Any of you tried feeding finished bokashi to your worm herd?
Gerris2 (Joseph Delaware Zone 7a)
11 years ago
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Shaul
11 years agoGerris2 (Joseph Delaware Zone 7a)
11 years agoRelated Discussions
How do you feed your worms?
Comments (35)Charlie I have to agree there are many variables. In the beginning even if you start out with 1000 or so worms they have to become happy with their environment. I would just put a little dab in corner with food as it is just sitting there letting time work and boy is that every slow. Then you learn that food needs to be as small as can be , in other words if you have a food processor , juicer or similar asset will help. Early on you may only need to put down 1/2 lb of food but once the worm machine gets going you can put down more, its a learn as go process by how fast the herd is eating the food. Before the worms tear into the food if you look closely you will see the top surface covered with bacteria/microbes which will start the breakdown process thus the term "teaming with microbes' comes into play. So to make a long story less long how often do I feed once a week. I do not put new bedding down everytime I feed. I always keep hand shredded newsprint on top to cover food and help keep any smells down and fruit flies away. Keep in mind bedding is also food and when the food supply is low they will be eating the paper so I try to keep a good supply of newsprint which I will long strip by hand. This covering is much easier to maneuver than machine shredded. This cover is kept moist. I will add that when I ordered my factory 360 and I got an extra tray free and in this tray I keep dry shredded paper which is to keep unwanted fruit flies from getting to the food to lay eggs. This tray is on top of the actual feeding tray. Keep in mind my systems are inside if yours are outside its a different ballgame....See MoreWhat have you fed your worms today?
Comments (24)I've read that if the change in pH is gradual, the worms can tolerate a very wide range, from fairly acidic to a little basic. If I've got something acidic, I just be sure to add a little first and see what happens. I haven't had pH problems. Now anaerobic from over-feeding... Yep, I've had that. It's one that's worth avoiding! (Esp in my studio apt!). I did burry some straight protein once without problems, but I didn't dig that part up for a long while. I also found some stale dog food in the back of the storage that had been there for years (after I found out my dog was allergic to it.) I soaked and drained the kibble, then I burried it under at least 6 inches of bedding and had no problems. I did check for anaerobic conditions, and I didn't add more than about a quarter inch layer. Since then I've had too much stuff in the freezer and have needed that space more than the storage space, so I haven't tried any more. I'll get back to the dog food eventually. I think the dog food will be a winter thing. I like cantaloupe :-) My stacking bins are more likely to go anaerobic than my flow through....See MoreNext step for pocket feeding when you like to mess w/bin
Comments (10)I'm sorry if my first post sounded critical or unsympathetic. That was not my intent. I was simply offering "thoughts" that you had initially asked for. So, just answers to your questions. I would not shift compost from one section to another. I would move any unfinished food or bedding (the paper you have in section #3) into the active feeding section. Bedding is food if kept damp enough. I would also make sure that each section is touching the sections beside it. Visually, your lateral migration bin appears to be similar to the compost pile turning system. But in your case you would not need to "turn" a section until it was either ready to harvest or it was needed because the final section was full. Ideally section #1 would be ready to harvest just as #6 was getting full. In your original post you describe each of the 4 sections. It sounds like it's working exactly as it should. The majority of the worms are in the newest section where the prime food is. Just continue the progression and harvest #1 when #6 is almost full. I'm sure you've noticed that a section compresses (reduces in volume) as the worms process it. For that reason, I would fill each section to the brim (instead of 2/3 full) before starting to feed the next section. If you look at the height of material in each section from the side, you would see something like a cross-section of stairs. It won't be this clean cut, but imagine #1 = 4" depth, #2 = 6", #3 = 8" and #4 = 10". Since you are using one of the sections to store bedding, you really have 5 working sections. Harvest #1 when you fill #5. I would not "...leave the whole box alone for a few months after I've cycled through the sections maybe twice". Based on the dimensions you cited, each section holds ~8 gal. of material. With the volume reduction you will end up with 5-6 gal. of material to harvest. I personally would do a quick light/pile harvest to remove the larger worms and use the VC as-is. If you want the coffee grind look, then you'll need to screen with 1/8" or 1/4" hardware cloth and dump the chunky remains into #2 to process a little more. Andrew...See Morefeeding worms LOTS of cardboard
Comments (22)Billylee, the "fruit juice/syrup" you use in your bins... if it is sugary I would think that would not be good for worms, but I have nothing to back up my gut reaction. As for hummersteve's mention of watermelon rinds, - oh, boy, any kind of squash (cooked or raw) or melon (actually any of the cucurbit family, including cucumbers) seems to be my herd's very favorite treat, judging by how quickly it disappears! The netted outer shell of cantaloupe is all that gets left behind in the bin from that fruit, and (thrifty [read:cheap!]) crafter that I am, I use those bits mixed in with my homemade paper for an interesting visual texture! LOL)...See MoreShaul
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11 years agoGerris2 (Joseph Delaware Zone 7a)
11 years agoShaul
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