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Vermicomposting

How I feed my flow through system

15 years ago

I have a similar flow through system to the ones in 'My Flow Through Bins' thread.

I have about 4 pounds of worms in my bin. they are a mixture of tiger and denra worms

I produce about 3 - 4 pounds of kitchen waste every month. Which I put into an old ice cream tubs and then freeze on a weekly basis.

My bedding consists coir fiber [

http://www.fertilefibre.com/shop/product_info.php/cPath/29/products_id/39], wood shavings, Torn cardboard, and shredded offices paper and newspaper. All mixed together and all damp.

then once a month I will check to see if last months food has gone (it always has). (I checked last night and there is not much left). Then put my months worth of kitchen scraps in, this coves the entire bin with about 1-1/2 inch of food. I then put a layer of damp cardboard over the scraps. I will then make enough bedding to cover the bin with about 2 inches. This totally covers the food. I then put about an inch of very loose shredded paper and newspaper. I then leave it until next month.

I have been doing it for a couple of months and everything seems to be going OK. had a look last night and I could see plenty of cocoons and baby worms.

I am really after the opinions of you experts. My thoughts of feeding in this layered way is that if the food has not gone from the previous month I should still feed again and have worms at all difference levels of the bin and this might increase my population. I would like to know your opinions good or bad.

thanks Paul

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Comments (2)

devora_devora
15 years ago
I had problems with overheating in the flow through bin. I finally found someone who has been a commercial wormer for 2 generations, he told to stop fluffing and mixing the contents of the bin. He also said do not put the food on top, he said that in nature the worms live on top and move sideways to get the food. In nature you do not get large amounts of food coming down in one big dump.
I collect the food scraps in a small bucket, place a layer of shredded paper and cardboard on the bottom, then each day i put a layer of shredded paper/cardboard over that days scraps, at the end of the week I add just enough water to make it all moist but not floating in water. I leave it sit for 3 days to a week (I have 2 collection buckets).
I add it to the worm bin by gently pulling the contents of the top half of the worm bin to one side (I do this very slowly and try not to disturb the worms too much) and dumping the contents of the buckets in the vacant area.
I it takes about 3 days for the worms to move over and start on the new contents of the worm bin.

I have not had heating problems using this method.
My worms seem a lot happier now that I have stopped disturbing them all the time to fluff and check on them.

I do not disturb or fluff the bottom half of the worm bin at all, it gradually falls through to the bottom section of the worm bin for collection. There is always a few worms in the collection section, I just toss them back in when I go through it. When the bin was overheating they seemed to be escaping down there, they did not move so much when I picked them up, now they are much more active when I catch them, I am assuming that this means that they are healthier.
jaybun10
15 years ago
I agree w/ this method, and think that weekly feedings are prudent, as other things are checked, moisture, worm activity, etc. I mark the bin with a piece of plastic laying on the surface, in the shape of an arrow over the food. When I go to feed, I lift the arrow and see if the food is gone, are worms there, etc. If it looks good, I dig where the arrow points, drop food, bury, and move the arrow.
I freeze all the food I can, it's easy here in the winter, and it reduces fruit fly eggs and breaks the food down. I thaw it to feed.

Does anyone have experience with pre-rotting the food? I was mixing it up in a big barrel, w/ water, then straining the water out and feeding this pre-innoculated bacteria soup. The only trouble I had was a tendency to get into fermentation, they don't like alchohol products- ideas?
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