Let it dry some, you dont want it completely dry but it shouldnt be sludge either. Maybe spread it out on a plastic sheet. Then it will be easy to mix in the soil or used to top off soil on your houseplants.

I also would say let it dry out a bit first.

But I would also look into why you had "sludge" in the first place. I ususally end up with pockets at the bottom of my bin that maybe border on sludge due to poor drainage in certain areas, but overall you shouldn't have that much moisture in your bin. Damp good, sludge bad, or at least can be, as it is often anarobic.

Do you have drainage holes in the bottom? Do you add water, or just what is produced throuhg the breakdown of food stocks? For the next round I would try to solve the moisture issue, then on the next harvest you should have a better consistency to the castings.

Thanks! I will try drying out the sludge.

My older bin is a big Rubbermaid tote with (probably not enough) drainage holes in the bottom; this was the source of 2 of the bags of sludge. I also have one of those cool stacking systems with a spigot on the bottom. I used to get lots of water (and drowned worms, sadly) collecting in the spigot layer, so last year I started just leaving the spigot open all of the time. This time that layer was full of sludge.

My method has been to add the food scraps at the top of the bin, cover them up with shredded paper, and then water the paper with a watering can so that it will be damp. The last few days I've been skipping the watering step; hopefully that will help.

Thanks for your advice!
Amy

I think part of your prombem is too much water. You would be better to soak the paper before you add it and squeeze out the excess water.

Some of the experts I have read recently say there shouldn't be any water coming out of the drain holes at all.

Cheers,
Marshall

There is absolutely no reason to water the bin. This is the source of your 'sludge'.

There can be isolated areas of wetness in a bin, but sludge is from adding too much water and not enough absorbant material.

Most bins homemade or commerically bought are plastic. It doesn't breathe. Yes, there are holes, but it is still plastic and water doesn't escape easily or quickly.

Feedstock is mostly water. Any fruit or veggie is mostly water. If you have any doubt about this, take the food you were going to put in the bin and put it in a blender instead. Puree it and see what you end up with. Soup.

It's water.

Adding nothing but feedstock is adding water, over and over to the bin. This results in lots of water running out the drain (in units so equipped) or super soggy worm poop. (aka sludge).

To moderate the wetness requires putting in bedding material (which is also feedstock) DRY. The moisture in the bin will soak the dry material within a day or two. I guarantee this will happen or I give you triple your money back ;-)

In my CoW I initially put in moistened coir (it came with the unit) and put a couple presoaked sheets of newspaper over the top and slipped food under the paper.

I was getting 2 cups of stinky black liquid in a week out of the drain. The bottom of the unit which isn't supposed to contain anything was filled with sludge.

I started adding dry, shredded newspaper a couple inches thick (loosely stacked).

When I add food, I add newspaper - dry.

I now get at most a couple ounces of black liquid per week and the bottom of the bin has no sludge.

Ya gotta balance the wet feedstock with dry feed stock (aka bedding material) or you don't get vermicompost, you get stinky sludge reminiscent of what is in the sewers.

hi.
I've had my COW for a while, in fact, I just purchased another one, as my family generates a lot of "food" for worms! But... the stuff I get out... fairly damp, and I have never watered the bin. And I frequently use dry newspaper in the bin. But once the compost dries, it's like cement. I thought about using a blender for pulverizing it (and not for anything else afterwards). Has this happened to anyone else?
THANKS!

yes, dry worm poop can be clay like in it's hardness when dry.

I am not one who buys into worm poop as a soil conditioner as it is too fine sized particle wise to do much for soil drainage. It readily turns to sludge just as compost does when it breaks down further.

The benefit is the nutrients and even more so the 'mysterious' stuff that isn't well understood, but seems to evoke beneficial plant responses.

If you don't wish to use it in your soil consider using it for tea.

No, not the geeky super aerated stuff that modern cultists use and agonize and argue over recipes for, but the old fashioned stuff that has been in use since before our great grandparents were born where you take some material and soak it in water for a day or three and then use the water on plants.

That seems to get the 'mysterious' good stuff we don't understand well to the plants and no joining of cults or university degrees are required. You just do as Nike advises and 'just do it'.

thank you justaguy! fun answer! hope you are having a happy day... hope everyone out there is!
in peace,
lj

If you want to dry out your sludge after the fact, go to Home-Depot or similar and ask for a paintstraining mesh. It is fairly tough, fine nylon mesh, sewn into a bag shape. Pour your sludge into the mesh bag and either hang it up for a few hours to drip or squeeze it if you are the impatient type. You will be left with more of a firm mud. If you just want to make tea with it, put it in a mesh bag ( I use a larger mesh for the tea than the paint strainer type ) then dunk it in some warm water like a tea-bag. The soluable bits go through the mesh and add to the tea. Any bits that are not water soluable, I put back in the worm bin for a second run.
I must admit to the above mentioned aeration for the compost tea. I use an aquarium air pump that I had and I bubble air through it to encourage the growth of the "mysterious" aerobic organisms.
I haven't yet joined a cult, other than the standard vermicomposting cult which many of my friends think is wierd.