I agree that a two bin design has the advantages you mentioned. I've been experimenting with a few different designs and will keep refining them as I learn more. This bin may have problems with flies if left outdoors, so its probably best to keep it inside. I keep mine in the basement and haven't had any fly problems so far. Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts!
Thanks! You're right about the lip on the bottom getting in the way when harvesting. It would be easier to just brush them out into another container. If the harvesting hole was larger, you could put a tray in the bottom, turn the harvesting rods to drop the castings, then remove the tray with the castings in it. You've got me thinking! Maybe this will lead to another design! Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts.
I totally understand where you are coming from Lark. I've used the migration method myself for years. For me, I can do one of these conversions in no time at all, especially since I already have all the tools and supplies around the house. But, like I said, I understand your point of view. Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts.
Hey One Yard if you want to make sure you don't harm any worms when turning your collector rods. Just bury a corn cob you've eaten off the corn from a couple inches from the top. Do this the night before and there will be no worms left near the bottom. This is also good when you need to seperate worms to another container. Or if you want to get an accurate count on your worms. They will all go to the cob they love it. Proper credit for this goes out to Larry Hall (check him out here on RUclips) an interesting guy very enthusiatic about worms and gardening.
Great video. I don't do worm casting but here there is a lot of worm. I had to put a fence on top of the raised bed because the chickens would go in the raised bed to get the worms and the dog to sleep. Now it's covered and the worms are much happier lol Loved and Subbed.
Interesting design. It will be fun to see how it works for you. It seems like it will be a pain to harvest the castings with that lip on the bottom, but like you said I don't see how you can get around it without the castings and juices leaking out. Great vid!
Great video and work Patrick! I am really interested in your design. Please keep us posted on the progress of your flow through bins and how much castings you get. Thanks for sharing.
Wow! Very ingenious and I'm really happy you talk about things that I'll probably (noticed, I said probably lol)never talk about! I love how we can all learn from one another, but if we all do the same things it could get boring after a while :D
It will be interesting to see how this works for you, but I've seen similar set-ups where they did the same thing with the screws as you are here- the screws are sticking out about two inches - and they were hard to turn through the compacted castings. They gave up on using the screws. I think it could work, but only if the screws extended out of the PVC pipe 3/4" to 1" at the most, maybe even shorter.
You really could eliminate the screw harvesters if the screws are a problem and either use a three prong hand cultivator or even and old metal spaghetti server to reach in the access port for the pass through and scrape the worm casings from underneath.
Sorry to say Patrick, this seems like too much work me. I do understand that you are an inventive man and resourceful...that is a good thing. :0) Good luck on your adventure and I will watch for your updates. Just leaving them migrate up to another tote works fine for me. Yes there are a few worms that stay in the castings, but they will find a new home when I use them in the gardens.
Thanks Nhel! I'll do a video update when it's time to harvest the castings. It will be interesting to see how the harvesting rods work when the bin is full. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Hi Alan. Good point. Turning the harvesting rods through compacted castings could be a challenge. The screws stick out about 1 5/8". On the setups you are referring to did the screws give out or was it just too difficult to turn the rods? Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Interesting. Concept and function is similar to what I made several months earlier: Flow Through Worm Bin I still prefer my design since the castings can be collected in a separate and removable container. If you are concerned about harming the worms, simply rock the PVC connectors in either direction without making a full rotation. Regards.
Yes, the separate harvesting bin in your design is a nice feature. I still haven't harvested castings from this bin, so it will be interesting to see how it works when I'm ready to harvest. Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts!
To prevent harming worms, wiggle the harvesting rods back and forth instead of spinning them all the way around. You just need to knock some out. You aren't trying to till it.
Thanks! I watched a couple of your Chicken Terminology videos and you provide clear and thorough explanations as well. I subbed and look forward to learning more about chickens. Thanks again!
Question, at what point do you add an additional layer of newspaper, leaves etc. I have never done this so this will be a new experience. Basically what is the ongoing procedure?
