Worms in soil from castings?

[Nunyabiz]

Just not using the right soil then.
I keep my soil between 29 to 35% moisture, that and a thick mulch layer and worms couldn't be happier.

With enough aeration some of which created by the worms themselves you can keep plenty of moisture for worms.

Where people have a problem is small pots (under 15 gal) filled with dirt that is too heavy too compact that can't handle proper moisture levels and no mulch layer which is very important for both worms and plants.
Worms also can't handle synthetic nutrients.

I bought 1 pound of worms 6 years ago, I haven't bought worms since, they reproduce in my pots like crazy.

 

[seaofgreen18]

My friend my soil is just fine and even when I mulched it and I have the soakers I wasn't getting the results I want with casting production I'm not saying it doesn't work I'm just saying that the bin is a MUCH Better option for both the worm and me this way I can feed them all my table scraps and such I couldn't do that in the bed and of course the casting's are of better Quality because they get a diverse diet that's all I'm saying there are MANY different reasons why I just think it's better the other way having experience with both

 

[Nunyabiz]

I feed my worms craft blend and Bokashi, organic banana and Avocado peels plus cannabis leaves.

1. Premium Kelp Meal
2. Wild Flax Seed Meal
3. Alfalfa Meal
4. Organic High P Bran
5. Camelina Meal
6. Crustacean Meal
7. Fish Meal
8. 3x Fish Bone Meal
9. Soybean Meal
10. Sul-Po-Mag (Also Known as K-Mag or Langbeinite)
11. Organic Malted Barley
12. Volcanic Tuff
13. Micronized Basalt - Blue Ridge Meta
14. Gypsum
15. Oyster Flour

They eat all this goodness in the pot and create pretty damn good castings IMO.
Certainly two ways to do it but in the pot is just as good under the right conditions.

 

[seaofgreen18]

That's man I just didn't have any luck and my research on worms was telling me something different so No worries that's why I'm here is to see how y'all are doing things

 

[seaofgreen18]

That's man I just didn't have any luck and my research on worms was telling me something different so No worries that's why I'm here is to see how y'all are doing things

 

[seaofgreen18]

I use this as well as Bio char and some of the things you've mentioned like the malted barley and the Bokashi my liquid soil food is the Pacific Gro fish and humic acid and or compost tea

 

[seaofgreen18]

I use this as well as Bio char and some of the things you've mentioned like the malted barley and the Bokashi my liquid soil food is the Pacific Gro fish and humic acid and or compost tea

Actually the Bio char is for the nutrient,water and microbe storage not food

 

[Nunyabiz]

All of that is good worm food.

 

[greenjeans]

They eat all this goodness in the pot

Gosh - they eat better than me!!!! Mine get kitchen scraps, grass clippings, chopped leaves, seaweed, alfalfa pellets and a bit of very fine sand from time to time. They also get whatever is left over from growing weed including, AVB, match sticks, ashes, etc.

 

[seaofgreen18]

I use crushed oyster shell for grit and to keep a ph balance in the bin or clean ground up egg shells work for grit either or

 

[Vegan4life]

How I first got started was I did was alot of ppl will do and especially some of these places that sell worms will tell you put them in your pots well that's a marketing trick I had stocked this bed with worms like 10,000 wigglers and euros and needless to say they survived not thrived like I wanted so I've been picking them out as I recycle my soil even with the blumat soakers in there they just stayed alive I been picking them out and putting them in the bin that's the route to go I think but I guess it's all in how you look at it

How is the Blumat soaker hose working? I have a 3 x 3 indoor bed that I grow spinach and lettuce in and was thinking of going this route. Does the soaker keep the whole soil surface area damp? I pretty much fill every square inch of space with plants. Also are you using the Blumat carrots to supply water to the soaker hose?

Happy Sunday

 

[seaofgreen18]

How is the Blumat soaker hose working? I have a 3 x 3 indoor bed that I grow spinach and lettuce in and was thinking of going this route. Does the soaker keep the whole soil surface area damp? I pretty much fill every square inch of space with plants. Also are you using the Blumat carrots to supply water to the soaker hose?

Happy Sunday

Happy Sunday well to be honest I don't care for them the carrot's are kinda hard to dial in and I use the gravity feed system on a 5 gallon bucket with soaker hoses I think using constant pressure from the water supply would work better because it's consistent and constant pressure in gravity feed as the bucket empties I'm just afraid of a leak that wouldn't be good! With a bucket I can only leak 5 gallons where's constant it'll go till I find the basement is flooded
The carrots that's a whole nother learning curve as well , alot has to do with the type of soil you grow in and how pourous it is, and your question about soil surface,it only gets damp around and under the soaker hoses so no the whole surface doesn't get wet. I think if you're not afraid of hooking up to your water supply with a pressure reducer in line and don't have to do anything to the bed like if you do a no till application they would work good.
If you want some information on them www.sustainablevillage.com they could hook you right up.
I need to ask,have you ever researched Bio char? It helps a lot with retaining water and carbon sequestration. I grow in a living soil and you?

 

[seaofgreen18]

Happy Sunday well to be honest I don't care for them the carrot's are kinda hard to dial in and I use the gravity feed system on a 5 gallon bucket with soaker hoses I think using constant pressure from the water supply would work better because it's consistent and constant pressure in gravity feed as the bucket empties I'm just afraid of a leak that wouldn't be good! With a bucket I can only leak 5 gallons where's constant it'll go till I find the basement is flooded
The carrots that's a whole nother learning curve as well , alot has to do with the type of soil you grow in and how pourous it is, and your question about soil surface,it only gets damp around and under the soaker hoses so no the whole surface doesn't get wet. I think if you're not afraid of hooking up to your water supply with a pressure reducer in line and don't have to do anything to the bed like if you do a no till application they would work good.
If you want some information on them www.sustainablevillage.com they could hook you right up.
I need to ask,have you ever researched Bio char? It helps a lot with retaining water and carbon sequestration. I grow in a living soil and you?

In a gravity feed system as the bucket empties it has less pressure because of the amount of weight from the water. Finished from the above reply. I use the Blu mat soil moisture meter now I REALLY like those I have 2 digital I'm thinking about investing in Blu mat analog moisture meter but the digital work GREAT helps keep me from over or under watering