Thanks Patrick. This is one of those videos that makes me reconsider the standard approach to things - I love that. My worm farm is very new (literally, a few days old). I think I'll attempt a modified version of what you are doing (although I might wait until my worms are breeding nicely - just in case it goes wrong). My little mind is ticking and scheming.
Thank you for this, it is brilliant. I think I may reproduce your work. I love my worms, hate harvesting, I spend way too much time with tiny worms and egg casings. You could set two small litter boxes or aluminum baking trays in the bottom that would make it even easier to pull out the castings, as they would fit out your hole in the front. Because I don't like separating out the compost, I set two bins in my raised garden beds, one out of a five gallon bucket and one with 4" PVC, both fenestrated with many1/4" holes, it is amazing how much better the plants adjacent are doing than the rest of the bed. I have two questions for you. Is that pumice in your castings? I occasionally have trouble with worms crawling out my drainage holes in the bottom once my bottom bedding has degraded, I think it may be due to excess moisture and some clogged holes, I am unsure. Does this happen with yours? Thank you for your time.
Thanks Jane! Yes, this approach dramatically reduces harvesting time. If there are still some worms and cocoons in the castings, I just leave them there, and they eventually end up in the garden. It sounds like you basically have a couple of worm towers in your garden. I'm glad to hear the plants around them do well. I'm thinking about adding a couple worm towers to my garden this year too. To answer your questions, I don't add pumice to the worm bins. Worms sometimes do escape from the bins, but not too many. Best wishes with your garden this year!
This looks very interesting, thanks for sharing your modifications with us. I just today got my first batch of worms and added them to the standard two-bin system but I'll give serious consideration to your method here. Thanks, Wayne
Thanks Wayne. Your worms will do fine in a standard two bin setup. Mine did for years. Maybe consider setting up a flow through system when you are ready for your second bin? It will make harvesting castings easier and the castings will be less likely to go anaerobic. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Thanks Keith! Castings stay in the bins until February, when we start harvesting castings for our potting mix that we use to start plants indoors in winter.
Greetings Patrick. Going to take the dive into worm farming. I have watched so many videos on this and I think I am going to go with your design. Thanks so much for all your informative videos. Blessings, Jim
Hi. :) I don't know if you've made a video about it before (I've tried looking, but can't find one), but do you keep tabs on how much food you produce each year? You probably don't need any more motivation, but I've found that it motivates me to weigh everything I harvest and write it down, to compare to the next year. I've just moved to a warmer climate, so I want to start gardening on a larger scale than before. However, I don't want to start with too much while I'm still new, as it could become more of a chore than a great hobby. Anyway, I've managed to produce around 22 kg of food in 2013, and I'm quite pleased. Hopefully I can double that in 2014! :)
Great job growing 22 kg of food in 2013! I'd love to know exactly how much food we produce, but I know my wife wouldn't be too happy about weighing all the food she picks. She and I have very different personalities. While I would be excited about weighing the food, she would find it burdensome. So, though I'd like to do it, I know that it wouldn't work out. That said, I think it's great that you do! It's a great way to monitor your garden's productivity. You could also determine the monetary value of your produce. Best wishes doubling your yield in 2014!
OneYardRevolution Thanks! :) Oh, that's too bad, but I guess if one feels gardening becoming burdensome, then it would be very demotivational in the long run, and we don't want that! I've been there, done that... It even made me stop gardening for a few years! _"You could also determine the monetary value of your produce."_ That's a great idea! I will do that in 2014. :)
Yeah, I like the flow-through bins much better. I have 5 like the one shown in this video, plus another one with harvesting rods. If you set one up, please let me know how you like it. Thanks for stopping by!
That method makes a lot of sense. I am finding that my worm bin gets a little more moist than I think is desirable. I am going to try your system. Thanks so much for the tip.
Great video, in the future would like to try building my own bins. Will watch the other video on how to make one. Beautiful castings-dark and rich color.
Thanks Luke! With this design, I don't mind harvesting castings at all. It's very quick, the castings aren't soggy, they don't smell bad, and I don't have to separate the castings from the worms, food, and bedding. Pretty easy!
You could get all the worm leachate by having a sloping plastic bag tied to a glass bottle. All the leachate would collect into the bottle, and then when you are ready to harvest the castings, just untie the plastic bag, remove the bottle, and let the casting drop down.
