MY BOOK: Organic Gardening for Everyone: Homegrown Vegetables Made Easy - Signed, personalized copies available at calikimgardenandhome.com/books/organic-gardening-for-everyone/. CaliKim Seed Collections and CaliKim Smart Pots: calikimgardenandhome.com Good Dirt Indoor Potting Mix: good-dirt.com 10% off with code “calikim10” Smart Pots containers (excluding CK Smart Pots): 10% off w/ code “calikim” at smartpots.com Vermisterra Worm Castings, Worm Tea: 10% off w/ code “calikim” at vermisterra.com As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases: Amazon search page: amzn.to/3897OqD Seed starting supplies: amzn.to/30kbmDG Garden fertilizers:amzn.to/2uQkhBh Garden disease and pest control: amzn.to/2FMw6L7 Grow Lights: amzn.to/2NlY5FB Garden Tools: amzn.to/2RiwRRq Amazon lawn & garden supplies: amzn.to/30kFe2Z Do you have a worm bin? Thanks for wathching!
Hi Melissa - so glad that you stopped by! My son is enjoying seeing the worms and I am hoping to get him more excited about gardening and eating some of those good veggies. Glad you are enjoying the vidoes! Hope they are helpful to you also!
I made my worm bin today! I just need to wait for my worms to come in the mail. Spent $26.42 on Red Wigglers. When I placed my order I said to my mom "well I just spent 26 dollars on worms" we both started laughing. But I can't wait to have some nice compost for my garden! :D
I started with a cup of worms, left over fish bait and kept them for YEARS. This was before people were using worm castings and worm compost tea and my garden loved it. Eventually I freed them......my yard is still a shade or 3 greener then any around.
Hi Kim, this is great to have your son working with you on any project. My son and I did many projects together. He is now 24 and still remembers every single adventure...this builds strong bonds. thanks for sharing. Pierre
pierreb03038 that is so encouraging to me as I really want to create some family memories here and get my kids excited about gardening. They aren't veggie lovers, so haven't been to into it much so far. Am planning to expand this spring/summer with fruit trees and bushes,which they love. Hopefully this will help! Thanks for the positive feedback, Pierre!
I've been wanting to start my own worm bin and you made it looks so simple!! Thank you for that Kim. I loved finally getting to see your family. That's a great looking kid yall have there. I wish you the best of luck with your worm castings and feeding your garden and flowers. Can't wait for part two!! That top camera angle was awesom CG!!
Patty Adams Hope you can get yours off the ground soon! It really is simple to build and I am looking forward to getting the worms soon. Thanks for the complement on my son - he had fun helping me! CG is having fun with his Go Pro with the bird's eye view. Thanks for watching, Patty!
Great video and a good helper you have! It's such a neat project to get kids involved in! This is going to be an exciting and rewarding project for your whole family and your garden! Misilla
Learn To Grow I am looking forward to getting my kids more involved in the garden this year - we moms love creating memories, don't we? Thanks so much for all your positive feedback, Misilla!
CaliKim29 Garden & Home DIY It's wonderful to hear that Kim! Great lesson that they will carry on through adulthood and pass down through generations! They will love it and yes the memories made will be cherished!
I have always cut up my vege scraps, the same way as my Father did, he told me it helps to break down faster in the compost and yes worms have a small mouth.
Kim you and I are on the same page ;) I started my worm farm the other day ;) What a great episode! I just took a jar of my brothers worm farm and added it to some of my potting soil and some leafy greens!
Thanks for this video. My son is looking forward to making a worm composting bin as a part of his Gardening Merit Badge and this looks like just the project.
Hi Julian - my son really enjoyed being a part of this and I think your son will be too! Please let me know how it goes - and make sure to watch my other worm bin videos as well - adding those red wigglers sure was fun! Thanks for watching!
Liked this video so much because she gets right to the point and explains everything so well. Some other videos talk about other things so much my mind wanders and I miss the valuable info.
Ppl always got some negative to say I think he was a luh shy,it's good you teach them while they young my grandson gone be with me over the summer ,he gone use the drill,saw,ect.....y'all act like she gave him a gun great job mom may God bless you and family I'm new at this so I'm looking at videos like crazy Lol
Veronica Williams Peace She was incorrect about the special organic worms that you have to buy. You can use red wiglers that you can dig yourself as people have been doing for thousands of years Peace out
Here in Phoenix Arizona in hardiness zone 9b (Highland, CA where you are is 9a), it gets damn hot. We've had 120 degrees already this year and a few days between 117 and 119. I have two outdoor worm piles in the 90% shade. I don't fuss with plastic bins. They are on the ground. Each in their own pile, 40-feet apart. There isn't even a border around them. When I want the worm castings, I just scoop some off the sides of the ever-growing piles. I started my couple worm compost (vermicast) piles like you did your compost piles (in your videos) - except, I add a removable mulch layer to the top (and of course wet that down thoroughly). I then went to a big box pet store and bought $5 worth of red wigglers. There were about 20 at the most in that small starter container. Good Karma - I saved them from being used as fish bait or for food for other pets. Their only job for me was to eat, drink and procreate. Not a bad life! I add my food scraps on Saturday mornings. Using the rake, first I move aside the mulch covering to the far side (I'll need that again). Then I move aside the worms and the remaining scraps from last week (half in each direction). Put down some green garden leaves in the middle and on top of that some dried material - mostly dried plants (not paper or cardboard), then put the food scraps on top.(I put my food scraps in the freezer during the week and on Saturday morning, I let the frozen food scraps defrost in the sun before I add them to the pile. I don't fuss with reducing the size of the items. They turn to mush quick enough once left to decay in the worm piles. Then, I rake the moved-aside worms and decayed older scraps and put them on top of the layer of fresh food scraps. Then I cover that with the mulch material. Then I dump a good amount of a 5-gallon bucket of water (that has been open-aired for 24-hours to let the chlorine and fluorine evaporate) on the pile. Every half a year, I add 20 pounds of sand to the pile, to give the worms room to maneuver. They also like grit for digestion. So the small silica is good for that. I also, (every 5 empty egg cartons), take those 60 egg shells and put them in a blender and make fine white eggshell powder. I then bake that powder at 450 for about 20 minutes to kill any possible salmonella. Then I sprinkle the white powder in my worm piles. I hear that it's also good to put in a circle around plants to protect them from snails. But here in Phoenix, in my garden, snails aren't an issue. Every morning during the week (on non-Saturdays), when I'm watering my plants, I spray down the mulch layers on top of each worm pile. That evaporative cooling keeps them cool throughout most of the day. Then when sunset comes the worms rejoice that the heat is dissipating. And the next morning they get cooled again. The water in the hose is way too hot in the afternoon - so, I only water them down in the early mornings. By putting the worm pile directly on the ground, and avoiding the plastic container handling issues, it's not only cheaper, easier - but it allows the worms to migrate to your growing beds AND it allows the existing worms that are native to your soil to breed with red wigglers. I started out with big plump red wigglers. After about two months I had about 40 smaller red wigglers. Two years later I have a ton of hybrid dark red wigglers that are much smaller and narrower. BUT, they can stand the Arizona heat! The benefit of being on the damp ground is also thermal. 5 feet under it's closer to 55 degrees. That helps cool the worms. Being hybridized and being cooled by the earth and being cooled by the evaporative cooling of the wet mulch drying above them, they stay alive. And every Saturday early morning, they are happy to see me do my rake and feeding routine. DO REMEMBER - avoid putting citrus, onions or garlic in with the worms. If you forget - they will revolt and try to leave the area. Put those things in your worm-less compost pile and keep the worms happy, coolish, damp and fed. Keep up the great work!
