In the directions that that page links to, it looks like they're using half of what you're using. Looks good! I'd like to try it. I've been saving up toilet paper rolls, but I've got lots of newspaper. I've also been having great success with self-watering containers made from pop bottles.

mad gallica....I haven't started either. We have had snow cover in the yard all winter until 2 weeks ago and it's been too cold to work outside for long. jant....I rarely cut anything back in the fall. I think I would prefer to see everything neat going into the winter and I certainly think I would prefer to have it all done so that in the spring, everything is ready to go, but, I always think the weather will be so crazy, warming, freezing, no snow cover...I lost all my foxgloves the past three years in a row, for instance. But I suppose it had nothing to do with cutting them back. Just overly cautious I guess. Maybe I will try cutting more back next fall and see how it goes. Then I wait too long in the spring half the time and end up having to do just that, tediously try not to cut the new growth. I am always thinking about the late snow and cold that we always get. I am going to try to do it earlier this year. grow now....DEEP snow? Wow, you must have had a lot over the winter. When do you usually lose your snow cover? DtD....since you are a zone warmer than I am and two zones warmer than grownow, have you cut back because you are not expecting any further snow or late frosts? Or is that not a concern for you? I love gaura too and haven't had it winter over for me the few times I tried it. I am planning on trying it again this year. Why do you say, we are ahead of you, when you are zone 7? My problem this year, is that I have a ton to move and would like to start as early as I can, so is that when the ground is workable? Thanks .. :-) pm2

"and left over feed" "But, I dug a little deeper this afternoon. I found some white grubs in the bedding. No idea how they got there. What does this mean? Are grubs bad for my worms?" Is there warmth being generated in the bin? Do not add food. Do not add water. Do not pass go. ummm skip the last one. Add two grocery bags of very dry shredded bedding such as coffee trays, egg cartons, dry peat, dry coir, or even water absorbing crystals and call me in the morning. I think the worms are escaping heat, and other things created by the rapid decomposition of the food waste by BSFL aka Black Soldier Fly Larvae. But do not worry. Your bin is in the hands of experts. BSFL are great at quickly turning kitchen scraps into the perfect feed for compost worms. When the BSFL have finished their job and the food is ready the worms should go back down. A lot of moisture is produced because the BSFL reduce the volume of waste 90% releasing all the water in the produce.

Harry, yes I have seen it in my homemade bin and It seems to be more of a stress reaction to an improper balance in the bin. My bokashi is my own saved scraps. After I run this thru my juicer if its on the dry side I add the juice back in so its more of a slurry. Then that mix is saved in a container that will hold 1 to 2 gal. Sometimes I have too much and also use large empty coffee cans with lid. Store this stuff so fruit flies cant get to it . When you do feed it may have a mold covering on top dont worry about that , its fine. Worms will love it. Getting the bedding right in the first place is the key. The relation between bedding, pure food , and worms is important. Bokashi mix is all green/nitrogen with a little shredded paper is most likely not enough. Depending on what you use for your bedding doesnt always have to be the same, whether its peat, coco coir aged compost , shredded paper , cardboard. Im going to say that should be at least 80-85% of your bedding , then add a little bokashi mix in a corner . The bedding should be moist but not wet, then I cover this with several sheets of newprint dampened. Check on the food you added in a day or two and see if worms have moved to the food, if the visible food is gone you can add more in another area of the bin. After adding this food slurry , checking the next day sometimes I will see the bacteria in the food a it seems to moving. This means it is ready for the worms. The bacteria has to be breaking it down before they eat it and that is why it is better , that is, if you want it quicker . This doesnt have to be done this way , some people just chop it up and put it in in this way , just takes longer, hope my rambling has helped.