Early on in your video, it looked like you were using the Worm Inn flow through composting system. How did you like that setup? Why did you switch over to a Rubbermaid conversion?
I love the Worm Inn. It inspired me to convert my Rubbermaid bins over to flow-through systems. Currently, I have 1 Worm Inn, 6 Rubbermaid flow-through bins, and 1 standard Rubbermaid worm bin.
Wow-- sounds like you're going to have plenty of worm castings! As for the Worm Inn, how much does it produce? I've read a few reviews and was thinking about purchasing it. Either that or the Worm Factory 360. Love your videos.
OhHowHappyGardener The Worm Inn works great. The castings are high quality and easy to harvest. I've never tried the Worm Factory before, but it seems like a very good design.
So after 3 months the bags are basically compost. You then dump the rest (worms/non castings) into another bin to replace the bags/start again? Or are the bags just used one time to fire up the bin initially?
The bags were just used to get things started. From here on out, I'll just add food and bedding on top and harvest castings from below. The castings clump together, which prevents them from falling into the lower bin on their own. This setup makes harvesting castings a breeze! Thanks for stopping by!
Split some poly tubing and slip it over the top edge of your harvesting hole to protect your arm. I have read that 20 - 24" in depth is the de facto standard for flow through depth to keep worms out of the harvested material.
I'm sold - nice harvest too! I'm using the standard 2 bin system now, and I have the same concerns. I'm going to switch to this design....ASAP. Thanks Patrick.
That's great to hear Paul D ! I'm very happy with mine, and I've dramatically cut the time I spend harvesting castings. Best wishes with your conversion!
Great question. Fortunately, the paper bags don't have to be replaced. By the time they break down, the castings have clumped together under the weight of all the material in the bin. Though a small amount of castings might fall down on their own, for the most part they just sit in place until they're ready to be harvested. Thanks for stopping by!
Great video there and info Patrick, I currently just have the Worm Farm Factory style 4 levels and seeing how well these are coming along might try out this method when I transfer some of my ever growing population of Worms, as I do collect the Worm tea from the Worm farm, Thanks and Cheers :-)
Thanks George Stephen ! I've never had a Worm Factory, but it looks like a very good system. I think you'll like the flow through system if you decide to try it when you are ready to expand. Thanks for stopping by!
how long does it take for worms to make castings if i used food waste only? is it dependant on weather as well? and can i use earth worms or do red wrigglers do a better job? my compost bin is full of earth worms, think for a handful of compost i can count 20 worms at least (think its the rock dust). at the moment i mix my food waste with grass and dried out weeds but i can see that food is taking longer to break down
In addition to food waste, red wigglers need some carbonaceous material like shredded paper or autumn leaves. You could have your first castings harvest 3 months or so after setting up a bin. Earthworms are soil dwellers, so they wouldn't do well in a bin that is nothing but rotting food waste and paper. But red wigglers would be very much at home. Thanks for watching!
Hi, I've just re-watched your flow-through worm bin videos. Last winter I made two flow-through bins following your design and I'm generally very happy with them. I do have some questions, if that's all right. First, if I spread the bedding and food all over the surface of the bin the worms like to congregate on the lips of the lower bin, thereby not staying where the food and the bedding is, is that a problem? I'm wondering why do they prefer it there, and if they hang out there are they actually doing any work so to speak? If I push everything away from the lip and make a mound they stay in the bedding and food area. Secondly, I have never had any leachate in the bottom bin, does that mean the bins are too dry? They were a bit dry, I noticed, so I add more water to the food now and the worms seem happy, but as everybody is always talking about leachate, I wondered if it's a problem that there is none. Thanks for your time and advice.
The open bottom results in more airflow and evaporation and less leachate, which I view as a good thing. Excessive moisture in the bottom of traditional worm bins results in a smelly anaerobic mess. That doesn't happen with these bins. I'd rather just use castings instead of potentially anaerobic leachate anyway. I don't think I understand your first question. The worms are in the lower bin?