How do you keep the compost pile from heating from the breaking down of the compost? Even during a Southern California winter, when nighttime lows can average in the 40s and we get frost one out of, maybe ten nights, my compost pile maintains an internal temp of greater 130 degrees. ( I know people in ares with real weather want to laugh right now but think of all the things I miss out on. There are flowering plants my mom used to tell me about. She grew up in Wisconsin.) Also, the hybrid worms may work for you but it is kind of like adding a non-native plant species to different ecosystem. We now have to try to rid areas of invasive plants, both terrestrial and aquatic, fish, nutria, snails, algae, fungi and others too numerous to list.
I started a worm bin spring of 2013, and it went so well! I had about 200 or so worms, same size bin as yours, and they multiplied and went through the food I gave them so quickly I had to add more bins. Major problem: hot desert temps killed them all, and dealing with the remains put me off worm composting for life. This time I will add them directly to my beds, and see if they survive the heat there. Otherwise it is such a simple way to make the best fertilizer. I'm sure you will be very happy with your results.
Hi Margaret - Will keep that in mind as it gets fairly hot here in the summer too. Maybe will keep in the garage during the summer. Thanks for the tip and so glad you stopped by! Good luck with your gardening!
Thank you for posting this! I set up my bin similar to yours, and added my worms a couple days ago. So far so good, and though still way early, I'm excited for those castings :D
hypnocait Awesome, keep me posted! My worm bin worked great until we had a hot spell it got too warm for them in the bin. I don't have a good spot to keep them where it is shaded all day. Now my compost pile crawls with worms every time I make compost so it is just easier for me to do it this way. Good luck with yours, keep me posted!
Kim--- Ive been worming for awhile and I would like to add a couple of comments. In the beginning I also drilled in the bottom but it shouldnt be necessary. If you have any drainage your bin is too wet , Ive never had any drainage and have gotten plenty of nice vermicompost. Also the worms can use the food scraps quicker if they are chopped up as small as possible. I actually run my fruit and veggies thru my juicer, save the pulp in another container for a few days then its ready for the worms and they can and will use it almost immediately. Have a good , steve.
Hi Steve - great comment! I've noticed that I am getting almost no drainage, so that must be a good sign! And I although I didn't in this video, I now chop my scraps into small pieces, or run them through the blender before I put them in my bin, just like you said. Worms go through them quicker. Thanks for the tips!
CaliKim29 Garden & Home DIY So its been awhile since I checked in just wondering how your worm bins are doing. getting some good compost I hope. It does take a while to get established but once you get the hang of it you would be rolling in vermicompost for your garden. Dont know how many worms you ordered but in the beginning I did pretty much like you did, but that was a lot of food you threw in. If you overload with food your bins could become quite smelly. I usually just start out putting a little in a corner and go from there once I see how fast they are using it. I now have about 4 5gal buckets full of vermicompost between last summer and now. You wont exect to get that much at first it does take some time ,,, so hows it going,,,,,, Steve
Kim, congrats on starting your bin. My girls like checking on the bins with me too. Make sure that the stuff inside does not get too wet. Lastly, due to your climate, I would recommend African Nightcrawlers, as they really devour the food quickly and produce lots of castings. Look forward to the updates and I will also post an update on mine soon too. Jeff
Jeff Bernhard Thanks, Jeff. Your video on harvesting the castings was most helpful to me and I plan to watch it again at harvest time. I will check into African Nightcrawlers as well. Do they tolerate heat better? What kind do you have, as I know you have hot summers there in TX as well. Look forward to your update. Thanks for watching!
African Nightcrawlers need temp bove 70 degrees and preferablt a little higher, into the 80's and 90's. They really eat up he scraps and multiple relatively quickly. If temp falls below 60 thwy could die. I have red wigglers and African Nightcrawlers. Wiggles are much smaller but do better in colder temps.
Jeff Bernhard Sounds like AN would do great in the summer outside, but not make it through the winters here unless I brought them in. And vice versa for the RW. Not sure if inside worms will go over to well with the rest of the family, ha, ha
look forward to seeing the worms arrive & follow up periodically after they are established, great helper keep him involved & after the overhead I predict a quad at some point in the future, thanks for another good video
Red Wiggler Worms can be found in the Walmart fishing department, is a great composting worm, about 30 worms per container. They will multiply providing your compost worm bin is well-balanced.
Thank you so much for all the great Tips and Tricks you give here! Im a big fan of your channel and become a i would say successful gardener :-) I hope you will go on with your gardening tips. Have a great day!!! Greetings from Germany, Max
I've got two teen girls and the only time they smile is when they are attacking me lol They have all the wisdom of the world but no energy to do anything lol ya teens 😀. We started a garden this year and this worm bin will be another summer of school project. Thanx for the video 😀
You Can't Polish A Terd ha,ha, my older one is a teen girl, and I know just what you mean! Much more drama with her than my son! Have fun with your worm bin!
Great video. Son was a great help. May I suggest if you have molasses or honey you can dilute 1 teaspoon of either in quart of water and spray the bin this will help with microbes and beneficial bacteria growing quicker. I'm in NJ and have my worms outside all year even in winter. Now its 30 degrees and tomorrow it will be in the single digits.
Hi fish med - great tip about the honey - I haven't heard that one yet. What type of worms do you have that they survive the cold temps and how do they do in the heat?
CaliKim29 Garden & Home DIY Red wigglers. Heat not to much of a problem very rare in 100 degrees in NJ. I have mine in green 60 gallon barrels Home Depot sells them but expensive. You can use 30 gallon plastic garbage barrels Remember inside the compost it is warmer then outside. It seams like some of the worms just slow down for winter and when it gets warms it back to normal
I just built my first worm bin by following your video. I've been adding materials and kitchen scraps for about 2 weeks now to prepare the bin with worm food. In South Louisiana, we've been having fluctuating weather lately....80's during the day and 60's at night. Then we'll drop into low 30's and gradually have warmer weather. Question: how cold is too cold for the bin to be outdoors? Many thanks! Just subbed to your channel the other day too. ☺
OneYardRevolution I hope so, Patrick! I love to make things simple for someone who has never tried it before. I learn so much from everyone here! Thanks so much for your support!
Hi I just found your You Tube video and I will keep an eye out for you. May I recommend getting a used or new magic bullet to grind up you egg shell for grit for the worms gizzard so they can digest the food. Like birds, worms do not have a gizzard and need the grit so they can process the food scraps. The egg shells also help keep the PH level of the bin stable. P.S. be careful not to breath in the egg shell dust it is not good for your lungs. P.S.S, I have subscribed to your channel and rung the bell.
