Reuqest for pics of your vermicomposting system

[Joe n TN]

I really want to get into vermicomposting, but don't feel I know enough yet to start. Any, and all, pictures of your system would be appreciated. Build pics, when you first started, one year pics, separating worms, etc...

I love gardening, found rabbits and gardens to be natural compliments to each other and would like to use both to help produce some "black gold" to help the entire system.

I have been thinking about trying to set-up something outdoors, in the ground, but can use any suggestions you all have. OBTW, I live in zone 7a, if that helps.

Joe

 

[Lizardslaps]

I have not found a way to separate the worms from the dirt other than just not caring and tossing the whole mess into a pot

However I found in my way of doing it is dont put a worm bed under the bunny's shovel the poop into the worm bed dont really matter how deep my 3 worm beds are about 6inches deep I personally would make them about 18 or so inches If I could do it again.

Dont lay the beds flat on the ground raised up sitting on cinder blocks would be way better and slanted as well with a small hole in the end to collect the worm pee Iv heard worm pee is basically compost tea but dont go bad

My Idea I had was 3 beds about 4x4 I have not figured out a way to flip them effectively(thought of wood but probably get nasty quick) but I would take 1/2 the dirt from each of the 3 beds and flip them into the other beds and mix it up good.Only because I dont Want to shovel it after a while sticking a shovel or hoe into a worm bed basically becomes worm genocide

In the 10 months I have had rabbits and worm beds going It took about 7months for my 1 lb of worms to make my worm beds solid worm to the point of they would consume the bunny poop and waste pellets as fast as they were produced (also made the dirt toxic with bunny pee in that time to)


You can try one of those big blue barrels and just get it like 1/2 full of bunny poop and some worms but you have to leave the lid off and be very careful about how much water you put in it. but keep the worms out of the sun and not covered in snow and they will be fine

I put no effort at all at the worms I have (red wigglers) other than an occasional watering and they 2x every 90 days
last people who bought bunny's from me I gave them a huge cooler full of worms and dirt from my beds and you can hardly tell I did anything to it at all


Sorry If i just confused you It would be better If I could show you what I mean

__________ Tue Oct 30, 2012 11:47 am __________

double post for seperation this is my set up just some wood screwed together and a blue tarp I cut to size underneath

2 of these 4x2 and 1 8x2

reason I say dont do it like this and yes its every bit as nasty as it looks I dont touch anything there without some rubbergloves on

 

[Mickey328]

I haven't started with mine yet, but plan to use plastic totes with tiny holes drilled in the bottom and sitting on wood blocks in a tray to catch the moisture. To harvest, you can dump the bin on a tarp in a sort of cone shape...the worms don't like the light and will burrow toward the center. You can then scrap the outer compost off, wait till they burrow deeper and scrape again. You do have to keep an eye out for the cocoons so you keep them if you want to increase your worm population. I don't plan to actually use the rabbit poo since it goes straight on the garden. I'll use shredded damp newspaper for the bedding and just feed them our kitchen veggie scraps.

 

[tm_bunnyloft]

aren't red worms really good for gardens?

 

[Lizardslaps]

they are they stay near the surface and compost dead material

Im gonna have to give that cone idea a try I hadn't thought to do that

my worms took all of 30seconds to plan and another 2min to build and learned my lesson later

 

[Mickey328]

Any worms are good for the soil, but the Red Wigglers are the ones used specifically for Vermicomposting. They wouldn't survive our winters here so we'll be growing them in the house.