Thank you for your answer. Sorry I'm not more precise. What I mean is, that when one cuts the bottom of the top bin out there is a lip or rim left, one sees it in your video "how I converted my worm bin to a flow through worm bin" at 3:13. My worms seem to prefer congregating on that rim instead of being inside the bedding and where the food is. I don't get escapists, they just sit out there on that rim instead of where I'd prefer them to be so they can work on the food. If I make sure there is no bedding on the rim they stay in the pile. Hope this is a better explanation. Helle
That's great Kenneth! 37 gallons is quite a bit larger than what I use. I think the top bin in this video is more like 20 to 25 gallons. I think the 37 gallon totes will work fine. Just be aware that they will be VERY heavy when full. Best wishes with your new worm farm!
Hi there. What are your opinions on flow through systems now 4 years later? e.g. are they worth constructing when comparing to non-flow through? Do you still use them? Thanks
@@OneYardRevolution flirting with the idea of building a flow through project in the spring. Also, have you ever dealt with white worms? if so how did you deal with them? I know one of the causes is a low ph environment and that white worms are not really an issue to the composting worms but would like to know that I can get rid of them if I want or need to. Thanks, and hoping you have a productive 2019!
Thanks ***** . These bins don't smell bad at all, and the castings smell pleasant and earthy. I think the air exposure on the bottom makes all the difference. Conventional 2-bin setups can produce very smelly castings, especially at the bottom of the bin. Thanks for stopping by!
I always enjoy your videos, Patrick. I think I have watched all of the vermicomposting videos. I am wondering if you prefer the two-bin flow-through to the single-bin flow through. Also, I would love to hear your perspective on the disadvantages of either system. Thanks. Sue
I think the only thing that keeps yours from being the best of them all is it doesn't have harvester screws like that first tidy cat one did; if you add these to yours then you wouldn't have to scrape it with your fingers would you? oh and does this stink?
Fortunately, the castings don't stink at all. The increased air exposure keeps them from going anaerobic. It's funny that you mentioned the bin with harvesting rods. I also set up a bin with harvesting rods, as shown in this video: ruclips.net/video/CrlBFaz9GeY/видео.html. I haven't harvested castings from it yet, but will make another video when I do. Thanks for stopping by!
I see I'm a little late to the party but... do you think it would have been better to put the harvesting rods in the bottom of the top bin and support it with something else in the bottom bin? I would think that way you could just take the top bin off and dump the castings directly from the bottom bin.
Love the design and have converted 2 bins to this system! I do have one question, will this system work for African and/or European Nightcrawlers? As these tend to go deeper down, I'm not positive how well it will work
Thanks Lark. Since the harvested castings have some worms and cocoons in them, I don't let them dry out. I'll leave the lid off, but make sure to keep them moist. I'll actually be using these castings as part of a seed starting mix. Thanks for watching!
Thanks Rob Bob ! I'm hoping to harvest some castings from the bin with harvesting rods in another month or so. There are fewer worms in that bin, and it's taking them a while to work their magic. Thanks for stopping by!
how did the harvest from the bin with the harvest rods (those were the screws in the PVC, right?) go? was it more efficient than harvesting by hand? ty!! building bins in a couple of days!
Hi Tracey! Yes, the harvesting rods have screws in the PVC. They do make harvesting easier, but the screws might harm some of the worms. You can cover them with tubing to minimize potential harm. This video shows how I set it up: ruclips.net/video/CrlBFaz9GeY/видео.html
Patrick, Just a quick question: I have the same sized bins as yours only I think I may be overcrowding. Presently, I have roughly 3,000 worms (3 lbs) in 2 bins. How many pounds of worms do you recommend per bin? Thanks in advance! ( P.S. I copied your conversion, and it looks great, reduced moisture build up a lot!)
Hi Paul. I'm glad to hear the conversion is working well for you! Good question. I'm not sure if I know precisely, but I think 1,500 to 2,000 worms per bin should work well. I usually start a new bin when the worms are visibly overcrowded and trying to escape despite having plenty of food and bedding. If they aren't trying to escape the bin, then everything should be fine.
*My friend Patrick is the Master at raising worms and harvesting castings* (although he'll likely disagree with me)! If you're looking to garden from a technical perspective...go subscribe to his RUclips channel. *Have you ever composted with worms?* #Composting #Compost #Vermicompost
Thanks Wayne! I guess I do have a technical/analytical way of approaching things. You're right, I'm definitely not the master - still learning like everybody else. Thanks again!