That is such a great tip for using egg shells! Thanks for sharing! 🙏 Where are you growing from John? Some other things for you to know that you may be interested in: I RUclips LiveStream every Monday, 12pm PT. Gardeners arrive in the chat at 11:30am PT and chat with each other, and me. We all have developed neat friendships and camaraderie with each other over the years. Those who can't make the Lives, watch the replay. During the livestream I also have teams from SmartPot (Fabric Containers) and Monterey Lawn Garden (growth/pest control) on hand, so that you can chat with them, ask questions directly, as well. -I am on Instagram/FB, as well. Welcome, John! CaliKim
Here's a couple of tips. Instead of putting whole kitchen food scraps in the bin, which takes quite some time for the worms to eat, instead put all in a food processor or a vitamix with a small amt of water and puree. You can do two things with it. Make just enough to feed them or pour the think mixture into ice cube trays. When feeding just pop out a couple and put them on one end. Also save in your freezer the scraps until ready to puree. This makes quick vermicast.
jerry prewett I did drill some holes in the bottom at the end of the video, but I am thinking I need some larger ones in the top for increased air circulation. Look forward to the great worm tea! Thanks for the tip!
+Best Pro Gamer That is awesome! Compost is really an amazing process! Make sure you watch my compost playlist for some more ideas: ruclips.net/p/PLH4z_9MDD00KOft0U-sWf4RUapJg65z80. Let me know how the project turns out!
Love the video reminded me of my video I did last year. How To Build A Worm Composter Somethings to look out for: 1. The worms will try to run after you 1st put them in there. They will find a way to get out. Don't panic just put them back in. I let the kids do it so they would learn to touch squishy things and not be scared of insects. 2. Don't over feed them. They say they eat about a pound a day for a pound of worms. More like a pound a week for a pound of worms. Also if you leave it in the house they will do well and will not stink as long as you don't over feed. 3. They like constant temps. If they are to cold they will slow down. And if worms get to hot they will die quickly. I can't remember the temps that they strive in but room temp was about right. 4. I talked to a worm farmer and the best thing they like to eat is old stale bread. The kids loved to play with worms and so glad that you made it a family project. And your son is amazing I am glad you introduced him to us. So glad that you did this project and look forward to the updates. I need to get my worm bin back up and operation and this video inspired me. Thanks Wes
***** I look forward to checking out your video - thanks for the heads up, Wes! And some great tips you shared with me. I am concerned about them escaping, so will be on the look out for that. Will have to winter time temps are mild so should be OK, may bring them inside if it gets to cold at night. Summer may get too hot, so may have to keep them in the garage. We'll see! Hoping to get my kids excited about some gardening projects - this is a start! Glad to be an inspiration - that is a goal of my channel - thanks!
Worm castings are a great natural fertilizer, everyone should vermicompost, thanks for posting Kali, good looking boy just like Mom and Dad, have a great day Frank
Frank M Thanks, Frank - I was surprised at how easy it was to set up, now for the worms and we'll see how it goes! My boy is a great kid - we had fun doing it together!
Thanks Kim for another excellent video. I just assembled a worm bid exactly like you described but I've had difficulty getting the worms. One local source "pooped" out on me, one on-line source has taken forever to ship the worms. I finally found another on-line place who actually provided a tracking number and those little fellows are due in town today!! However, this delay has allowed my worm bin to sit for two weeks so I'm good to go. Wayne
Going to start me one too. I have shredded many brown paper rolls from my toilet rolls and my paper towels. My chickens get most of my table scraps.But I have always wanted to raise worms due to California being so hot and dry in Summer very few worms survive the season.
I don't use paper anymore. I use peat moss. My food is 1 part corn meal, 1 part oats (ground up) 1 part enhanced wheat flour and Oyster shell flower. Sometimes ground up egg shells and some coffee grounds added from time to time. When available I add ground up green veggies for a treat. Keep up the hard work. I think it's really fun to do.
Excellent new years resolution :) I have my worm bin for 4 months now. I've started with 10-20 worms. I know it's not enough but I wanted to see if I can manage. Doing great so far. The population is increasing rapidly. They're quite, helpful and productive pets. Don't forget the egg shell powder by the way. Egg shell powder helps them to chew and prevents excessively acidic conditions from developing. I'll be waiting for your new videos :)
yaseminarkun Glad to hear yours are duplicating! Hope they produce lots of great fertilizer for your garden! I am hoping my son enjoys his new pets! I do have some egg shell powder - someone else said to add it in a month or so. Thanks so much for the tip! Stay tuned and thx for watching!
Mine is on a smaller scale and my worms seems to be doing well considering I haven't been doing what I wanted to do with maintaining them...will have to do an update video Tim
Hello GOH - it wan a fun project to to work on with my son! Thx for watching my videos, glad you are enjoying them, hopefully they are inspiring you to grow your own food!
I am a newbie and one of the articles I read offered a reasonable sounding method of harvesting the castings and I would like your opinion on it. He suggested creating a "box" with a window screen bottom and place it atop the composted material in a mature worm bin. On top of the screen set up an environment as you would in the worm bin with newspaper bedding and vegetable materials. Add food to this setup. As the food runs out in the mature bin the worms will migrate to the new environment leaving the lower bin worm free for harvesting. Relocate the contents of the box to a newly established worm bin. I questioned the use of window screen, because I felt the hole size was only large enough for infant worms. I thought that perhaps 1/4" hardware cloth would provide easier passage. Your opinion please.
Will be interesting to follow your worm progress. It seems every video does it differently so it's kind of confusing actually. Glad you got help in front of the camera now! Great DOF shots there CG! I give this video a green thumbs up!
mediamaker2000 You are right, everyone does it differently, I found that too when I was doing my research. I just picked a method that fit my motto - quick, simple, inexpensive! Do what works for you! Thanks for the green thumbs up, means a lot to me!
+nery colon 1 I did enjoy my worm bin - this method is pretty simple. However, if you live in an area where it gets pretty warm, and you don't want to take them inside, you might want to look into a different kind of worm. I had the red wigglers, which as I understand now, can't take the heat. I believe the African nightcrawlers would've been a better choice for me. Let me know what you decide!
Dean O Glad you found it helpful, Dean! I always try to simplify things so that others can duplicate them as well and produce healthy food. Thanks for watching!
Despite all the crybaby comments about letting your son use the drill, you are absolutely correct in teaching him early to be comfortable using power tools safely. Every guy I grew up with was using tools and heavy equipment before they were old enough to drive, and so far none of them have lost a limb or stopped breathing!
I have 15 five gallon buckets of worms. There are no holes in any of the buckets and all are doing great. I cover each with a cloth that's kept on with a rubber band so air can get in and flies can't. It's a system that works great and is super easy.
Great family project CaliKim29 Garden & Home DIY. I think your garden worms would do okay, but you are correct that some breeds are known for how quickly they can break down the compost :) Good luck!
I'm about to create my worm bin, but I am doing a few things differently: 1.) thin layers of pea pebbles for drainage and to prevent losing soil. 2.) layer of shredded newspaper . 3.) Locally collected forest litter/bark, dried and treated with diatomaceous earth (for mites and ants, just in case). 4.) Organic soil w/manure. 5.) More newspaper. 6.) More prepared litter/bark 7.) More soil. As for the food, I will simply bury it a few inches down in a corner or two of the bin. When I get worms, dig hole down middle, add worms, cover loosely with material. I think this will be a winner!
Good luck with the worms...may neighbor may have some worms for you! Not sure if she is still doing them, but I will ask her. They multiply like crazy she told me. Love the birds eye view from above.
I'd need a worm bin the size of a battleship for my Gardens (3+ acres)... but they're totes awesome for seedling production. WormPoop has its place in my Soil Block production recipe.
