Red Wiggler Worms

[johnpma]

Anyone here use these worms in their compost bins? Looking at adding some to assist in the break down of my compost.

[berkshires]

Yep. A vermicompost bin wants pretty different conditions to a standard compost pile, though. The conditions that make a good compost pile (e.g. high heat) will kill all the worms. That said, a good vermicompost bin will eat through your scraps way faster than standard compost. Once you make a happy home for the worms, it's amazing how fast, and how much they can chow down!

[johnpma]

Yep. A vermicompost bin wants pretty different conditions to a standard compost pile, though. The conditions that make a good compost pile (e.g. high heat) will kill all the worms. That said, a good vermicompost bin will eat through your scraps way faster than standard compost. Once you make a happy home for the worms, it's amazing how fast, and how much they can chow down!

So a cool moist bed is best for these little buggers?

[berkshires]

Yep. They also need air, so you need holes above and below (but design the bin carefully or the worms will escape!), and bedding below to facilitate drainage. And they need drainage, or the bedding will get too wet and they'll drown and everything will rot. I know, they sound very particular, and I guess they kind of are. I massacred quite a few before I got my systems dialed. But once you figure it out, they'll reproduce like crazy and gobble everything up fast!

There are some good designs out on the web. I think I might've gotten mine from a little book called "Worms Eat My Garbage".

I actually am about to make a new one - I had no garden for a few years and gave away all mine. Now I'm recreating them.

Let me know if you have any specific questions.

Cheers,

Gabe