steve, I have never used a stackable system. Not sure what normal would be.

If it is done, it is done. Things should happen a LOT faster now that your system has been operating for a year. Your happy worms are multiplying and taking care of business. I would guess your last harvest may have been later than it needed be.
Good luck and happy wormin'
hummersteve
9 years ago
Pete

Thanks for your comments. I was thinking the same thing I was delaying the harvest a bit for best quality for garden use and for worm tea making.
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equinoxequinox
9 years ago
It is good to hear of your effective methods. What are you adding for bedding, be sure to keep that up too. Your way seems good. I am going that direction instead of the add it whole method. Which has had mixed to negative results. Huge beets remain bowling balls and actually grow larger in the bin. Larger than the exit port of the worm inn. It is like having a baby too big to birth. Those beets never read "Let it Rot". You also seem to be channeling Mary Appelhof with the method of putting food in an area and then the next feeding right near by around and around the bin. In the southern hemisphere they practice this in the opposite direction.