Hey Kim !!! Hey C.G. !!! Sorry i didn't get to Yall Quicker , been Runnin Like a Wild Man with our New Ice Age that is Upon us Here !!! LOL ... 1 degree yesterday Kim !!! Hey C.G. loved the Over head Shot !!! Kim that is to Awesome , you are Truly Blessed with a Fantastic Family my Friend !!! Man Yall Rock , Perfect way to Make a Worm Bin , I thought Yall did Such a Wonderful Job !!! Tell your Son he did a Fantastic Job !!! (heck naw I ain't touchin that Mom ) LOL ... Love It ... I can't wait till Yall add the Worms !!! As Always my Friends AWESOME Video and Creativity , gets a Big Next Level from Fern Creek Kentucky !!!
Fritz is Cookin Again Hey Fritz - no prob- I am running behind watching videos as well. Plus you guys are in the DEEP freeze there! I truly am blessed with such a wonderful family, they bring me lots of joy! Thats what its all about, right? Read my son your comment and he loved it! And CG is loving the new Go Pro. Thanks for stopping by and try to stay warm, Fritz!
Hi Kim. the worm bin looks great, the worms you should be looking for are red wigglers. they are composting worms that are top feeders. They are the most popular worm for composting. I wouldn't use the liquid that you get into the lower bin. That is not worm tea that is called leachate it isn't really good for your plants. worm tea is made out of worm casting that is cold brewed. if you need help with finding red wigglers let me know.
Steve McGuire Thanks, Steve! I have a few possibilities for some locally grown red wigglers that I am checking out now. Thanks for the tip about the leachate - I have actually hear that it is good for plants if it is diluted. Any help on that? Will have to do some more research.
*You need to check out this brilliant woman!* We've been becoming better and better friends over the past couple months and let me tell you, she has it together! CaliKim29 Garden & Home DIY is much like me when it comes to sustainable gardening practices and she's an excellent teacher as well. *Have you ever raised worms or done vermicomposting?* #CompostingWorms #WormFarm #DIY
***** You are so sweet - thanks for ALL your positive encouragement and sharing! Its easy to teach about something I am passionate about. Look forward to hearing more about your aquaponics project when you return from your trip!
CaliKim29 Garden & Home DIY - Amen to that sister! I look forward to more when I return as well...I'm starting to get a little stir-crazy here in Indiana with all this snow and cold weather! :-)
Yeah Kim! Your worms are going to be super happy with all the rotting goodness you have going on. LOL! I started a bin too in early Dec. I didn't get my worms from a good supplier though. I tried to order as locally as possible because the nurseries had already stopped selling the worms for the season. I don't think I got as many worms as I ordered. But anyway the worms seem to be doing okay. I have a feeling they are not all red wigglers because they look larger/greyish. They are making castings though. Goodluck with yours!
superslyfoxx1 Good to hear from you! Glad you are worm composting too and that you are getting some black gold for your garden. Thats the important thing! Keep me posted and happy worm farming!
I vermacompost on and off and am working on converting a plastic trash can into my newest worm bin. If you would like, I'll post a video with some pointers to help you get yours going again.
zenon herrera Sure, that would be wonderful! I'd appreciate it! You could post it on my First Garden Community so everyone could see it: plus.google.com/b/100903954516785778204/communities/101328601929720742658. Thanks in advance for your tips!
Thank you so much for this "how to make a worm bin"; good thing I saw your vid, because I was just going to dig around the yard for worms and throw them in my earth boxes !! Didn't know there's more to this "science" than meets the eye ( or earth, haha)
Hi I just came across your videos and they are very helpful. My mom has gardened for so long so I grew up around it, but I'm pretty new to it. I live in New York, and last year we had such a cold winter that we lost most of our fig trees. My question is, when is the right time to start these, and if the winters get too cold is that bad for them?
Janine Vecchio welcome, Joe, glad you are here and enjoying the videos. Unfortunately, I have not grown figs before and so cannot answer your questions about this. I'm sure there is lots of good info out there, though. Any other viewers who might read this care to comment? Thx for watching!
I'm sorry I should have been more specific, I just meant it was so cold last winter that they died. that being said, If it gets that cold again, How and when do I start the worm bins, or maybe I should stick to normal composting to prep for next years planting season.
Janine Vecchio you could start them anytime, but you might have to move it indoors during extreme weather. That is if you are willing to have a worm bin indoors. I am not too keen on this, I did keep them in my garage during the heat, but it just got too hot for them and they didn't make it. Optimal temp is 55-75 degrees.
Great video Kim! Good to see you involve your son hopefully he takes a big interest in gardening. I was wondering if you have watched Larry Hall from Brainerd Minnesota's channel? lots of neat ideas on there. Thanks for sharing have fun!
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Do you have a worm bin? Thanks for wathching!
The best, quick and informative about this subject in the entire you tube. Thank you very much. ❤❤ love son and mother project!!
Wow, thank you! This video is an oldie but boy does it bring back memories, too! Kim
I love that you are starting to involve your family in your gardening projects :) Love your videos!!
Hi Melissa - so glad that you stopped by! My son is enjoying seeing the worms and I am hoping to get him more excited about gardening and eating some of those good veggies. Glad you are enjoying the vidoes! Hope they are helpful to you also!
I made my worm bin today! I just need to wait for my worms to come in the mail. Spent $26.42 on Red Wigglers. When I placed my order I said to my mom "well I just spent 26 dollars on worms" we both started laughing. But I can't wait to have some nice compost for my garden! :D
I started with a cup of worms, left over fish bait and kept them for YEARS. This was before people were using worm castings and worm compost tea and my garden loved it. Eventually I freed them......my yard is still a shade or 3 greener then any around.
Hi Kim, this is great to have your son working with you on any project. My son and I did many projects together. He is now 24 and still remembers every single adventure...this builds strong bonds. thanks for sharing. Pierre
pierreb03038 that is so encouraging to me as I really want to create some family memories here and get my kids excited about gardening. They aren't veggie lovers, so haven't been to into it much so far. Am planning to expand this spring/summer with fruit trees and bushes,which they love. Hopefully this will help! Thanks for the positive feedback, Pierre!
I've been wanting to start my own worm bin and you made it looks so simple!! Thank you for that Kim. I loved finally getting to see your family. That's a great looking kid yall have there. I wish you the best of luck with your worm castings and feeding your garden and flowers. Can't wait for part two!! That top camera angle was awesom CG!!
Patty Adams Hope you can get yours off the ground soon! It really is simple to build and I am looking forward to getting the worms soon. Thanks for the complement on my son - he had fun helping me! CG is having fun with his Go Pro with the bird's eye view. Thanks for watching, Patty!
Great video and a good helper you have! It's such a neat project to get kids involved in! This is going to be an exciting and rewarding project for your whole family and your garden! Misilla
Learn To Grow I am looking forward to getting my kids more involved in the garden this year - we moms love creating memories, don't we? Thanks so much for all your positive feedback, Misilla!
CaliKim29 Garden & Home DIY
It's wonderful to hear that Kim! Great lesson that they will carry on through adulthood and pass down through generations! They will love it and yes the memories made will be cherished!
Learn To Grow
I certainly hope so! BTW, I did get your PM but can't reply until you add me as a contact. Thx for the message!