Well done and nice harvest!
Thanks Learn To Grow !
OneYardRevolution
You're welcome!
Very interesting worm bin design. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Jim S !
Thanks Patrick. This is one of those videos that makes me reconsider the standard approach to things - I love that. My worm farm is very new (literally, a few days old). I think I'll attempt a modified version of what you are doing (although I might wait until my worms are breeding nicely - just in case it goes wrong). My little mind is ticking and scheming.
Cool! I look forward to seeing what you come up with.
Thanks, well done. I appreciate especially the professional video work and narration which makes the content so much more watchable.
Thanks Buz Kloot ! I appreciate your encouraging feedback.
Thanks john wylie!
Thank you for this, it is brilliant. I think I may reproduce your work. I love my worms, hate harvesting, I spend way too much time with tiny worms and egg casings. You could set two small litter boxes or aluminum baking trays in the bottom that would make it even easier to pull out the castings, as they would fit out your hole in the front. Because I don't like separating out the compost, I set two bins in my raised garden beds, one out of a five gallon bucket and one with 4" PVC, both fenestrated with many1/4" holes, it is amazing how much better the plants adjacent are doing than the rest of the bed.
I have two questions for you. Is that pumice in your castings? I occasionally have trouble with worms crawling out my drainage holes in the bottom once my bottom bedding has degraded, I think it may be due to excess moisture and some clogged holes, I am unsure. Does this happen with yours? Thank you for your time.
Thanks Jane! Yes, this approach dramatically reduces harvesting time. If there are still some worms and cocoons in the castings, I just leave them there, and they eventually end up in the garden.
It sounds like you basically have a couple of worm towers in your garden. I'm glad to hear the plants around them do well. I'm thinking about adding a couple worm towers to my garden this year too.
To answer your questions, I don't add pumice to the worm bins. Worms sometimes do escape from the bins, but not too many.
Best wishes with your garden this year!
This looks very interesting, thanks for sharing your modifications with us. I just today got my first batch of worms and added them to the standard two-bin system but I'll give serious consideration to your method here.
Thanks, Wayne
Thanks Wayne. Your worms will do fine in a standard two bin setup. Mine did for years. Maybe consider setting up a flow through system when you are ready for your second bin? It will make harvesting castings easier and the castings will be less likely to go anaerobic. Thanks for watching and commenting!
I like that system Patrick. Great video.
Thanks Mr. B!
Great video and worm bin set-up. How do you store your worm casting over the winter?
Thanks Keith! Castings stay in the bins until February, when we start harvesting castings for our potting mix that we use to start plants indoors in winter.
Greetings Patrick. Going to take the dive into worm farming. I have watched so many videos on this and I think I am going to go with your design. Thanks so much for all your informative videos. Blessings, Jim
+Jim Kinson That's great, Jim! I'm glad you like the design. Best wishes with your worm bin!
Brilliant! We just discovered anaerobic reactions in our bin and way too much moisture. Definitely a very helpful video.
Thanks, Linda! I'm glad the video was helpful.
You are a great!
I follow your channel and I learn much from your experience.
Thank you for sharing!
Greetings from North West Italy.
Dario
Thanks Dario!
Hi. :) I don't know if you've made a video about it before (I've tried looking, but can't find one), but do you keep tabs on how much food you produce each year? You probably don't need any more motivation, but I've found that it motivates me to weigh everything I harvest and write it down, to compare to the next year. I've just moved to a warmer climate, so I want to start gardening on a larger scale than before. However, I don't want to start with too much while I'm still new, as it could become more of a chore than a great hobby. Anyway, I've managed to produce around 22 kg of food in 2013, and I'm quite pleased. Hopefully I can double that in 2014! :)
Great job growing 22 kg of food in 2013!
I'd love to know exactly how much food we produce, but I know my wife wouldn't be too happy about weighing all the food she picks. She and I have very different personalities. While I would be excited about weighing the food, she would find it burdensome. So, though I'd like to do it, I know that it wouldn't work out.
That said, I think it's great that you do! It's a great way to monitor your garden's productivity. You could also determine the monetary value of your produce. Best wishes doubling your yield in 2014!
OneYardRevolution
Thanks! :)
Oh, that's too bad, but I guess if one feels gardening becoming burdensome, then it would be very demotivational in the long run, and we don't want that! I've been there, done that... It even made me stop gardening for a few years!
