new to worm composting and already have a problem LOL help :)
11 years ago
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- 11 years ago
- 11 years ago
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I have two problems, the first having to do with composting
Comments (18)blinkmyster .... said "About two weeks ago I added two bails of peatmoss, and three bags of steer manure..." Do you mean bale as in bale of hay, or bail as in bucket? 2 bales in that small a garden space seems like a lot to me. 2 buckets seems about right.[but then I garden in clay, and I note that you have sandy soil, so maybe the larger amount of peat is called for.] Sounds like you're going gangbusters with your garden! Did you mention introducing earthworms into your garden? May I suggest you start a small worm 'pit' somehwere in or near the garden...populate with composting worms, feed aged animal manure, kitchen scraps, etc. cover with wet cardboard or piece of carpet, keep moist and let the wrigglers do their thing. Have you seen the 'trench composting' links from another Canadian? Glad your composting leaves problem was resolved. Here is a link that might be useful: Vermicomposting trench...See MoreNew Craftsman - Possible Problems Already
Comments (12)Where in the post did he say he brought it from a saleman? Again, inexperience and JD bashers that don't own one butting in making there outragous statements. "which you would of brought a JD" WE know why due to the price differences Like three time as much For a X500 which probably equals the features. I see JDs in the paper every week with less than 50 or 100 hours on them for sale so the crap about low hours don't hold water either....See MoreHELP....Worms having a jail break
Comments (15)> I lined the bottom of the bin with soaking wet cardboard > a few hand fulls of organic dirt, There is no such thing as organic dirt. Dirt is mineral. > I think I was supposed to add the worms before the material > to be composted The worms don't care. Generally, you put the compostables in the bin and let them break down for a week or so before you add the worms. If the worms don't want to be on top, they will burrow down. > Will the worms survive even though I added them last? Yes. > The bin is about 1/3 of the way full, Which is probably too deep. The worms tend to want to stay in the top 6 inches or so of the bin. If you start out with much more than that, you will find the bottom of the bin does not get consumed. > is that too many scraps for a lb. of worms, Yes. > will they be ok Yes. > or do I need more worms? The worms have their own methods of adjusting their numbers. Let your worms do the more worm thing on their own. It may take a few months to get an adequate population, but newly hatched worms will adjust better than newly purchased worms. > I've stopped adding compost materials until I know > if my bin is ok. You did good. Let the worms catch up. They have a lot to consume. > I noticed worms crawling up the sides of the bin & on the > lid I also found some who escaped, I'm assuming the jail > break was through the holes, is that normal This is normal for a new bin. Worms take a while to adjust to a new environment, > or is there a problem with the compost & a reason the > worms are trying to escape? Well..... See below. > It has no odor so I'm assuming my brown/green ratio is > correct. No odor is a good sign, but it does not mean that the ratio is correct. If there IS an odor, it probably means that the ratios are wrong. > I did notice it is warmer inside the middle of the bin. Too warm? > I live in Central Florida where it's really heating up, This could be a big problem. Worms don't like temps over 90 degrees F. > I turn my bin daily by turning it on it's side, > rolling it around a few times & then stand it upright. But you won't anymore. This could be why the worms are trying to escape. Worms hate to be disturbed this way. It isn't necessary. (I advocate doing this ONE time after about 3 months.) This could also cause the bin to heat up, which can kill your worms. > I am container gardening organically. Should my compost > material be all organically grown materials? It depends on how much you are committed to growing organically. If you want to be organic to the point of being certifiable, your food and bedding should all be from organically grown sources. Otherwise you would be OK to simply avoid feeding the worms anything that has been sprayed with pesticides, etc....See MoreHelp!! Worms dying in new 'Worm Factory'
Comments (15)OK...I thought I was over the killing my worms stage, but I just lost my worms because of too much moisture. The worms were climbing out the sides of my stackable compost system and ended up dying because of the high temperatures during that week. When I drained out the tea, there was about 20 oz of liquid from the spigot. It was my fault, because I neglected to check the system during a week of high temperatures and I think more moisture developed from the rotting food than I normally expect during my weekly check ups. I was wondering, if I just left the system alone, whether the cacoons that were already there would still hatch. It has been a week since I discovered the carnage. I loosened up the entire system by tossing each tray and have not added any new food. I did notice some mold, but there has not been any flies or other things crawling around in the compost. This is worrisome because the first time I killed my worms when I was just starting out over a year ago, there were a few worms left. The remaining worms came back like a champ and I had what looked like thousands of them in my 3 bins. I am grateful for any advice or help....See More- 11 years ago
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