CaliKim29 Garden & Home DIY
I feel lame, but I can't figure out how to add people as contacts??? Lol :)
Learn To Grow
ha, ha, you and me both. Will ask CG and get back to you!
It's really cool how you bring your boy into it...your a great parent...
I love your videos. so well done and informative. No distracting music or anything.
Your boy is ready! I love to see the kids helping. Maybe he can tell us what he is learning about composting with worms in later videos :) I love it.
Blake Kirby love that idea, Blake! I'm excited to get him involved! Thanks!
I have always cut up my vege scraps, the same way as my Father did, he told me it helps to break down faster in the compost and yes worms have a small mouth.
Maybe chop the scraps up in an old food processing blender. That will give the worms smaller pieces to chew up.
I have seen fancy vermicomposting bins, but I didn’t really want to head that route. So I love this homemade worm bin!!!☺️
Great video, I love how you have your son helping and involved. Going to look for the follow up videos now.
kitsurubami glad you enjoyed it, thx for watching!
So excited to start a worm bin. I'm still so new to the gardening scene which your videos have been the easiest to understand. Love it :)
Kim you and I are on the same page ;) I started my worm farm the other day ;) What a great episode! I just took a jar of my brothers worm farm and added it to some of my potting soil and some leafy greens!
***** I hope you will do a video on your farm! How awesome that your brother had worms you could add! Maybe someday I can share some of mine!
In theory it does not take many :) I'll be testing that out :)
*****
Let me know how it goes, Stephen!
I will :)
I have been using shred in my compost bin with some grass clippings. This works great
My son will be thrilled to help me with this!
Thanks for this video. My son is looking forward to making a worm composting bin as a part of his Gardening Merit Badge and this looks like just the project.
Hi Julian - my son really enjoyed being a part of this and I think your son will be too! Please let me know how it goes - and make sure to watch my other worm bin videos as well - adding those red wigglers sure was fun! Thanks for watching!
Yes, your son looked like he was having too much fun with that drill. I'll let you know how our project turns out.
I made one awhile back and it works great i even made some out of 5 gal buckets and the red worms are happy campers
Liked this video so much because she gets right to the point and explains everything so well. Some other videos talk about other things so much my mind wanders and I miss the valuable info.
Ppl always got some negative to say I think he was a luh shy,it's good you teach them while they young my grandson gone be with me over the summer ,he gone use the drill,saw,ect.....y'all act like she gave him a gun great job mom may God bless you and family I'm new at this so I'm looking at videos like crazy Lol
Veronica Williams
Peace
She was incorrect about the special organic worms that you have to buy.
You can use red wiglers that you can dig yourself as people have been doing for thousands of years
Peace out
Here in Phoenix Arizona in hardiness zone 9b (Highland, CA where you are is 9a), it gets damn hot. We've had 120 degrees already this year and a few days between 117 and 119. I have two outdoor worm piles in the 90% shade. I don't fuss with plastic bins. They are on the ground. Each in their own pile, 40-feet apart. There isn't even a border around them. When I want the worm castings, I just scoop some off the sides of the ever-growing piles. I started my couple worm compost (vermicast) piles like you did your compost piles (in your videos) - except, I add a removable mulch layer to the top (and of course wet that down thoroughly). I then went to a big box pet store and bought $5 worth of red wigglers. There were about 20 at the most in that small starter container. Good Karma - I saved them from being used as fish bait or for food for other pets. Their only job for me was to eat, drink and procreate. Not a bad life!
I add my food scraps on Saturday mornings. Using the rake, first I move aside the mulch covering to the far side (I'll need that again). Then I move aside the worms and the remaining scraps from last week (half in each direction). Put down some green garden leaves in the middle and on top of that some dried material - mostly dried plants (not paper or cardboard), then put the food scraps on top.(I put my food scraps in the freezer during the week and on Saturday morning, I let the frozen food scraps defrost in the sun before I add them to the pile. I don't fuss with reducing the size of the items. They turn to mush quick enough once left to decay in the worm piles. Then, I rake the moved-aside worms and decayed older scraps and put them on top of the layer of fresh food scraps. Then I cover that with the mulch material. Then I dump a good amount of a 5-gallon bucket of water (that has been open-aired for 24-hours to let the chlorine and fluorine evaporate) on the pile.
Every half a year, I add 20 pounds of sand to the pile, to give the worms room to maneuver. They also like grit for digestion. So the small silica is good for that. I also, (every 5 empty egg cartons), take those 60 egg shells and put them in a blender and make fine white eggshell powder. I then bake that powder at 450 for about 20 minutes to kill any possible salmonella. Then I sprinkle the white powder in my worm piles. I hear that it's also good to put in a circle around plants to protect them from snails. But here in Phoenix, in my garden, snails aren't an issue.
Every morning during the week (on non-Saturdays), when I'm watering my plants, I spray down the mulch layers on top of each worm pile. That evaporative cooling keeps them cool throughout most of the day. Then when sunset comes the worms rejoice that the heat is dissipating. And the next morning they get cooled again. The water in the hose is way too hot in the afternoon - so, I only water them down in the early mornings.
By putting the worm pile directly on the ground, and avoiding the plastic container handling issues, it's not only cheaper, easier - but it allows the worms to migrate to your growing beds AND it allows the existing worms that are native to your soil to breed with red wigglers. I started out with big plump red wigglers. After about two months I had about 40 smaller red wigglers. Two years later I have a ton of hybrid dark red wigglers that are much smaller and narrower. BUT, they can stand the Arizona heat! The benefit of being on the damp ground is also thermal. 5 feet under it's closer to 55 degrees. That helps cool the worms. Being hybridized and being cooled by the earth and being cooled by the evaporative cooling of the wet mulch drying above them, they stay alive. And every Saturday early morning, they are happy to see me do my rake and feeding routine. DO REMEMBER - avoid putting citrus, onions or garlic in with the worms. If you forget - they will revolt and try to leave the area. Put those things in your worm-less compost pile and keep the worms happy, coolish, damp and fed. Keep up the great work!
Surfview thanks
How do you keep the compost pile from heating from the breaking down of the compost? Even during a Southern California winter, when nighttime lows can average in the 40s and we get frost one out of, maybe ten nights, my compost pile maintains an internal temp of greater 130 degrees. ( I know people in ares with real weather want to laugh right now but think of all the things I miss out on. There are flowering plants my mom used to tell me about. She grew up in Wisconsin.)
Also, the hybrid worms may work for you but it is kind of like adding a non-native plant species to different ecosystem. We now have to try to rid areas of invasive plants, both terrestrial and aquatic, fish, nutria, snails, algae, fungi and others too numerous to list.
You did a great job on your video. thank you for being so concise and informative.
I started a worm bin spring of 2013, and it went so well! I had about 200 or so worms, same size bin as yours, and they multiplied and went through the food I gave them so quickly I had to add more bins. Major problem: hot desert temps killed them all, and dealing with the remains put me off worm composting for life. This time I will add them directly to my beds, and see if they survive the heat there. Otherwise it is such a simple way to make the best fertilizer. I'm sure you will be very happy with your results.
Hi Margaret - Will keep that in mind as it gets fairly hot here in the summer too. Maybe will keep in the garage during the summer. Thanks for the tip and so glad you stopped by! Good luck with your gardening!
