Hi Again,
You start them going in bin 2 (middle) with about 2 to 3 inches of bedding – coconut coir or similar is best, but any natural fibrous material is ok – a lot of folks just use crumbled cardboard (the coarse corrugated kind). Keep on putting fresh bedding over the food scraps. Don’t bother about the top bin until you have lot of castings (vermicompost) mixed up with the bedding in the middle bin. You only need to start the top bin going at the point that your middle bin has reached capacity and the covering bedding is touching the underside of the top bin – you now want to separate out the worms and recover your vermicompost. At that point set up the top bin exactly as before – stop feeding below, allow them a few days to clean up most of the remaining food/ bedding and after a few days start feeding above. After a few weeks most of them will have moved up and you can take out the middle bin – sort out your castings and put that bin at the top and so on.
Steve
—–Original Message—–
From: Irenicus Ghost
Sent: 14 August 2009 06:35 PM
To: info@working-worms.com
Subject: Another vermiculture question
I was curious if there was any specific amount of bedding that should be added to bin #1 (top) and 2 (middle).
Hi There
No – you can vary the height to whatever seems appropriate – depending on the taper of the bins you might want to start with shorter packers at first. You are right about the aeration – folks use a blunt metal fork to turn the bedding – or just use their fingers.
Steve
Visit my website at https://working-worms.com/
—–Original Message—–
From: Irenicus Ghost
Sent: 14 August 2009 05:06 PM
To: info@working-worms.com
Subject: Question about worm composting
Hello, I was reading your articles about vermiculture which I have to say is really well written. I recent bought 3 storage totes from Wally world and marked out the drill points as you specified but now I am curious as to if the stacker’s have to be precisely 8 inches tall? (Mason Jar’s with aluminum lids on)
Also, I was wondering about the bedding do I have to turn it every so often to aerate it?
Thanks for your time.
—–Original Message—–
Hi Judy,
Glad to be of service. Sure use the pic as you wish. How about sending a photo of the new farm, once the worms are established. I’d love to publish it. I’m putting your letter on the blog.
Best regards
Steve
—–Original Message—–
From: judy.willemse@daimler.com [mailto:judy.willemse@daimler.com]
Sent: 09 October 2009 03:51 PM
To: info@working-worms.com
Subject: Thank-you
Hello
Thank-you for your useful and clear information on how to build a worm farm. I have just made one for a friend for her birthday.
Would it be okay if I copy the picture of the working worm on the tractor and stick it on her worm farm?
I just know she is going to love it. She lives in a complex and doesn’t have space for compost bins so this is going to be perfect. We bought small meat trays because they stack nicely.
Thanks so much for the advice on your web site.
Bye
Judy