_"You could also determine the monetary value of your produce."_
That's a great idea! I will do that in 2014. :)
I am glad that this worked out for you. I have the old style you had and everything that you talk about is true. I love this design. A must do for us.
Yeah, I like the flow-through bins much better. I have 5 like the one shown in this video, plus another one with harvesting rods.
If you set one up, please let me know how you like it. Thanks for stopping by!
That method makes a lot of sense. I am finding that my worm bin gets a little more moist than I think is desirable. I am going to try your system. Thanks so much for the tip.
Please let me know how you like the flow-through bin if you set one up, or better yet make a video!
I will.
Great video, in the future would like to try building my own bins. Will watch the other video on how to make one. Beautiful castings-dark and rich color.
Thanks RuralintheUrban ! Your system should serve your needs very well. You can always add more trays, right? Thanks for stopping by!
Booklet states I can add trays up to 7 trays-may order more worms this week.
very nice! i love the harvesting of worm castings, just so fulfilling! you did a terrific job on this!
Thanks Luke! With this design, I don't mind harvesting castings at all. It's very quick, the castings aren't soggy, they don't smell bad, and I don't have to separate the castings from the worms, food, and bedding. Pretty easy!
Thanks allot 1YR, love the vids very cool, my garden is improving allot, you rock.
You're very welcome Gil! I'm glad to hear your garden is improving and appreciate your kind words. Happy gardening!
You could get all the worm leachate by having a sloping plastic bag tied to a glass bottle. All the leachate would collect into the bottle, and then when you are ready to harvest the castings, just untie the plastic bag, remove the bottle, and let the casting drop down.
Early on in your video, it looked like you were using the Worm Inn flow through composting system. How did you like that setup? Why did you switch over to a Rubbermaid conversion?
I love the Worm Inn. It inspired me to convert my Rubbermaid bins over to flow-through systems. Currently, I have 1 Worm Inn, 6 Rubbermaid flow-through bins, and 1 standard Rubbermaid worm bin.
Wow-- sounds like you're going to have plenty of worm castings! As for the Worm Inn, how much does it produce? I've read a few reviews and was thinking about purchasing it. Either that or the Worm Factory 360. Love your videos.
OhHowHappyGardener The Worm Inn works great. The castings are high quality and easy to harvest. I've never tried the Worm Factory before, but it seems like a very good design.
So after 3 months the bags are basically compost. You then dump the rest (worms/non castings) into another bin to replace the bags/start again? Or are the bags just used one time to fire up the bin initially?
The bags were just used to get things started. From here on out, I'll just add food and bedding on top and harvest castings from below. The castings clump together, which prevents them from falling into the lower bin on their own. This setup makes harvesting castings a breeze! Thanks for stopping by!
Mr. Savage we will have to convert some bins to do the same ! This system rocks !!
***** I'm thinking much larger scale out at parents place. Those Rubbermaid containers sure are great though!
OneYardRevolution Thanks!
Keep me informed !
Split some poly tubing and slip it over the top edge of your harvesting hole to protect your arm.
I have read that 20 - 24" in depth is the de facto standard for flow through depth to keep worms out of the harvested material.
Worked out well. Great results and update. But I do wish you would stop giving me ideas lol. Just kidding. Dave ;-)
Sorry Dave. I guess I better postpone my video on the flow-through worm bin with harvesting rods. :D
;-)
Beautiful chorus effect in the beginning
Thanks!
I'm sold - nice harvest too! I'm using the standard 2 bin system now, and I have the same concerns. I'm going to switch to this design....ASAP. Thanks Patrick.
That's great to hear Paul D ! I'm very happy with mine, and I've dramatically cut the time I spend harvesting castings. Best wishes with your conversion!
Very cool! Need one of these one day
Thanks Brandon. It turned out very well!
Hello.. what happens once the two paper bags break down. Does it have to be replaced?
Great question. Fortunately, the paper bags don't have to be replaced. By the time they break down, the castings have clumped together under the weight of all the material in the bin. Though a small amount of castings might fall down on their own, for the most part they just sit in place until they're ready to be harvested. Thanks for stopping by!
