Worm composters?

[souf]

loving my red wigglers,

id consider getting some of these, especially if i can score a worm bin like yours for that cheap!!

keep it green

 

[ferozaj]

The quality and quantity of the castings will depend on the quality and quantity of the food ect... whereas wigglers go through garbage/bedding at a good rate the Africans are tearing through the bedding and worm chow.


I add Glacial rock dust-bonemeal-eggshell-kelp meal by the TBSP to the bedding to improve the castings my worms make. Trying to find horse manure and a good source of screened topsoil to improve it even more.

Africans are TRUELY voracious! I have had wigglers for 2 years and they turn out castings, but no where near the rate that I am seeing right now with these guys after so little time. Should have done a pictorial of before and after, maybe with the next go round.

Someone just warned me to make sure the horse etc wasnt being wormed as the poop might have some bad effect on the worms if there was some medicine in it etc???

 

[Habanero Fellow]

Someone just warned me to make sure the horse etc wasnt being wormed as the poop might have some bad effect on the worms if there was some medicine in it etc???

Some people say that the worming medications are no longer affective after passing through the horse. It is probably best to let the manure compost for several months before letting the worms eat it.

 

[Alphaeon]

Someone just warned me to make sure the horse etc wasnt being wormed as the poop might have some bad effect on the worms if there was some medicine in it etc???

I know of one Aussie worm farmer that has never had problems using FRESH horse manure as feedstock in limited quantity...

 

[Alphaeon]

Excuse my photoskills will get better pics when the son gets home...


Here is a pic of the ANCs bed... they are more on top and out and about than Red Wigglers.


The bed is a mix of coir and shpagnum peat. Coir was added to help balance the pH of peat which was 5.0, coir being neutral. You can see the fibers of the coir.


White specks are eeggshell and the greyish is newspaper Coir shows up as a very dry looking brown with flash on and peat/castings is the dark brown on top.

The white powder that you see the worms gathered around is the worm chow left from last nights feeding.

Bed/bin is a 10 gallon rubbermaid container.




Camera time is off so ignore that.

 

[dani8538]

is humus beneficial as worm compost ? (humus that made from worms mature)

 

[Alphaeon]

is humus beneficial as worm compost ? (humus that made from worms mature)

Not exactly sure what it is you are asking...

When the worms are finished eating the bedding that will be left as of part of the vermicompost along with whatever they were fed. Vermicompost is castings mixed with bits of organic matter.

If it is completely worked over by worms it is called worm manure or castings. It is unlikely in a home bin that you will have pure castings as the worms can`t live in their manure alone. Allowed to stay and completely work
over the content will bring about their death or will at least kill the majority.

Screening the vermicompost to remove the larger organic matter will result in a more pure casting. The smaller bits can still be left to decompose IF it is stored in a breathable container... such as sandbags.
If your using it immediately then it doesn`t matter... if not and you store it in an airtight container it could go anaerobic and could contain componds harmful to your plants.

You can take a small amount of what is left when you think your bin is finished and put it into an air tight container and see if it begins to stink... if it does then all of the organic matter hasn`t COMPLETELY broken down.