Excellent video! I'm been learning about worm composting and want to start my own soon. Did I hear correctly that you keep a bin with worms under your sink? I have a compost container in the kitchen but hadn't considered adding worms to it.
momblvr Thanks! We keep our worm bins in the basement, but under the sink works too if you have enough space for a bin. The downside is that worms tend to crawl out of the bin at night when it's dark. We keep a nightlight on near our bins, which prevents the worms from escaping. I hope this helps!
waitingfurJesus 777 You're right. Worms will definitely try to escape if conditions in the bin aren't favorable. But even if you do everything you can to keep them happy, some will try to escape, so a nightlight is a great remedy for that.
Thats pretty interesting, I think the easiest method I've seen is the side to side method. You fill up one side, then start adding material to the other, the worms move over to the fresh food, then the first side starts to dry out which makes harvesting much easier. You can find it on youtube. Thanks for sharing.
I agree the horizontal migration method works very well. I like the flow-through design better, because it takes advantage of the worms' tendency to migrate upward for food, and it increases the air flow in the system and reduces the predominance of anaerobic bacteria. Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts!
Agreed...just not in my house hahaha! That being said, I'm really impressed by people who do, it's marvelous stuff! My lost, if only somebody else in my family would take care of the critters I think I would be all for it ;)
john wylie Worms can handle some heat, but, you're right, they don't like it dry. With enough food and water, they might do okay in your environment. Best wishes!
john wylie Earthworms should be able to thrive in a no-till garden, especially if you use lots of compost and mulch. Keeping the ground covered with organic mulch will help retain moisture, provide a food source, and protect them from the elements. It's definitely worth it to try introducing some earthworms to your garden.
Great idea. How do you adjust the distant of the pipes on a different size bin? Mine is a Sterilite bin with the bottom measuring 13" X 17". Drilling 7 holes for the PVC pipes 2.75" apart from center leaves very little space at both ends. Should I drill the holes 2.5" apart or drill only 6 holes? Thanks for any help.
Are you still using this type of worm bin or have you improved the design? If you're still using this type of bin then I have a suggestion. When worms sense vibrations, digging or scratching in the soil they think its a predator (mole, mongoose, squirrel, racoon, rat etc.) & typically head in the opposite direction as fast as possible. Use this instinctive "flight response" to your advantage. When you go to harvest the castings first turn the rods back & forth fairly quickly/vigorously (I call this "teasing the rods") about 1/2 revolution (only half revolutions or less, you're just trying to invoke their flight response to move them to the surface & away from the harvest area), do this 2 rods at a time for approx 15-20sec, then once you've "teased" all the rods most of the worms should have been scared towards the surface, allowing you to harvest more castings & less worms.
Hi Tracy. I'm very interested to see how this design works when the castings are ready to be harvested. I received some feedback that it can be very difficult to turn the harvesting rods, so I'm not 100% sure that this design is better than the one from my other video. I'll find out for sure in a month or so when I harvest some castings from it.
OneYardRevolution My two large worm composters are outside with a door on the bottom where I can work out compost from the bottom with a fork. My winter's are much milder than yours, averaging about 40 degrees. It is still too cold to get the compost to heat up even in the insulated rubbermaid composter but the worms keep working. My bins are sitting on steal roofing panels so that occasionally I move them aside and put the worm layer on the bottom on a new sheet. The worm juce last year dripped at the base of my pumpkin vines.
O k So I went and watched the follow up video of you harvesting compost from this bin set up and I had an Idea to offer. Next time you empty this set up or next time you build one try this. after inserting the rods into the lower bin go around each one with 4" or longer wood screws drive them into the rods so that they stick out on both sides of the rod then on the outside of the bin like you have in the video glue the tee fittings to the rods. then when your ready to harvest the compost. Just place your try in the bottom and turn these tee fittings several times and the screws will break up the lower area of the compacted compost allowing it to drop freely through to the tray, you don't need to reach up into the bin. be sure to use screws that will spin completely between the tubes and use shrink wrap or cover the screws with liquid rubber coating to protect the warms . But if their in the top of the bin were they should be you shouldn't need this last bit.
Hi Patrick! I'm preparing to set up my first worm bin. Three questions for you: 1) how many worms should I buy for this first bin to start with; 2) at some point does the number of worms produced in this first bin multiply to the point I should start a second bin; and 3) is it imperative to keep the bin in a dark room? Thanks.