Thank you for posting this! I set up my bin similar to yours, and added my worms a couple days ago. So far so good, and though still way early, I'm excited for those castings :D
hypnocait Awesome, keep me posted! My worm bin worked great until we had a hot spell it got too warm for them in the bin. I don't have a good spot to keep them where it is shaded all day. Now my compost pile crawls with worms every time I make compost so it is just easier for me to do it this way. Good luck with yours, keep me posted!
Awe! Your son! What a great little guy! And he is really rocking that mop, too.
He's probably in college now
Handsome young man good job mom I can't wait to do my project with my grandson.
Kim--- Ive been worming for awhile and I would like to add a couple of comments. In the beginning I also drilled in the bottom but it shouldnt be necessary. If you have any drainage your bin is too wet , Ive never had any drainage and have gotten plenty of nice vermicompost. Also the worms can use the food scraps quicker if they are chopped up as small as possible. I actually run my fruit and veggies thru my juicer, save the pulp in another container for a few days then its ready for the worms and they can and will use it almost immediately. Have a good , steve.
Hi Steve - great comment! I've noticed that I am getting almost no drainage, so that must be a good sign! And I although I didn't in this video, I now chop my scraps into small pieces, or run them through the blender before I put them in my bin, just like you said. Worms go through them quicker. Thanks for the tips!
CaliKim29 Garden & Home DIY
So its been awhile since I checked in just wondering how your worm bins are doing. getting some good compost I hope. It does take a while to get established but once you get the hang of it you would be rolling in vermicompost for your garden. Dont know how many worms you ordered but in the beginning I did pretty much like you did, but that was a lot of food you threw in. If you overload with food your bins could become quite smelly. I usually just start out putting a little in a corner and go from there once I see how fast they are using it. I now have about 4 5gal buckets full of vermicompost between last summer and now. You wont exect to get that much at first it does take some time ,,, so hows it going,,,,,, Steve
Kim, congrats on starting your bin. My girls like checking on the bins with me too. Make sure that the stuff inside does not get too wet. Lastly, due to your climate, I would recommend African Nightcrawlers, as they really devour the food quickly and produce lots of castings. Look forward to the updates and I will also post an update on mine soon too.
Jeff
Jeff Bernhard Thanks, Jeff. Your video on harvesting the castings was most helpful to me and I plan to watch it again at harvest time. I will check into African Nightcrawlers as well. Do they tolerate heat better? What kind do you have, as I know you have hot summers there in TX as well. Look forward to your update. Thanks for watching!
African Nightcrawlers need temp bove 70 degrees and preferablt a little higher, into the 80's and 90's. They really eat up he scraps and multiple relatively quickly. If temp falls below 60 thwy could die.
I have red wigglers and African Nightcrawlers. Wiggles are much smaller but do better in colder temps.
Jeff Bernhard
Sounds like AN would do great in the summer outside, but not make it through the winters here unless I brought them in. And vice versa for the RW. Not sure if inside worms will go over to well with the rest of the family, ha, ha
look forward to seeing the worms arrive & follow up periodically after they are established, great helper keep him involved & after the overhead I predict a quad at some point in the future, thanks for another good video
hotxusa stay tuned for follow ups! ha,ha, Camera Guy loves trying new angles with his Go Pro! Thanks so much for the positive feedback!
Red Wiggler Worms can be found in the Walmart fishing department, is a great composting worm, about 30 worms per container. They will multiply providing your compost worm bin is well-balanced.
So essential for the slow ones out here to show drilling plastic to the Graham's no. exponential.
Thank you so much for all the great Tips and Tricks you give here! Im a big fan of your channel and become a i would say successful gardener :-) I hope you will go on with your gardening tips. Have a great day!!!
Greetings from Germany,
Max
Your son looked so happy to help. He was smiling and rolled his eyes twice lol
You Can't Polish A Terd ha, ha! You know how teenagers are!
I've got two teen girls and the only time they smile is when they are attacking me lol They have all the wisdom of the world but no energy to do anything lol ya teens 😀. We started a garden this year and this worm bin will be another summer of school project. Thanx for the video 😀
You Can't Polish A Terd ha,ha, my older one is a teen girl, and I know just what you mean! Much more drama with her than my son! Have fun with your worm bin!
Thanks for this video and all the tips.
Great.. thanks and regards from Saudi Arabia Kingdom
Great video. Son was a great help. May I suggest if you have molasses or honey you can dilute 1 teaspoon of either in quart of water and spray the bin this will help with microbes and beneficial bacteria growing quicker.
I'm in NJ and have my worms outside all year even in winter. Now its 30 degrees and tomorrow it will be in the single digits.
Hi fish med - great tip about the honey - I haven't heard that one yet. What type of worms do you have that they survive the cold temps and how do they do in the heat?
CaliKim29 Garden & Home DIY Red wigglers. Heat not to much of a problem very rare in 100 degrees in NJ. I have mine in green 60 gallon barrels Home Depot sells them but expensive. You can use 30 gallon plastic garbage barrels Remember inside the compost it is warmer then outside. It seams like some of the worms just slow down for winter and when it gets warms it back to normal
I just built my first worm bin by following your video. I've been adding materials and kitchen scraps for about 2 weeks now to prepare the bin with worm food.
In South Louisiana, we've been having fluctuating weather lately....80's during the day and 60's at night. Then we'll drop into low 30's and gradually have warmer weather.
Question: how cold is too cold for the bin to be outdoors?
Many thanks! Just subbed to your channel the other day too. ☺
Great video. Love the doggo too!
Thank you for your kind instruction. So helpful. Thank your son as well.
I have used my mom's extra Kimchi container for a worm bin. ^^
Always a good presentation, Kim!
Thanks so much, Rusty!
You're going to have some happy worms! Excellent step by step instructions. This will help a lot of people get started!
OneYardRevolution I hope so, Patrick! I love to make things simple for someone who has never tried it before. I learn so much from everyone here! Thanks so much for your support!
CaliKim29 Garden & Home DIY it is simple but you will do nothing but kill every worm. Can help you have a real worm bin IF you want
Hi I just found your You Tube video and I will keep an eye out for you. May I recommend getting a used or new magic bullet to grind up you egg shell for grit for the worms gizzard so they can digest the food. Like birds, worms do not have a gizzard and need the grit so they can process the food scraps. The egg shells also help keep the PH level of the bin stable. P.S. be careful not to breath in the egg shell dust it is not good for your lungs. P.S.S, I have subscribed to your channel and rung the bell.
That is such a great tip for using egg shells! Thanks for sharing! 🙏 Where are you growing from John? Some other things for you to know that you may be interested in:
I RUclips LiveStream every Monday, 12pm PT. Gardeners arrive in the chat at 11:30am PT and chat with each other, and me. We all have developed neat friendships and camaraderie with each other over the years. Those who can't make the Lives, watch the replay.
During the livestream I also have teams from SmartPot (Fabric Containers) and Monterey Lawn Garden (growth/pest control) on hand, so that you can chat with them, ask questions directly, as well.
-I am on Instagram/FB, as well. Welcome, John! CaliKim
Here's a couple of tips. Instead of putting whole kitchen food scraps in the bin, which takes quite some time for the worms to eat, instead put all in a food processor or a vitamix with a small amt of water and puree. You can do two things with it. Make just enough to feed them or pour the think mixture into ice cube trays. When feeding just pop out a couple and put them on one end. Also save in your freezer the scraps until ready to puree. This makes quick vermicast.
