Earthworms/Night Crawlers

Clarification: there are at least 2 species of worm called "red wiggler". One is an earthworm (Lumbricus rubellus), closely related to nightcrawlers ( Lumbricus terrestris), and of no use to home vermiculture.

The other is a dungworm (Eisenia foetida also spelled 'fetida'). This species will tolerate indoor temperatures too warm for most worms. It's also more tolerant of the ammonia and other toxins found at such high concentrations in compost heaps and vermiculture bins. Thiis is the red wiggler that you want, and is the most popularly used.

They can be collected from farmyard manure heaps, but many other critters may also come with them. Some are soilborne pests that will harm your plants, some will harm your worms, and some microbes may just infect humans....

Best bet: contact someone already doing this and get a starter culture of Eisenia foetida from them.
 
I have earthworms find their way into my pots. I put them right on the ground and since the pots are the only source of moisture in the yard, they tend to make their way into the pots. Also, FYI, the greatest thing they do to the soil is aerate it. They dig tunnels and eat microbes in the soil so they don't contribute to nutrients but they do help to condition the soil.
 
I am changing the way I make castings as using food scraps is SLOW.
I bought a 65 gallon smart pot and I am going to fill it with Diestel Structured Compost with kelp meal, neem cake and some Gaia Green glacial rock dust mixed in.
I am going to put one pound of red wigglers in the compost and keep it moistened and occasionally add some chopped comfrey.
That should sustain the worms for 7-8 month then I will start the process over as I harvest it.

Hawaiianero said:
 They dig tunnels and eat microbes in the soil so they don't contribute to nutrients but they do help to condition the soil.
Click to expand...
Sure they do. Worm castings have plenty of nutrients including calcium.
mikeg said:
Clarification: there are at least 2 species of worm called "red wiggler". One is an earthworm (Lumbricus rubellus), closely related to nightcrawlers ( Lumbricus terrestris), and of no use to home vermiculture.

The other is a dungworm (Eisenia foetida also spelled 'fetida'). This species will tolerate indoor temperatures too warm for most worms. It's also more tolerant of the ammonia and other toxins found at such high concentrations in compost heaps and vermiculture bins. Thiis is the red wiggler that you want, and is the most popularly used.

They can be collected from farmyard manure heaps, but many other critters may also come with them. Some are soilborne pests that will harm your plants, some will harm your worms, and some microbes may just infect humans....

Best bet: contact someone already doing this and get a starter culture of Eisenia foetida from them.
Click to expand...
The European Nightcrawler (Eisenia hortensis) is also excellent and some say they are the perfect worm. Haven't tried them myself.
 
The Euro is great. One that I have been researching is the African Night Crawler which is the largest, most prolific and efficient composting worms. Check out Larry Hall a guy who knows his worms. They will set you back $32/lb. Personally I have a problem paying more per pound for worms than Filet Mignon :-) actually I am doing Larry's 5 gallon bucket worm farm and a handful of my neighbor's red wigglers.
Purina worm chow lol :-)

http://youtu.be/fGbN9SAuhx0
 
Last week I bought 1 lb of Red Wigglers.  I watch a lady on YouTube , Learn To Grow.  That's were I got the idea to make my own worm castings.
I happened to have an old Rubbermaid 10 gallon container.  That's were I'm keeping them.  Hopefully everything goes well.
 
Yes, the cover is half off.  At first they tried to escape even though I drilled lots of holes on the top of the cover.  I figured not enough air, so I partially opened the cover, and still some were trying to escape.  I decided to put them near my lampshade with the cover off, and that did the trick, they stayed in.  They have food, bedding, moisture, and oxygen.  They are settled in now.
 
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