Harvesting Vermicompost

[sly2kusa]

Great video, but why not use some gloves instead of a small shovel? Isn't that kinda risky to the worms?

[dprimetime69]

gread vids - but leaving a florescent light on for 2 days to scare away the worms is far from eco-conscious

[drbcrooks]

Thanks. I agree, consider being a little more concise.

[specialk22tt]

Thanks for the tip but you could have made a 30-sec video and saved me 5 minutes.

[ThreeEyedTeddyBear]

something I have yet to see in any of the videos I've looked up past adding the wet newspaper or what ever you would do you water the bin / spritz it or do you just set it and forget it as far as water goes?

Also have to say so far I like your way of harvesting of the ones i've seen so far

[TheCompostGuy]

@ThreeEyedTeddyBear - with an enclosed plastic bin there generally isn't any need to add water once it is set up. Food waste contains enough water to keep things wet. In fact, over time these types of bins tend to become pretty soggy if you keep a lid on most of the time. One of the downsides of this approach.

[ThreeEyedTeddyBear]

@TheCompostGuy then do you suggest opening the lid now and again? also planning on doing this inside cause outside i think might have too much sun contact for it

[TheCompostGuy]

@ThreeEyedTeddyBear - yeah, that's a good idea. If you happen to be around during daylight hours at all (even if it's just the weekends), leaving the lid off (with a thick layer of bedding at the top) should help to reduce moisture for sure.

[ThreeEyedTeddyBear]

@TheCompostGuy

Is moisture a big problem if there are drain holes at the bottom? my main focus now that I got it all working is to not kill the worms

[TheCompostGuy]

@ThreeEyedTeddyBear - generally, you should be ok with drainage holes (even without them). Worms are really tolerant of wet conditions. If you do notice things getting really wet it may indicate that your holes are plugged up

[BigBluHaze]

@TheCompostGuy

Hey great video!! Just trying to harvest my first worm bin and

there is so much moisture and I was wondering if this is how

it's meant to be?Will it still be andy good Should I be putting

dirt or soil improver in with

the worms as well as food waste? Thanks!

[TheCompostGuy]

@BigBluHaze - moisture is a common issue with enclosed bins. I recommend checking out the harvesting section on my "hot topics" page (Red Worm Composting website) - you will see some approaches geared towards wet bins. Davids tub method might be appropriate for you. Also, it might not be a bad idea for you to simply dump it out in a shallow tray and let it dry (make sure to keep breaking it up) for awhile

[TheCompostGuy]

@BigBluHaze - by the way, you should absolutely be adding some sort of "bedding" type of material apart from food wastes since it will help to soak up excess moisture, improve air flow and balance C:N ratio. Things like shredded cardboard, shredded newsprint etc can work well

[BigBluHaze]

@TheCompostGuy

[thedontletthemchange]

i see johny bravo at 4:24

[TripleEyedGemini]

again, where are the worm castings

[ThreeEyedTeddyBear]

@TripleEyedGemini You see all that dirt that the worms are in?

thar's not dirt... that's worm poo

[bostonbitch]

great video thanks

[banannaswiirl]

can u use any type of worm?

[TheCompostGuy]

@banannaswiirl - I would definitely recommend using one of the composting species. Red Worms are my number one pick for sure

[SparreyJoy]

Me again! Thanks for all your help and sharing your knowledge!!!!! You are awesome! Another question...lots of moisture in bin with worms in it now...so much that when I take the lid off there's a little puddle on the floor from the lid- but I added dry bedding to top to try to help. BUt odd thing is there's nothing in resovior bin- nothing draining. Is that OK or do you think that after worms have been there for a week that there should be liquid draining out?

[TheCompostGuy]

@SparreyJoy - It is very normal to have lots of condensation in a plastic system. You may want to leave the lid off for a few hours here and there if you want to reduce that a bit - but as long as the contents themselves are not sopping wet and/or there is pooling the the bottom of the bin (not applicable in your case since you have a reservoir) you should be ok.

[sophiaSAYSyeahhhh]

hi its kevin again is keeping your worm in the garage good and can yoiu compost during winter also

[TheCompostGuy]

Hi Kevin,

As long as your garage doesn't get too hot during the summer you should be fine. With enough insulation and food material, it is fairly easy to compost with worms during the winter - but generally you will need a larger system in order to provide ongoing microbial heating

[TheCompostGuy]

Hi Kevin,

20 holes seems like overkill to me - hopefully they are pretty small in diameter. What you may find is that some worms crawl out (if you have a reservoir bin below).

[sophiaSAYSyeahhhh]

hi my name is kevin im on my sisters account um i put like 20 someodd holes in the bottom of my binn for my science project is 20 holes to many or is it okay PLZ RESPOND TO MY QUESTION THANKS

[javieradrianchomer]

Can the worms grow within the compost without having to actually add them?

[mcgumaur]

That would be called spontaneous generation.

[sev07pass]

Thank you compost guy for sharing your knowledge, people like you make the world a better place. Keep up the good work.