G-Man Henn brilliant! I was thinking about the purée but didn’t think about the ice cube purée!!! Brilliant
Use the pulp from the jack lalane juicer
you need some small drain holes in the bottom you also get compost tea from the moisture that goes through the material
jerry prewett I did drill some holes in the bottom at the end of the video, but I am thinking I need some larger ones in the top for increased air circulation. Look forward to the great worm tea! Thanks for the tip!
Nice job. good diy project. thx.
I'm making a compost bin for my 6th grade Supervised Agriculture Experience (SAE) project
+Best Pro Gamer That is awesome! Compost is really an amazing process! Make sure you watch my compost playlist for some more ideas: ruclips.net/p/PLH4z_9MDD00KOft0U-sWf4RUapJg65z80. Let me know how the project turns out!
Thanks. This is the best and simplest I've seen so far.
Love the video reminded me of my video I did last year.
How To Build A Worm Composter
Somethings to look out for:
1. The worms will try to run after you 1st put them in there. They will find a way to get out. Don't panic just put them back in. I let the kids do it so they would learn to touch squishy things and not be scared of insects.
2. Don't over feed them. They say they eat about a pound a day for a pound of worms. More like a pound a week for a pound of worms. Also if you leave it in the house they will do well and will not stink as long as you don't over feed.
3. They like constant temps. If they are to cold they will slow down. And if worms get to hot they will die quickly. I can't remember the temps that they strive in but room temp was about right.
4. I talked to a worm farmer and the best thing they like to eat is old stale bread.
The kids loved to play with worms and so glad that you made it a family project. And your son is amazing I am glad you introduced him to us. So glad that you did this project and look forward to the updates. I need to get my worm bin back up and operation and this video inspired me.
Thanks Wes
***** I look forward to checking out your video - thanks for the heads up, Wes! And some great tips you shared with me. I am concerned about them escaping, so will be on the look out for that. Will have to winter time temps are mild so should be OK, may bring them inside if it gets to cold at night. Summer may get too hot, so may have to keep them in the garage. We'll see!
Hoping to get my kids excited about some gardening projects - this is a start!
Glad to be an inspiration - that is a goal of my channel - thanks!
Worm castings are a great natural fertilizer, everyone should vermicompost, thanks for posting Kali, good looking boy just like Mom and Dad, have a great day
Frank
Frank M Thanks, Frank - I was surprised at how easy it was to set up, now for the worms and we'll see how it goes! My boy is a great kid - we had fun doing it together!
Thanks Kim for another excellent video. I just assembled a worm bid exactly like you described but I've had difficulty getting the worms. One local source "pooped" out on me, one on-line source has taken forever to ship the worms. I finally found another on-line place who actually provided a tracking number and those little fellows are due in town today!! However, this delay has allowed my worm bin to sit for two weeks so I'm good to go.
Wayne
Going to start me one too. I have shredded many brown paper rolls from my toilet rolls and my paper towels. My chickens get most of my table scraps.But I have always wanted to raise worms due to California being so hot and dry in Summer very few worms survive the season.
John J. Bluvas mm
I came here to learn how to make worm castings but now I think I just want to watch you do it
+Will Hammer Hello Will, hopefully you learned how to make worm castings too - it's super easy! Do you have a worm bin? Thanks for watching!
I don't use paper anymore. I use peat moss. My food is 1 part corn meal, 1 part oats (ground up) 1 part enhanced wheat flour and Oyster shell flower. Sometimes ground up egg shells and some coffee grounds added from time to time. When available I add ground up green veggies for a treat. Keep up the hard work. I think it's really fun to do.
That top view freaked me out! I didn't see that coming. LOL!
just experimenting with some new camera angles! Thanks for watching!
Excellent new years resolution :) I have my worm bin for 4 months now. I've started with 10-20 worms. I know it's not enough but I wanted to see if I can manage. Doing great so far. The population is increasing rapidly. They're quite, helpful and productive pets. Don't forget the egg shell powder by the way. Egg shell powder helps them to chew and prevents excessively acidic conditions from developing. I'll be waiting for your new videos :)
yaseminarkun Glad to hear yours are duplicating! Hope they produce lots of great fertilizer for your garden! I am hoping my son enjoys his new pets! I do have some egg shell powder - someone else said to add it in a month or so. Thanks so much for the tip! Stay tuned and thx for watching!
Awesome information!
Mine is on a smaller scale and my worms seems to be doing well considering I haven't been doing what I wanted to do with maintaining them...will have to do an update video
Tim
DJMovit That's great that they are still doing well - low maintenance is what we all are hoping for! Would love to see an update!
Thanks, we love your videos.
Your son is so sweet.
AllThatKazz Thanks, so glad you are enjoying them! Thx for watching!
Great family affair should be together making a growing foods thank for the DIY videos
Hello GOH - it wan a fun project to to work on with my son! Thx for watching my videos, glad you are enjoying them, hopefully they are inspiring you to grow your own food!
I am a newbie and one of the articles I read offered a reasonable sounding method of harvesting the castings and I would like your opinion on it. He suggested creating a "box" with a window screen bottom and place it atop the composted material in a mature worm bin. On top of the screen set up an environment as you would in the worm bin with newspaper bedding and vegetable materials. Add food to this setup. As the food runs out in the mature bin the worms will migrate to the new environment leaving the lower bin worm free for harvesting. Relocate the contents of the box to a newly established worm bin.
I questioned the use of window screen, because I felt the hole size was only large enough for infant worms. I thought that perhaps 1/4" hardware cloth would provide easier passage. Your opinion please.
Thanks for making this video, it's easy to follow and straight forward. We'll be making ours this week and then ordering our worms!
so glad you found it helpful! Good luck with your bin, please keep me posted!
Will be interesting to follow your worm progress. It seems every video does it differently so it's kind of confusing actually. Glad you got help in front of the camera now! Great DOF shots there CG! I give this video a green thumbs up!
mediamaker2000 You are right, everyone does it differently, I found that too when I was doing my research. I just picked a method that fit my motto - quick, simple, inexpensive! Do what works for you! Thanks for the green thumbs up, means a lot to me!
You're the best Kim
+Timothy Jordan, thanks for watching! Have you done a worm bin?
Thanks for the info. I'm trying to decide if to make one.
+nery colon 1 I did enjoy my worm bin - this method is pretty simple. However, if you live in an area where it gets pretty warm, and you don't want to take them inside, you might want to look into a different kind of worm. I had the red wigglers, which as I understand now, can't take the heat. I believe the African nightcrawlers would've been a better choice for me. Let me know what you decide!
Another future project for me to try out. thanks for sharing this video :)
You are welcome and be sure to let me know if you decide to try it!
Very good information and easy too - thanks
Dean O Glad you found it helpful, Dean! I always try to simplify things so that others can duplicate them as well and produce healthy food. Thanks for watching!
Despite all the crybaby comments about letting your son use the drill, you are absolutely correct in teaching him early to be comfortable using power tools safely. Every guy I grew up with was using tools and heavy equipment before they were old enough to drive, and so far none of them have lost a limb or stopped breathing!
I have 15 five gallon buckets of worms. There are no holes in any of the buckets and all are doing great. I cover each with a cloth that's kept on with a rubber band so air can get in and flies can't. It's a system that works great and is super easy.
I am just doing research and this series was great.
