Worm Composting (PiCS)

[scpatterson]

This has been a project of mine since March of this year. I built this box and put it on our front porch. We add all our vegtable scraps from the kitchen, plus old bread and thing like that. We started off with 1 coffe can of redworms from under my parents rabbit cages and now there must be thousands of worms. We took everything out a few months ago and remixed the dirt with some peet moss and grass clippings. As you can see the soil is really loose, we have been adding just a little to our flowers al summer and we have people stop all the time to ask what we use on them, of course we have 75 potted plants on our porch. I ahvent bought worms for fishing all year, Anyway thought I would post some pics...here they are

 

[beer-b-q]

You plan on smoking any of them? If not don't let Oneshot around them, he smokes anything that moves...

 

[fire it up]

That's some fine looking dirt.
You weren't kidding about the thousands of worms! Wish I had composting action like that in my bins.

 

[alx]

Cool beans err worms.I have a seperate underground pile for my veggies that get BER etc and though not nearly that nice is my supply.I add them to my finished leaf compost.

They sell bags of earthworm pooh at our co-op for alot of money around here.

Awesome set-up.Thanks for sharing!!!!!

 

[justpassingthru]

Ha, ha, brings back memories, back in the mid 70's worms were a get rich quick scheme, I had 9 'beds' of them, millions and millions and millions of worms, fed them dairy manure, filled my 3/4 ton pickup bed full once a week, ...try feeding them some of that rabbit manure, maybe you already know this, the heavy black 'castings' on the bottom is what they use to make potting soil, selling that was part of the scam, ...thanks for the memories.

Smoke them? ...We raised them for their hi protein, they were dried and ground into powder and mixed in with flour that was shipped overseas for underdevoleped countries.

Gene

 

[mballi3011]

I'm not a city boy by any means but I am a beach boy and this brings me to my question what are the worms for? We didn't have many of them in the beach sand. Now if you want some sand fleas or Helgremites for fishing I can hook you up now.

 

[alx]

What the worms poop out are called CASTINGS.It is very broken down nutrient rich fertilizer/organic matter.They sell small bags for big money up here.Not sure if he sells worms....

 

[scpatterson]

Im gonna try and sell them next year and also the castings. Its big money here as well. I use the worms for fishing and we fish quite a bit, but the fertilizer is what we use them for most of all. I offered them to my sons 11 and 6 and told them if they would care for them I would let them keep all teh profit from what they sold.....They dont think they can make any money with them so I guess i will start saving for a new toy for me....Thanks

 

[alx]

Worth a try.I used to know some orchad(spelling) growers who used it and had no problem paying the price.As you mentioned dynamite for flowers-name it.

My garden is about 1/4 acre intensive growing-i would probaly need a couple large dumptrucks worth of worms growing.

Way cool-thanks for sharing-may not be interesting to everyone,but i sure appreciate

 

[justpassingthru]

If you're interested in selling the castings you could produce alot more by enlarging you bed, I used 1x12's to make beds 4'x8', no bottom, 6"-8" of manure, no chicken, horse works if there are any stables around, dairy and rabbit is the best, never paid for it, they were happy to have someone come and get it. The manure produces heat and the worms thrive in it, they wont leave in winter, I covered mine (worms don't like light) with dunning, it protects plywood sized materials and is thrown away, very few expenses.

ALX, FWIW one 4'x8' bed produces about 1 million worms per year if they are well fed, they will eat about 2 cubic feet of food per week.

Gene

 

[alx]

Great info.I think i will start a few of these beds.I do love the quality fertilizer etc. and enjoy a challenge.

 

[Bearcarver]

Good lookin' worms!
I know a few rather large brown trout, just north of here, that would love a handful of them thar fellas!


BC

 

[Bearcarver]

These guys would have loved some of your worms.
If they were still alive, they'd be thankin' you for the Qview !

The guy holding the brown is my son:

 

[scpatterson]

You say a Brown, what is that a Salmon. Not very familier with those types of fish...Whats that on the ground

 

[Bearcarver]

He's holding a Buck (male) Brown Trout (31 1/2").
The one on the ground is a Roe (female) Brown Trout (30" ).


BC

 

[scpatterson]

Beautiful looking fish. That had to been a great fishing trip. I fish a bunch in Tennessee but we dont ahve those.......Awesome

 

[Bearcarver]

Those are from NY State.

My son goes up every year for Salmon, in the Salmon River, in Pulaski, NY. The Salmon go up that river (among others) to spawn. Then about a month later, the Browns & Steelies go up to eat the Salmon eggs. He and his buddies like to meet them there, and feed them some flies.

 

[zapper]

Well, if you are gonna be raising fish food, you should be raising fish too!

Search for an old article about raising catfish in a barrel

 

[oneshot]

How the hell-o did I miss this one????????

Thanks Paul......ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!

 

[brohnson]

Very interesting, thanks for sharing this!