I really can't say they make difference, but nonetheless they've been part of the biology of the container soil for a few years!
Question For You Vermicomposters
- Thread starter fanleaf
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greenjeans
Well-Known Member
I'm thinking that I will put my worms on a feeding schedule - Once they have had a good feast of alfalfa slurry and they have been convinced to breed like crazy I think I should leave them to go back searching for food - bedding, leaves, seaweed and whatever else is in there. I'm wondering that if I give them a steady supply of alfalfa they may not process the rest.
Thoughts???
Thoughts???
Hi GJ, I can certainly see from mine that they have some real favourites amongst the scraps I give them. They particularly go nuts for mango, melon, and especially pumpkin when it's been blended. But I always 'partition' feed them, and in spite of many of them going for the 'favourites', there are always others that happily remain feeding on the less popular food. The Alfalfa does sound wonderful for them and must add to the quality of the castings.
Actually when it comes to feeding schedules, the worms follow ours, if we are away for a week or two, they get by fine until we get back. Their schedule is simply our scrap waste schedule. Of course you've got a bunch of worm bins going, so I can imagine that you have to do a bit more to keep them from getting hungry.
greenjeans
Well-Known Member
It's only recently that I've really gone to town on this. It's only because I have a real good use for the castings now.
Vegan4life
Well-Known Member
I would keep feeding them and they will keep reproducing and eating it's what they do...
greenjeans
Well-Known Member
That is the reason I am trying this - I see that alfalfa meal should be added to your soil mix and I figured that if the worms eat the pellets it is then in a form that the plants can access easier.
When I was mixing my soil - 1/3 mychromalized HP - 1/3 castings - 1/3 old mix - I realized that these castings had no alfalfa so I made a slurry and added it directly to the soil mix and then in another mix that contained no HP I added straight pellets and they seemed to crumble and if I work the soil I think it should mix in well and breakdown.
greenjeans
Well-Known Member
Well, I'm thinkin' it's about time to run a few bins thru the merry go round!!! Give the worms a thrill. Some of the bins are pretty full.
Hey, @greenjeans , do you ever get bug pressure when using fresh castings? Whenever I up-pot and mix in fresh castings I get a flush of mites and thrips a couple of weeks later. I figure they have to be coming in with the castings since I don't get the same result if I omit them.
I've been letting the last few bin harvests dry out pretty good and that seems to have helped, but wondered if anyone else had similar issues.
I've been letting the last few bin harvests dry out pretty good and that seems to have helped, but wondered if anyone else had similar issues.
greenjeans
Well-Known Member
I've never really checked - the castings usually sit for quite a while before getting mixed in - not sure if that does anything.
greenjeans
Well-Known Member
@Carmen Ray - maybe some info in here.....
greenjeans
Well-Known Member
Darn - things arn't workin' right!!!! Don't know what happened!! Sorry!
seaofgreen18
Well-Known Member
A must read! This will answer any worm Questions you might have if not there are resources in there that can get you the answerI was just going through my worm bin so I could feed them. As I lifted the damp newspaper that I have covering the top I noticed all of these eggs stuck to the underside of the newspaper.
for those of you that compost with red wigglers for your fresh earthworm castings, can you tell me, are these indeed worm eggs?
seaofgreen18
Well-Known Member
Well I get a gnat or 2 but I keep rove beetles and hypsis miles in my bins and if you brew a tea with Neem seed meal (put the content of your tea bag back into the bin after it dries a bit your friends will be all over it)I know for a fact that thrips don't like it when Neem seed meal is steeped in a tea for 24 /36 hrs depending on room temp strain (paint strainer bag from local hardware store) and spray on bin with hand sprayer or pump sprayer NEVER pour water on your bin itll be to wet but the Neem seed meal will turn to azadactrin and they RUN but I use beneficial insects in my worm bin. Arbico organic or Nature's good guy's or KIS ORGANICs carries beneficial insects As well check it out!
seaofgreen18
Well-Known Member
Nematodes work well to! You get them at the businesses I mentionedWell I get a gnat or 2 but I keep rove beetles and hypsis miles in my bins and if you brew a tea with Neem seed meal (put the content of your tea bag back into the bin after it dries a bit your friends will be all over it)I know for a fact that thrips don't like it when Neem seed meal is steeped in a tea for 24 /36 hrs depending on room temp strain (paint strainer bag from local hardware store) and spray on bin with hand sprayer or pump sprayer NEVER pour water on your bin itll be to wet but the Neem seed meal will turn to azadactrin and they RUN but I use beneficial insects in my worm bin. Arbico organic or Nature's good guy's or KIS ORGANICs carries beneficial insects As well check it out!
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