¡¡¡LIKE!!! :)
I like your sistem, Patrick,in spanish we call it "vermicompostera", and your sistem is the good one for my baby whorms. Thank you!!
Great video there and info Patrick, I currently just have the Worm Farm Factory style 4 levels and seeing how well these are coming along might try out this method when I transfer some of my ever growing population of Worms, as I do collect the Worm tea from the Worm farm, Thanks and Cheers :-)
Thanks George Stephen ! I've never had a Worm Factory, but it looks like a very good system. I think you'll like the flow through system if you decide to try it when you are ready to expand. Thanks for stopping by!
how long does it take for worms to make castings if i used food waste only? is it dependant on weather as well? and can i use earth worms or do red wrigglers do a better job? my compost bin is full of earth worms, think for a handful of compost i can count 20 worms at least (think its the rock dust). at the moment i mix my food waste with grass and dried out weeds but i can see that food is taking longer to break down
In addition to food waste, red wigglers need some carbonaceous material like shredded paper or autumn leaves. You could have your first castings harvest 3 months or so after setting up a bin. Earthworms are soil dwellers, so they wouldn't do well in a bin that is nothing but rotting food waste and paper. But red wigglers would be very much at home. Thanks for watching!
Love the flow through design! I've heard the phrase, just never seen the real concept. I think trays may soon be a thing of my past.
Thanks Medi Kouhai . I'm glad you like the design!
Hi, I've just re-watched your flow-through worm bin videos. Last winter I made two flow-through bins following your design and I'm generally very happy with them. I do have some questions, if that's all right. First, if I spread the bedding and food all over the surface of the bin the worms like to congregate on the lips of the lower bin, thereby not staying where the food and the bedding is, is that a problem? I'm wondering why do they prefer it there, and if they hang out there are they actually doing any work so to speak? If I push everything away from the lip and make a mound they stay in the bedding and food area. Secondly, I have never had any leachate in the bottom bin, does that mean the bins are too dry? They were a bit dry, I noticed, so I add more water to the food now and the worms seem happy, but as everybody is always talking about leachate, I wondered if it's a problem that there is none. Thanks for your time and advice.
The open bottom results in more airflow and evaporation and less leachate, which I view as a good thing. Excessive moisture in the bottom of traditional worm bins results in a smelly anaerobic mess. That doesn't happen with these bins. I'd rather just use castings instead of potentially anaerobic leachate anyway.
I don't think I understand your first question. The worms are in the lower bin?
Thank you for your answer. Sorry I'm not more precise. What I mean is, that when one cuts the bottom of the top bin out there is a lip or rim left, one sees it in your video "how I converted my worm bin to a flow through worm bin" at 3:13. My worms seem to prefer congregating on that rim instead of being inside the bedding and where the food is. I don't get escapists, they just sit out there on that rim instead of where I'd prefer them to be so they can work on the food. If I make sure there is no bedding on the rim they stay in the pile. Hope this is a better explanation.
Helle
Just ordered 4,000 red wiggles... What size tote do you recommend? I was thinking about going with the 37 gallon totes.
That's great Kenneth!
37 gallons is quite a bit larger than what I use. I think the top bin in this video is more like 20 to 25 gallons. I think the 37 gallon totes will work fine. Just be aware that they will be VERY heavy when full. Best wishes with your new worm farm!
You are very good at these demo videos OYR! Happy worms = great TEA!!!
Chuck
Thanks Chuck!
Hi there. What are your opinions on flow through systems now 4 years later? e.g. are they worth constructing when comparing to non-flow through? Do you still use them? Thanks
Hi Pat! I definitely prefer the flow-through system. Harvesting is much easier and castings don't get wet and anaerobic.
@@OneYardRevolution flirting with the idea of building a flow through project in the spring.
Also, have you ever dealt with white worms? if so how did you deal with them? I know one of the causes is a low ph environment and that white worms are not really an issue to the composting worms but would like to know that I can get rid of them if I want or need to. Thanks, and hoping you have a productive 2019!
I am very glad your system is working !! Does it send off a smell?
Thanks ***** . These bins don't smell bad at all, and the castings smell pleasant and earthy. I think the air exposure on the bottom makes all the difference. Conventional 2-bin setups can produce very smelly castings, especially at the bottom of the bin. Thanks for stopping by!