Hi Michele! 1,000 worms is a good starting point. I think we started with 2,000. If you provide more than enough food for the worms, the population will increase to the point that a new bin is needed. Alternatively, you can move some outside to a cool compost pile or garden bed (as long as there's ample mulch for them to eat). I wouldn't put the bin in a very bright room, but you don't want to leave the bin in a totally dark room, because they are much more likely to leave the bin. We keep a nightlight on at night to keep them from leaving. I hope this helps!
@@OneYardRevolution Yes, thank you, that helps. I expect the 2000 worms today or tomorrow (I guessed on how many). I have two bins just about finished for them.
Yes, that is a great idea! A light would help encourage the stragglers who haven't already moved higher up to the food source to leave the bottom area. I haven't harvested castings from one of my flow through bins yet, but when I do, I'll use this technique. Thanks!
Just an observation after watching this video twenty times for inspiration. The screws could be covered with the flexible plastic aquarium tubing to reduce potential damage to the worms.Let me know what you think.
They said it was too difficult to turn through the compost. I can't recall what the spacing was between the screws though. I forget where I saw it... either on RUclips, vermicomposters(dot)com or some other forum. I'll do some checking and if I see it again, I will forward.
Jacques Grove Hi Jacques. Most of the worms migrate to the top of the bin where the food is, so very few end up in the bottom of the bin. Also, the bottom usually stays pretty dry. I just happened to put too much water in the bin before making this video.
Hi Eli. The harvesting rods worked out very well. I can't say I'd add harvesting rods to all my worm bins, but I'm glad I tried them out on at least one. This video shows how they worked: ruclips.net/video/2oeqm3QC1co/видео.html
I feed the worms regularly but when I want to harvest castings I hold back on feeding then on the top I put banana and corn on the cob. By the next morning 99.9% of the worms are at the very top where their favorite foods are. No worms in the castings at all.
Seems like worm farms take to much effort for not a lot of reward my compost bin is heaving with worms that I got from the dirt in my garden, I add a few inches of dirt to the kitchen and garden waste and in a year it's heaving with worms without wasting much time or effort and no money. I save a bucket of the first compost to start a new load! I don't collect the worm juice my fruit tree's do that!
I agree that a two bin design has the advantages you mentioned. I've been experimenting with a few different designs and will keep refining them as I learn more. This bin may have problems with flies if left outdoors, so its probably best to keep it inside. I keep mine in the basement and haven't had any fly problems so far. Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts!
Thanks! You're right about the lip on the bottom getting in the way when harvesting. It would be easier to just brush them out into another container. If the harvesting hole was larger, you could put a tray in the bottom, turn the harvesting rods to drop the castings, then remove the tray with the castings in it. You've got me thinking! Maybe this will lead to another design! Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts.
Thanks Steve. I'll definitely keep everybody posted when the castings are ready to harvest.
I totally understand where you are coming from Lark. I've used the migration method myself for years. For me, I can do one of these conversions in no time at all, especially since I already have all the tools and supplies around the house. But, like I said, I understand your point of view. Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts.
Thanks Nicole.
Hey One Yard if you want to make sure you don't harm any worms when turning your collector rods. Just bury a corn cob you've eaten off the corn from a couple inches from the top.
Do this the night before and there will be no worms left near the bottom. This is also good when you need to seperate worms to another container.
Or if you want to get an accurate count on your worms. They will all go to the cob they love it.
Proper credit for this goes out to Larry Hall (check him out here on RUclips) an interesting guy very enthusiatic about worms and gardening.
This is a great idea Alex!
Great video. I don't do worm casting but here there is a lot of worm. I had to put a fence on top of the raised bed because the chickens would go in the raised bed to get the worms and the dog to sleep. Now it's covered and the worms are much happier lol Loved and Subbed.
Interesting design. It will be fun to see how it works for you. It seems like it will be a pain to harvest the castings with that lip on the bottom, but like you said I don't see how you can get around it without the castings and juices leaking out. Great vid!
Thanks Rob.
Great video and work Patrick! I am really interested in your design. Please keep us posted on the progress of your flow through bins and how much castings you get. Thanks for sharing.