Great family project CaliKim29 Garden & Home DIY. I think your garden worms would do okay, but you are correct that some breeds are known for how quickly they can break down the compost :) Good luck!
J&J Acres Looking forward to getting the fambam involved with this one! Thanks for the tip on the garden worms! And thanks for watching!
I'm about to create my worm bin, but I am doing a few things differently: 1.) thin layers of pea pebbles for drainage and to prevent losing soil. 2.) layer of shredded newspaper . 3.) Locally collected forest litter/bark, dried and treated with diatomaceous earth (for mites and ants, just in case). 4.) Organic soil w/manure. 5.) More newspaper. 6.) More prepared litter/bark 7.) More soil.
As for the food, I will simply bury it a few inches down in a corner or two of the bin. When I get worms, dig hole down middle, add worms, cover loosely with material. I think this will be a winner!
Good luck with the worms...may neighbor may have some worms for you! Not sure if she is still doing them, but I will ask her. They multiply like crazy she told me.
Love the birds eye view from above.
Hi bigd - would definitely be interested if she has some composting worms! That would be awesome! Thanks for watching!
Amazing .Learned a lot
I'd need a worm bin the size of a battleship for my Gardens (3+ acres)... but they're totes awesome for seedling production. WormPoop has its place in my Soil Block production recipe.
what was your kitchen scraps what foods did you use
Hey Kim !!! Hey C.G. !!! Sorry i didn't get to Yall Quicker , been Runnin Like a Wild Man with our New Ice Age that is Upon us Here !!! LOL ... 1 degree yesterday Kim !!! Hey C.G. loved the Over head Shot !!! Kim that is to Awesome , you are Truly Blessed with a Fantastic Family my Friend !!! Man Yall Rock , Perfect way to Make a Worm Bin , I thought Yall did Such a Wonderful Job !!! Tell your Son he did a Fantastic Job !!! (heck naw I ain't touchin that Mom ) LOL ... Love It ... I can't wait till Yall add the Worms !!! As Always my Friends AWESOME Video and Creativity , gets a Big Next Level from Fern Creek Kentucky !!!
Fritz is Cookin Again Hey Fritz - no prob- I am running behind watching videos as well. Plus you guys are in the DEEP freeze there! I truly am blessed with such a wonderful family, they bring me lots of joy! Thats what its all about, right? Read my son your comment and he loved it! And CG is loving the new Go Pro. Thanks for stopping by and try to stay warm, Fritz!
Looks like a great plan! I am looking forward to seeing your worms.
David D You and me both! Thanks for watching!
Fantastic advice!
Hi Kim. the worm bin looks great, the worms you should be looking for are red wigglers. they are composting worms that are top feeders. They are the most popular worm for composting. I wouldn't use the liquid that you get into the lower bin. That is not worm tea that is called leachate it isn't really good for your plants. worm tea is made out of worm casting that is cold brewed. if you need help with finding red wigglers let me know.
Steve McGuire Thanks, Steve! I have a few possibilities for some locally grown red wigglers that I am checking out now. Thanks for the tip about the leachate - I have actually hear that it is good for plants if it is diluted. Any help on that? Will have to do some more research.
No the leachate happens because you have to much liquid in the bin. It is a byproduct that really has nothing in it. It pretty much just dirty water.
*You need to check out this brilliant woman!*
We've been becoming better and better friends over the past couple months and let me tell you, she has it together! CaliKim29 Garden & Home DIY is much like me when it comes to sustainable gardening practices and she's an excellent teacher as well.
*Have you ever raised worms or done vermicomposting?*
#CompostingWorms #WormFarm #DIY
***** You are so sweet - thanks for ALL your positive encouragement and sharing! Its easy to teach about something I am passionate about. Look forward to hearing more about your aquaponics project when you return from your trip!
Scott Williams
Good luck, Scott with your worm bin - have you already ordered or found a local source for your worms?
CaliKim29 Garden & Home DIY - Amen to that sister! I look forward to more when I return as well...I'm starting to get a little stir-crazy here in Indiana with all this snow and cold weather! :-)
Yeah Kim! Your worms are going to be super happy with all the rotting goodness you have going on. LOL! I started a bin too in early Dec. I didn't get my worms from a good supplier though. I tried to order as locally as possible because the nurseries had already stopped selling the worms for the season. I don't think I got as many worms as I ordered. But anyway the worms seem to be doing okay. I have a feeling they are not all red wigglers because they look larger/greyish. They are making castings though. Goodluck with yours!
superslyfoxx1 Good to hear from you! Glad you are worm composting too and that you are getting some black gold for your garden. Thats the important thing! Keep me posted and happy worm farming!
Hi, can I use the newspaper? Thanks
Thanks
AWWWWW HE IS SO TINNNYYYY
Do you put the lid on while it ferments?
I vermacompost on and off and am working on converting a plastic trash can into my newest worm bin. If you would like, I'll post a video with some pointers to help you get yours going again.
zenon herrera Sure, that would be wonderful! I'd appreciate it! You could post it on my First Garden Community so everyone could see it: plus.google.com/b/100903954516785778204/communities/101328601929720742658. Thanks in advance for your tips!
Thank you so much for this "how to make a worm bin"; good thing I saw your vid, because I was just going to dig around the yard for worms and throw them in my earth boxes !! Didn't know there's more to this "science" than meets the eye ( or earth, haha)
Is it ok to put veggies that have gone bad/moldy into the compost pile?
Why do you need the two diagonal pots? Won't just stacking the bins work, or is it to leave enough room for the worm juice?
lol the kid face in 9:56 was like did she just said worm pop XD
Not yet! Working on it.
Sako S Its a lot of fun to have the worm "pets" as my son calls them! Good luck with your worm bin!
Hi I just came across your videos and they are very helpful. My mom has gardened for so long so I grew up around it, but I'm pretty new to it. I live in New York, and last year we had such a cold winter that we lost most of our fig trees. My question is, when is the right time to start these, and if the winters get too cold is that bad for them?
Janine Vecchio welcome, Joe, glad you are here and enjoying the videos. Unfortunately, I have not grown figs before and so cannot answer your questions about this. I'm sure there is lots of good info out there, though. Any other viewers who might read this care to comment? Thx for watching!
I'm sorry I should have been more specific, I just meant it was so cold last winter that they died. that being said, If it gets that cold again, How and when do I start the worm bins, or maybe I should stick to normal composting to prep for next years planting season.
Janine Vecchio you could start them anytime, but you might have to move it indoors during extreme weather. That is if you are willing to have a worm bin indoors. I am not too keen on this, I did keep them in my garage during the heat, but it just got too hot for them and they didn't make it. Optimal temp is 55-75 degrees.
Great ideal !
Gardening & More Thanks, have you ever tried it?
yeah , but then i needed more so i started using 55 gallon drums
can you add vegetable scraps from your kitchen that have spices or oil on them ?
Thanks so much for this video!
Youre so welcome, Steven! What are you growing in your garden this season?
Love your videos! Thanks 🙏🏻
Have a good day :)
Great video Kim! Good to see you involve your son hopefully he takes a big interest in gardening. I was wondering if you have watched Larry Hall from Brainerd Minnesota's channel? lots of neat ideas on there. Thanks for sharing have fun!
ironbilly53 I have watched Larry's vids and his info is so helpful as well! I am hoping for him to get more involved with the garden through this!