I will have to see if I can find two bins to use !!
How many worm bins does it take to fill up a 6 gallon bucket and how long did you wait for harvests? Awesome stuff!
+TheMonumentOfGrowth Thanks! 500 to 1,000 should be enough to get started. There should be castings to harvest within a few months.
She asked about number of BINS. I think you mention that there are 3 bins in operation.
I always enjoy your videos, Patrick. I think I have watched all of the vermicomposting videos. I am wondering if you prefer the two-bin flow-through to the single-bin flow through. Also, I would love to hear your perspective on the disadvantages of either system. Thanks. Sue
Hi Sue! I definitely prefer the 2 bin flow-through setup. It makes harvesting easier and increases airflow in the system.
I think the only thing that keeps yours from being the best of them all is it doesn't have harvester screws like that first tidy cat one did; if you add these to yours then you wouldn't have to scrape it with your fingers would you? oh and does this stink?
Fortunately, the castings don't stink at all. The increased air exposure keeps them from going anaerobic. It's funny that you mentioned the bin with harvesting rods. I also set up a bin with harvesting rods, as shown in this video: ruclips.net/video/CrlBFaz9GeY/видео.html. I haven't harvested castings from it yet, but will make another video when I do. Thanks for stopping by!
I see I'm a little late to the party but... do you think it would have been better to put the harvesting rods in the bottom of the top bin and support it with something else in the bottom bin? I would think that way you could just take the top bin off and dump the castings directly from the bottom bin.
That should definitely work too.
Love the design and have converted 2 bins to this system! I do have one question, will this system work for African and/or European Nightcrawlers? As these tend to go deeper down, I'm not positive how well it will work
Thanks, Jerry! Yes, I think it should work, but you may find more of the worms in the collection area when you harvest.
Great job, Patrick. Do you let your castings dry out or keep the lid on the bucket so they stay moist?
Thanks Lark. Since the harvested castings have some worms and cocoons in them, I don't let them dry out. I'll leave the lid off, but make sure to keep them moist. I'll actually be using these castings as part of a seed starting mix. Thanks for watching!
Nice casting harvest Patrick..How long until the bin with the harvesting rods will be ready to harvest?
Cheers sir :)
Thanks Rob Bob ! I'm hoping to harvest some castings from the bin with harvesting rods in another month or so. There are fewer worms in that bin, and it's taking them a while to work their magic.
Thanks for stopping by!
how did the harvest from the bin with the harvest rods (those were the screws in the PVC, right?) go? was it more efficient than harvesting by hand? ty!! building bins in a couple of days!
Hi Tracey! Yes, the harvesting rods have screws in the PVC. They do make harvesting easier, but the screws might harm some of the worms. You can cover them with tubing to minimize potential harm. This video shows how I set it up: ruclips.net/video/CrlBFaz9GeY/видео.html
See my comment about the depth of the composting area.
Patrick, Just a quick question: I have the same sized bins as yours only I think I may be overcrowding. Presently, I have roughly 3,000 worms (3 lbs) in 2 bins. How many pounds of worms do you recommend per bin? Thanks in advance! ( P.S. I copied your conversion, and it looks great, reduced moisture build up a lot!)
Hi Paul. I'm glad to hear the conversion is working well for you!
Good question. I'm not sure if I know precisely, but I think 1,500 to 2,000 worms per bin should work well. I usually start a new bin when the worms are visibly overcrowded and trying to escape despite having plenty of food and bedding. If they aren't trying to escape the bin, then everything should be fine.
Sounds like a good rule of thumb. Thanks!
have you experienced any issues with rodents? rats? anything that tries to come after the worms?
Rodents might bother the bins if we had them outside, but we keep them in our basement.
*My friend Patrick is the Master at raising worms and harvesting castings* (although he'll likely disagree with me)!
If you're looking to garden from a technical perspective...go subscribe to his RUclips channel.
*Have you ever composted with worms?*
#Composting #Compost #Vermicompost
Thanks Wayne! I guess I do have a technical/analytical way of approaching things. You're right, I'm definitely not the master - still learning like everybody else. Thanks again!
Do you have an email? I'd like to show you a picture of the worm bin I just finished! Worms are in the mail!
Sure - oneyardrevolution@gmail.com. I look forward to seeing your bin!
R