this post was submitted on 08 Jun 2023
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Nature and Gardening

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Worm Farmin' - it's not much but it's honest work (beehaw.org)
submitted 1 year ago by Treevan@beehaw.org to c/greenspace@beehaw.org
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Who is farming worms? What method do you use? What bedding? What do you feed them?

Tell me everything.

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[–] leetnewb@beehaw.org 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

My basement bin setup attracted roaches, so I pulled the plug on it. Disappointing outcome, but I love the concept.

[–] Treevan@beehaw.org 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Thankfully I'm in a warm climate so the bin is an outside thing and I don't need to worry about things like that. Did you move to any other composting methods?

[–] leetnewb@beehaw.org 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Too short of a season in worm temp ranges for me unfortunately. My current ideas in various stages of testing (and testing list formatting here):

  1. Bokashi - can't seem to get it to ferment and not rot. Also doesn't come out as finished compost, but good to mix into soil or worm bin to finish.
  2. Fish - have tilapia, but would like something that attacks veggies more voraciously. Maybe pacu or giant gourami, but I don't have an adequate setup sized for either. Anyway, waste veggies -> fish -> nitrate water and solids removal for gardens and/or aquaponic grow beds.
  3. Throw yard weeds and kitchen organic waste into a tub with water, let it sit for a couple of weeks, and use the water as fertilizer (I think it's called JADAM?). Getting a 55 gallon drum to start that experiment at the end of June.
[–] Treevan@beehaw.org 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

3 I always called "anaerobic composting". Besides the smell, for me, it's a good weed killer. Nothing survives in there.

I looked up JADAM and it's another Korean Natural Farming technique.

[–] leetnewb@beehaw.org 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Ah, that answers an important question I had - wasn't sure whether to give it oxygen. But sealing it up should keep the mosquito population at bay. Very much looking forward to it.

Out of curiosity, do you ever make worm tea from castings? Sounds like no with your flow.

[–] Treevan@beehaw.org 3 points 1 year ago

I used to but decided the work wasn't worth it. And, after reading a few comments from people that were heavily into it, I figured that the ideal aerated tea is difficult to achieve for the home layperson. The timing window is tiny to get a quality brew, plus it requires extra additives (carboydrates). The whole point of my farm was it was using recycled stuff and the manure is local which I pick up myself, the char I make myself etc.

Under mulch, or inserted into soil with a soil knife, or a slurry is how I apply now. I put the castings into a stainless colander to get the char out and then use a watering can when doing a slurry.