Vermicomposting

[Chinaman]

Not sure if this topic would fit in the Lounge better....but I maintain a
garden waste composter (outdoors) and I am thinking of setting up a vermicomposter
in my basement, using redworms (Lumbricus rubellus).  This way, I can
cut down the use of garbage bags, enrich my lawn with the compost,
and feed my fish with the worms.   Any wisdom on this?

Cheers,

Sam

[beowulf]

I've thought about it also.  I was thinking the best thing would be to get worms from as far in the wild as possible where there is little to no chance of them having come into contact with any chemicals and then to go from there.

[Laura]

We had a vermicomposting bin and really liked it.  You need the proper composting worms as earthworms can't tolerate the higher temperatures found in the compost.  I think you can order some from Arbour.  I can't recall the best medium to start the bin with, but I'm sure Arbour will have the info on them.

Once they get going you will have no shortage of worms. 

You need a drainage hole that the worms can't crawl out of as a fair amount of 'tea' comes out of the bin.  Great to water the plants with, but your bin will rot if the liquid can't drain.  If you find your bin gets too wet, just add ripped up newspaper.  You also need some ventilation on the lid that again, the worms can't crawl out of.

We added pretty much anything but meat to the bin.  Some folks chop the food to speed up the composting process, but we didn't and it worked fine.  It's amazing that a bin takes a long time to fill up.

We harvested the compost every year or two when the bin was full by dumping the bin on a tarp in the sun.  The worms would move to the middle to get away from the light.  You just rake away the extra and wait for the worms to move further in.  At the end of the process you end up with a squirmy ball of worms to start over with.

Surprisingly, it never smelled, except of earth.  It was sort of creepy though that you could hear the worms squelching back into the earth when you opened the bin.

[beowulf]

Other then meat, I would not add things like corn cobs unless you really cut them up, nothing to acidic like lime or lemon.  Other then that, the one I had in my parents backyard growing up was great.

[hamstercaster]

No milk or fat either... unless you have a very big lot and you don't mind rodents going around your compost bin... Then you can put anything you want including meet.  No human or animal waste though unless it's from herbivores...

[Chinaman]

Thanks ALL for the perspectives.....I am very sure I will start one soon.
I am thinking of using a styroform box for fish transport, with pierced air holes
on top and drain holes for "tea" on bottom. Will keep you posted.

For Laura:  I could be a bit too wishful, but are the worms suitable for
feeding tank fish? My logics are that there aren't specific white worm cultures
in the Amazon, for example. So why not!

Cheers,

Sam

[kennyman]

They once carried a verma-composting box with lid, starter kit and worms at the Osgood General store. One of my college classmates had gotten it there and we kept it at school in the greenhouse for a while. Was kinda fun. I ate my lunch down there often and we would throw the leftovers in the box 

I haven't seen much of this since. I think about it every so often. Especially on those days like today when it is too cold to march kitchen scraps to the compost bin way out besdie the veggie garden.

[beowulf]

I am probably going to be using a big rubbemaid bin.

[Laura]

For Laura:  I could be a bit too wishful, but are the worms suitable for
feeding tank fish? My logics are that there aren't specific white worm cultures
in the Amazon, for example. So why not!

I don't see why not, although it depends on the size of your fish.  The advantage of having the breeding worms is that there are always different sizes present. 

The largest worms are probably about 3" long and fairly slender.  Baby ones are quite tiny.

[Shouganai]

You might want to be careful feeding red wigglers to fish.  I know they can be toxic or at least horrible tasting to reptiles, and I wouldn't be suprised if it was the same for fish.

For a little more info from local garter snake keeper J. Crowe: http://www.gartersnake.info/articles/001634_feeding_earthworms_.phtml

[Laura]

Great info Shoug - I never thought that there would be problems outside of them being too big for many fish (and chopping up worms just gives me the willies )