Its cool you are trying all kinds of ways to make capturing the goodness easier. I wish you much success with it for sure.
Wow! Very ingenious and I'm really happy you talk about things that I'll probably (noticed, I said probably lol)never talk about! I love how we can all learn from one another, but if we all do the same things it could get boring after a while :D
It will be interesting to see how this works for you, but I've seen similar set-ups where they did the same thing with the screws as you are here- the screws are sticking out about two inches - and they were hard to turn through the compacted castings. They gave up on using the screws. I think it could work, but only if the screws extended out of the PVC pipe 3/4" to 1" at the most, maybe even shorter.
You really could eliminate the screw harvesters if the screws are a problem and either use a three prong hand cultivator or even and old metal spaghetti server to reach in the access port for the pass through and scrape the worm casings from underneath.
Sorry to say Patrick, this seems like too much work me. I do understand that you are an inventive man and resourceful...that is a good thing. :0) Good luck on your adventure and I will watch for your updates. Just leaving them migrate up to another tote works fine for me. Yes there are a few worms that stay in the castings, but they will find a new home when I use them in the gardens.
Hi Chris. Yes it does bring foosball to mind, doesn't it? :D
Thanks Nhel! I'll do a video update when it's time to harvest the castings. It will be interesting to see how the harvesting rods work when the bin is full. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Hi Alan. Good point. Turning the harvesting rods through compacted castings could be a challenge. The screws stick out about 1 5/8". On the setups you are referring to did the screws give out or was it just too difficult to turn the rods? Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Thanks Elyse! Yes, the world would be a dull place indeed if we were all the same, but can't we all agree that composting worms are awesome? :D
Thanks Alan.
Nice little build & hope it works well..
Cheers
Interesting. Concept and function is similar to what I made several months earlier:
Flow Through Worm Bin
I still prefer my design since the castings can be collected in a separate and removable container.
If you are concerned about harming the worms, simply rock the PVC connectors in either direction without making a full rotation.
Regards.
Yes, the separate harvesting bin in your design is a nice feature. I still haven't harvested castings from this bin, so it will be interesting to see how it works when I'm ready to harvest. Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts!
OneYardRevolution How did this bin work out?
To prevent harming worms, wiggle the harvesting rods back and forth instead of spinning them all the way around. You just need to knock some out. You aren't trying to till it.
Thanks Brandon!
you can use drip irrigation to cover your harvesting screws to help protect your worms
Felric Jones Very true. Excellent idea!
Hi! I love your clear, thorough explanations! Enjoy your worms!
Thanks! I watched a couple of your Chicken Terminology videos and you provide clear and thorough explanations as well. I subbed and look forward to learning more about chickens. Thanks again!
OneYardRevolution :) Thanks!
Very cool idea and design
Thanks Nery! I don't have chickens, but the birds here do love the worms in my garden! Thanks for subscribing. I subbed back.
Question, at what point do you add an additional layer of newspaper, leaves etc.
I have never done this so this will be a new experience. Basically what is the ongoing procedure?
Excellent video! I'm been learning about worm composting and want to start my own soon. Did I hear correctly that you keep a bin with worms under your sink? I have a compost container in the kitchen but hadn't considered adding worms to it.
momblvr Thanks! We keep our worm bins in the basement, but under the sink works too if you have enough space for a bin. The downside is that worms tend to crawl out of the bin at night when it's dark. We keep a nightlight on near our bins, which prevents the worms from escaping. I hope this helps!
waitingfurJesus 777 You're right. Worms will definitely try to escape if conditions in the bin aren't favorable. But even if you do everything you can to keep them happy, some will try to escape, so a nightlight is a great remedy for that.
Thats pretty interesting, I think the easiest method I've seen is the side to side method. You fill up one side, then start adding material to the other, the worms move over to the fresh food, then the first side starts to dry out which makes harvesting much easier. You can find it on youtube. Thanks for sharing.
I agree the horizontal migration method works very well. I like the flow-through design better, because it takes advantage of the worms' tendency to migrate upward for food, and it increases the air flow in the system and reduces the predominance of anaerobic bacteria. Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts!
