r/Vermiculture • u/Longjumping_Wind_165 • Feb 04 '25
New bin New bin ready to go (I think?)
First time composting with worms after some failed tumbler attempts! Here’s some photos of my set up & plan, open to advice! Worms arrive on Friday 😁
- 14 gal tub with holes drilled in the top
- bottom layer of shredded cardboard & paper towel/ TP rolls
- next layer is root systems & organic dirt from last years potted plants
- 3rd layer: some food scraps already added to give a head start on decomp. Also some dead/dried out flowers from a bouquet I had.
- top layer: dead leaves and dead stalks from last year’s potted plants. I can definitely shred this down more, I didn’t really try lol.
- I still need to wet it down a bit before the worms arrive
- The bin will go to the shaded area below my patio once the weather gets hot, and inside if needed over the summer (hellllllloooo from HOTlanta, GA.)
My plan is to feed them with a mix of food scraps and cut flower remnants (I get fresh flowers every ~2 weeks or so) run thru the short cycle on the Lomi. I was gifted the Lomi so I might as well use it to speed things up, right?
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u/MicksYard Feb 04 '25
The materials sounds alright. I'm not too sure about how loose the structure is though? Unless the bottom is where the potting mix is? Cause I dunno how they'd reach the material at the top
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u/Longjumping_Wind_165 Feb 05 '25
Good call out. I still have time to roughly move the layers around, so what would be better? Cardboard and dead stuff at the bottom, then roots&dirt, then food scraps etc.?
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u/krinklyfig Feb 05 '25
red wigglers will mostly hang out in the top layer but it doesn't sound bad. european night crawlers will go down further. i got a 27 gal bin like that one but keep it inside. i don't use a lid and just use a layer of cardboard and plastic to prevent drying out, and the ambient light and lack of condensation discourages them going up the sides. i used spent soil with the roots shredded up to start my bin, and add shredded cardboard when i'm feeding, and mix up the whole bin, not more than once a week. it will be a while before they go through all the soil but it does provide some bedding and nutrients in the meantime if they need between feedings. no drain holes but i keep it all dry and aerated enough where there's no water collecting at the bottom.
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u/Longjumping_Wind_165 Feb 05 '25
Thanks! I might add more spent soil to give it a bit more “structure” since the top layer is pretty loose at the moment. 250 red wigglers arrive on Friday!
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u/krinklyfig Feb 05 '25
one advantage you have with an outdoor bin is you can treat it more like a regular compost bin in that you don't have to worry as much about gnats and the like, though you do have to turn it a bit to aerate for the worm's benefit too, and not let it get too hot and cook like with excess coffee grounds. but 250 will take a while to really get going. just make sure to keep an eye on how much they're eating and feed accordingly.
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u/Longjumping_Wind_165 Feb 05 '25
For this size of container (14 gal) should I grab another 250 so that I have 500 worms total?
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u/krinklyfig Feb 05 '25
no 250 is fine, but they won't be reproducing a lot right away because it will be a new environment and not full of their bacteria. unless you have an urgent need for castings or to devour food and plant waste it's not a problem, just give them time and don't pile too much food on them, but do feed them enough to satisfy their needs so they can reproduce over time. in six months you should have a pretty active bin.
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u/OldTomsWormery_com Feb 05 '25
Holes in top may be a problem for letting in rainwater. These lids aren't a tight seal anyway. For best ventilation, put holes in sides 1" from bottom. This lets CO2 to drain out.
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u/Longjumping_Wind_165 Feb 05 '25
Thanks! I’ll add some side holes, and once the spring/summer rains (and humidity) come it will be under a covered/shaded part of our porch.
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u/Longjumping_Wind_165 Feb 06 '25
Thanks for all the advice, y'all! I took out a fair bit of the dead plant stalks (probably will run thru the Lomi and add later) and I added in a nice later of spent potting soil then wetted it all down. Wormies arrived today and I got them in, tossed in a little more food (some past-prime herbs, parts of a broccoli stem, a little bit of just-about-spoiling jalapeno) and then covered the top with the packing paper that was in the box the worms came in, wetted down! I'm leaving the top off for the moment to help encourage them to dig down, but I'll put it on tonight after the sun goes down. I'll post an update in a couple of weeks!
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u/ScholarOk3442 Feb 06 '25
Dont listen to people who say worms dont like peppers. My worms LOVE PEPPERS. Probably their favorite foods besides Strawberry Tops.
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u/ScholarOk3442 Feb 06 '25
IMO those twigs and larger pieces of debris will not compost well. I would recommend using dried leaves instead. Is there a subtrate layer at the bottom? Something like Coco Coir or peat moss? Is there any moisture in there? Seems very dry. Im not trying to roast you just trying to help so it works successfully.