[suzyjjames]

brilliant

[TheCompostGuy]

Interesting question - I actually keep most of my indoor bins in a room that has some fluorescent lighting on all the time. Generally, if the worms are happy in their habitat this shouldn't be a concern. Also - a nice thick layer of dry bedding on top should help as well.

As for pointing you in the direction of an open system - literally all I mean is leave your lid off whatever type of bin you have. I also use shallow open tubs and something called a "Worm Inn"

[WoundedEgo]

Like yours, my worm bins never seem to become powder like others I've seen. I'm wondering if we are either overfeeding them or keeping them too wet.

[TheCompostGuy]

This is simply a product of the type of system being used. A rubbermaid type of tub with a lid on just won't produce the nice crumbly castings that an open tub, or flow-through type of system will. I don't even really use this type of worm bin anymore. Most of mine are open systems now.

Overfeeding and keeping them too wet can certainly contribute - and moisture is the key. If it can't evaporate or drain it has no place to go.

[WoundedEgo]

Don't the worms wander out at night?

Can you point me to an open type? I may be able to convert my Rubbermaid bins open type. I'm not pleased with the mush.

[xyugi0007]

The worms seriously go through the holes you poked? How do they even find them? And how long does it take for all of them to go into the holes?

[TheCompostGuy]

Yessiree! Worms seem to have a very keen sense of smell (or something comparable since they don't have noses the way we do). With a light shining over top it really doesn't take all that long at all - a matter of hours.

[hombrelupa]

It seems a lot easier to place the plastic over the old bin. Flit it over, and place the plastic with the old stuff in to the new bin. Instead of transferring the worms with the tool, and risking injure to the worms with the tool.

[TheCompostGuy]

Yeah - not sure why I used a hand trowel in this case. I would normally use a small hand rake to loosen the material and my hands to transfer it.

[WoundedEgo]

If you don't have any wounds, vinegar cuts the smell of the worm poop better than soap.

[daddygreenjeens]

thanks for the post! much easier technique from what I currently do.

[CRDLIBERTY]

drive fish crazy

[rockthedrums4life]

worms,wtf why would u do that as a hobby

grow mushrooms or buds or play music wtf worms doooood

[TheCompostGuy]

Try it - you might be surprised. It can also help you grow LOTS of other stuff :-)

[LazeLame]

how long it takes?

[Bongosmania]

Also, the smaller the bedding articles, the faster they'll discompose. I found carton pieces way to big in new bin. Loved your idea of separating with holed garbage bag. Question: What will it happen to tiny baby worms and eggs? Baby worms will migrate to the bottom I guess, but the eggs? How big are they? will I be able to see them?

[rileannas]

You can definitely see eggs, they're about the size of a pin head. Pictures are available on the Red Worm Composting blog. I wouldn't worry about picking out all the little eggs though, it'll take much longer than it's worth. The worms can lay more eggs without any distinguishable loss in the population.

[Bongosmania]

I see a lot of people using those metal hand tools to move/remove the worms off their bin. I find this could hurt the worms by brake in them in two or more. They will not reform again as many people think, these are not earth worms. I don't mind tossing/moving/removing my worms w/bare hands, but if ppl don't like the feeling of moving worms, I recommend using latex gloves, like those used by physicians.

[rileannas]

I believe latex gloves or balloons are compostable, as they're just sap from a rubber tree. Have you tried composting latex?

[foundreality]

how fast do your worms reproduce?

do you know how long it takes for them to double in good condition?

nice vid. Useful vid!

thanks

[rileannas]

Anywhere from 4-6 months can be their doubling time, but it depends on the system.

[friedmainframe]

yes I noticed a dramatic increase in production after 6 months.

[dannyothman]

owh, i get it, so basically the worms just move down through the black plastic bag by exposing them under the florescent light. by the way, do red worms live among garden worms? in my country, there is no place that sells worms so i don't even know if red worms do exist here. im from Borneo island

[jamdolce]

Danny, from what I've read red worms can't survive in tropical climates. So, from what I THINK I know of Borneo, you probably aren't going to find any.

[andayamartin]

Your bin is too moist... mushy.... not healthy for the worms.... your worms don't look too happy....

[TheCompostGuy]

The worms were in great shape, believe it or not. Very vigorous and lively, with lots of cocoons and young worms. Studies have shown that they actually prefer very wet conditions. As long as they can get some oxygen, the wetter the better. :-)

[TheCompostGuy]

It usually takes at least a couple months before your bin is ready for harvesting. I left my harvester over the new bin for a number of days, but really you'd likely get most of the worms out in less than 24 hours - especially if the materials in the lower bin were really appealing.

If you are using a plastic tub vermicomposting system, you will likely have to dry the castings out - some of the material at the bottom may even need to be composted for longer.

[mtkleo1]

how long do u wait after u get the bin started and the worms in so that the castings is prime to harvest? how long does it usually take to get all the worms through the holes and in the new bin? and do you have to dry the castings completely in order to sift and be able to use. i am thinking about starting one to sell the castings to family and friends and these are just a couple of questions. thanks

[TheCompostGuy]

Apologies for the poor cinematography folks - it didn't exactly help that the battery on the camera ran out at the end either! :-)