Agreed...just not in my house hahaha! That being said, I'm really impressed by people who do, it's marvelous stuff! My lost, if only somebody else in my family would take care of the critters I think I would be all for it ;)
Thanks - great job of communicating flow through systems.
Thanks Buz Kloot !
john wylie Worms can handle some heat, but, you're right, they don't like it dry. With enough food and water, they might do okay in your environment. Best wishes!
john wylie Earthworms should be able to thrive in a no-till garden, especially if you use lots of compost and mulch. Keeping the ground covered with organic mulch will help retain moisture, provide a food source, and protect them from the elements. It's definitely worth it to try introducing some earthworms to your garden.
Sure thing. I cannot open up the soil without encountering at least one worm.
the worm can play the soccer
Lol
Great idea. How do you adjust the distant of the pipes on a different size bin? Mine is a Sterilite bin with the bottom measuring 13" X 17". Drilling 7 holes for the PVC pipes 2.75" apart from center leaves very little space at both ends. Should I drill the holes 2.5" apart or drill only 6 holes? Thanks for any help.
Thanks, Raymond! Either approach should work. I'd probably drill fewer holes. You can always use a different length screw to fit the spacing.
Great vid! love the idea. I am planning on making one too but out of wood and in the traditional chines pagoda style.
thanks for the share,
Scarlett
You're very welcome, Scarlett! That sounds like it's going to be quite a worm bin. I love the idea!
How to Grow a Garden with Scarlett Damen Hi Scarlet … I like the sound of that worm bin …. Did you make it ? I can't find it on your channel .
Hi jionnie, Nope not yet. I'll definitely do an episode on it when I do. :)
Good job! What's the harvesting like with that smallish opening to get your hand in?
David Bennett Thanks! I think the size of the opening is fine, but you could definitely make it bigger if you have a deeper bin.
Are you still using this type of worm bin or have you improved the design? If you're still using this type of bin then I have a suggestion. When worms sense vibrations, digging or scratching in the soil they think its a predator (mole, mongoose, squirrel, racoon, rat etc.) & typically head in the opposite direction as fast as possible. Use this instinctive "flight response" to your advantage. When you go to harvest the castings first turn the rods back & forth fairly quickly/vigorously (I call this "teasing the rods") about 1/2 revolution (only half revolutions or less, you're just trying to invoke their flight response to move them to the surface & away from the harvest area), do this 2 rods at a time for approx 15-20sec, then once you've "teased" all the rods most of the worms should have been scared towards the surface, allowing you to harvest more castings & less worms.
+William C83 Hi William! Yes, we still have this bin. I agree with your approach completely.
Brilliant!
Looks GREAT Thanks !! How has this designed worked out .. this past year or so??
Thanks, Jim! The design worked very well. One thing you can try to better protect the worms is to cover the screws with plastic tubing.
Great Advice ... Wishing You Much Success!
What size drill bits do you use to drill those ventilation holes in the bin and cover. Thanks for the clarification.
3/16 works very well.
ok i knew i had seen something like that before. i really want to do this. it is on my project list
Hi Tracy. I'm very interested to see how this design works when the castings are ready to be harvested. I received some feedback that it can be very difficult to turn the harvesting rods, so I'm not 100% sure that this design is better than the one from my other video. I'll find out for sure in a month or so when I harvest some castings from it.
Hi Patrick! Thank you for sharing. I love the design. Is this a 19 gallon tub?
Thanks, Eric! I'm not sure of the exact size, but 19 gallons sounds about right.
I commented on the first bin making this suggestion before this one popped up. I gues or minds work alike.
I guess they do Hans! Do you have a bin with harvesting rods? If you do, how do you like it?
OneYardRevolution My two large worm composters are outside with a door on the bottom where I can work out compost from the bottom with a fork. My winter's are much milder than yours, averaging about 40 degrees. It is still too cold to get the compost to heat up even in the insulated rubbermaid composter but the worms keep working. My bins are sitting on steal roofing panels so that occasionally I move them aside and put the worm layer on the bottom on a new sheet. The worm juce last year dripped at the base of my pumpkin vines.
Hans Quistorff Yeah, worms are a great way to keep composting when when it's too cold to make hot compost.
I bet those pumpkins did well!
