Any other worm ranchers out there?
I recently notified the world that I purchased a pound (about 1,000) red wigglers to deal with my kitchen composting. I received them last week via USPS and put them to “bed” in some shredded newspaper in their little bin.
I have since added about 3 pounds of kitchen waste and watched as they efficiently gobble it up and leave behind castings in the bottom tray. However, I also notice that not all of the castings fall through to the bottom tray so I have some questions.
My questions are: How do I get the castings to the bottom tray for use as plant fertilizer? I can’t very well pick through all of the worms and shake out the castings. Is it harmful for the worms to live in their own castings? Am I feeding them enough or too much? What about the odor? I was told that the odor would be minimal and be “earthy”. The odor from our bin is the smell of rotting vegetables. Would it be OK for me to put my bin outside on my porch as long as it is in the shade? And, finally, what about worm tea?
There is conflicting information on the internet about worm tea. Some describe the watery material that apparently appears in the bin as a “tea” produced by the worms. They tell you to collect it and pour it into your potted plants or garden as a liquid fertilizer. Others say it is just condensation from an overly humid worm bin and has no value. Others actually say it is a form of leachate akin to what one would find in a garbage dump and that it might actually be full of harmful, or at least not beneficial, anaerobic bacteria. Some say true worm tea is made from the dehydrated castings, steeped briefly in water, to reinvigorate the beneficial bacteria; and that it is a potent fertilizer and soil enhancement.
What say you?
Peace,
Mike Baldwin
have you gotten any help for your worms?
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