O k So I went and watched the follow up video of you harvesting compost from this bin set up and I had an Idea to offer. Next time you empty this set up or next time you build one try this. after inserting the rods into the lower bin go around each one with 4" or longer wood screws drive them into the rods so that they stick out on both sides of the rod then on the outside of the bin like you have in the video glue the tee fittings to the rods. then when your ready to harvest the compost. Just place your try in the bottom and turn these tee fittings several times and the screws will break up the lower area of the compacted compost allowing it to drop freely through to the tray, you don't need to reach up into the bin. be sure to use screws that will spin completely between the tubes and use shrink wrap or cover the screws with liquid rubber coating to protect the warms . But if their in the top of the bin were they should be you shouldn't need this last bit.
+Th Linn gill Excellent ideas! Thanks.
Would be better to use clear tubing on the screws, they sell it in many diameters!!
If I were to do a design like this and kept I outside would the worms survive the winter conditions in zone 7a
They wouldn't survive if it gets cold enough to freeze the contents of the bin.
Hi Patrick! I'm preparing to set up my first worm bin. Three questions for you: 1) how many worms should I buy for this first bin to start with; 2) at some point does the number of worms produced in this first bin multiply to the point I should start a second bin; and 3) is it imperative to keep the bin in a dark room? Thanks.
Hi Michele! 1,000 worms is a good starting point. I think we started with 2,000. If you provide more than enough food for the worms, the population will increase to the point that a new bin is needed. Alternatively, you can move some outside to a cool compost pile or garden bed (as long as there's ample mulch for them to eat). I wouldn't put the bin in a very bright room, but you don't want to leave the bin in a totally dark room, because they are much more likely to leave the bin. We keep a nightlight on at night to keep them from leaving. I hope this helps!
@@OneYardRevolution Yes, thank you, that helps. I expect the 2000 worms today or tomorrow (I guessed on how many). I have two bins just about finished for them.
Since the worms will flee light could you shine a light into the bottom for an hour or so to make the worms leave the area?
Yes, that is a great idea! A light would help encourage the stragglers who haven't already moved higher up to the food source to leave the bottom area. I haven't harvested castings from one of my flow through bins yet, but when I do, I'll use this technique. Thanks!
On natural land they come to surface to release fertilizer. In a bin they come down to release the same?
Most also go to the surface in the bins, but a small number remain near the bottom.
Just an observation after watching this video twenty times for inspiration. The screws could be covered with the flexible plastic aquarium tubing to reduce potential damage to the worms.Let me know what you think.
Jermaine William You're absolutely right, Jermaine! That's an excellent idea.
They said it was too difficult to turn through the compost. I can't recall what the spacing was between the screws though. I forget where I saw it... either on RUclips, vermicomposters(dot)com or some other forum. I'll do some checking and if I see it again, I will forward.
How do you prevent your worms from falling into the liquid tea at the bottom?
Jacques Grove Hi Jacques. Most of the worms migrate to the top of the bin where the food is, so very few end up in the bottom of the bin. Also, the bottom usually stays pretty dry. I just happened to put too much water in the bin before making this video.
Thanks Dave. I subbed back. We compost geeks have to stick together!
how did harvesting work out???
Hi Eli. The harvesting rods worked out very well. I can't say I'd add harvesting rods to all my worm bins, but I'm glad I tried them out on at least one. This video shows how they worked: ruclips.net/video/2oeqm3QC1co/видео.html
Add some LEDs when harvesting so they get up.
Subscribed to your channel---I too am a compost geek--LOL
Very clever
Thanks Scott!
I feed the worms regularly but when I want to harvest castings I hold back on feeding then on the top I put banana and corn on the cob. By the next morning 99.9% of the worms are at the very top where their favorite foods are. No worms in the castings at all.
Seems like worm farms take to much effort for not a lot of reward my compost bin is heaving with worms that I got from the dirt in my garden, I add a few inches of dirt to the kitchen and garden waste and in a year it's heaving with worms without wasting much time or effort and no money.
I save a bucket of the first compost to start a new load!
I don't collect the worm juice my fruit tree's do that!
It's PVC pipe, not PBC
Yes, I know. Did it sound like I was saying PBC?