Below are some of the items I use for vermicomposting & my channel's videos. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you if you use these links. Thank you for supporting this channel! Worm Bins I use: Vermihut 5-Tray Worm Compost Bin amzn.to/3Xs1eGe Urban Worm Bag V2 amzn.to/3XE9QsT 20 Gallon Fabric Grow Pots amzn.to/3EBYhdr 3 gallon Rubbermaid Roughneck tote amzn.to/3eKDLhO Other Worm Bins: Worm Factory 360 3-Tray Version amzn.to/3AHnjqK Worm Factory 360 5-Tray Version amzn.to/3tYfWY4 Bus bins amzn.to/3fd8AvP Equipment I use: 12 Sheet Cross Cut Micro Shredder (I use it to shred cardboard) amzn.to/3xYZKYu Magic Bullet Small Blender (to pulverize egg shells) amzn.to/3gwEzb4 Indoor Outdoor Wireless Thermometer for worm bin amzn.to/3wIdXbO Additional thermometer sensors 433 MHz amzn.to/41juD7v Please make sure Thermometer & sensor are the same MHz Additional thermometer sensors 915MHz amzn.to/3WTFgua Please make sure Thermometer & sensor are the same MHz Kitchen scale to weigh worms & food: amzn.to/3HnOQjg Blue gloves amzn.to/3XsBg5n Digital handheld Thermometer amzn.to/3EWfC2j Compost Tea Bags amzn.to/3fCb5o1 Solar powered light amzn.to/3nOucAq Reusable Keurig Coffee K-cups amzn.to/3FNXvt6 Other useful equipment for worm farming: 5 stackable sifter with different sized mesh: amzn.to/3S2k184 Cameras & camera equipment I use: GoPro HERO11 amzn.to/3jkRpLa Flexible Tripod amzn.to/3CGTjcF Insta360 GO 2 camera amzn.to/3oxCc80 Insta360 One X2 camera amzn.to/3nqV6hp iPhone 13 Max Pro amzn.to/3nq52aU Canon EOS Rebel T8i amzn.to/3HcBuX6 4 Ocean bracelets I wear Multiple colors to chose from bracelets amzn.to/3HMbHEx Books on worms & worm farming Worms Eat My Garbage amzn.to/3L4FXN2 Where to buy worms: www.TheGardenAndWormLady.com
@@Grumpah 😂Vermicomposting is addicting for me! If it wasn't for my wife restraining me I'd probably have 10 bins or more : D I think you're gonna really like the Vermihut!! Worm Towers are really neat systems. Thanks for stopping by to watch!!🪱🪱🪱
Moving a finished bottom tray to the top and leaving it uncovered with frequent mixing will get worms to move down into the working tray. It also dries out the castings for sifting.
That is awesome advice I hope a lot of people read here! Another commenter had offered similar advice so I gave it a try starting toward the end of this video ua-cam.com/video/bXosUkhhVV4/v-deo.html and giving the results towards the beginning of this video ua-cam.com/video/290gFn0g7U0/v-deo.html It was a total game changer! No worms in my castings and I only had to agitate for a total of three times for about a minute each. I agitated once every 15 minutes. Thanks for the tip and for watching!!!🪱🪱🪱
That is what i do! Works great! Put the harvesting tray on top with the lid off. Put a small plastic on top because the microbs must have a bit of moist too. But no worms after some time they dive down into the feeding tray beneath it
I think I have the answer to separating worms from the castings you want to harvest from a tray system. The trays make it easy! Move the tray to be harvested on top instead of bottom and keep it uncovered. Put your bright light over that open tray, and do traditional light harvesting. The worms will move out through the bottom. Keep stirring every 15 minutes. When they have pretty much left, scoop the castings into a regular tub with side air holes, and bait out any that remain with one side of a banana peel, every 5 days, promptly, for about 2 weeks. Then store the castings for a month, baiting out babies after 2 or 3 weeks. Now use the castings in your garden, or store.
That is a fantastic idea and I'm definitely gonna try it next time I harvest. A couple folks suggested something similar with putting the bottom tray on top so it sounds like you all have figured out a good technique. Now that I think about it, I may have caused some of the worms found in the bottom bin in this video to go down there as I was "playing" with the trays above it. Thanks for watching, commenting, and sharing your tips!🪱🪱🪱
Having watched a whole bunch of your videos and checked out some of the links I’ve just realised that my 4-tray system, which is produced in the U.K., has a far greater capacity than the Vermihut. 100L vs 40L, 4 trays vs 5. I had the impression I might have been feeding too much but the larger system can obviously take more food. Really like the way you manage the trays with 2 bedding trays on the bottom, a next harvest tray then the feeding tray on top. I’m in the process of replicating it but it will take a while before it’s running properly as I need to alternate the top 2 trays until the harvest tray is mature enough. Thanks for sharing your knowledge! Appreciate it.
I think I've seen a system that may be like yours produced by VermiTek (the same company that produces my VermiHut) and it does look larger!! If your worms have reproduced to fill the capacity of it, then you could definitely feed as much or more than what I feed my 6000 worms in here!! This is a little bit of an older video so I don't think I had started the "new" way I manage the trays...it is a game changer!!! Putting the dry bedding in a tray and starting it on the bottom prevents the liquid from getting into the basin and helps inoculate the dry bedding...win/win for sure!! Thanks so much for watching my videos!! I really appreciate the kind words and support!!🪱🪱🪱
Thank you! It helps me learn what is going right or wrong with the experiments in my bins and helps me know when harvest time may be coming. I appreciate your support, thanks for watching!🪱🪱🪱
I finally divided my single tote into a 3 tote tower. In the process I ended up dumping the whole thing onto the floor…the water that ran out was clear which is different than what I’ve seen in videos. This will be the first winter with a layered worm house. This winte I’m learning all over again how much to feed and which level gets room service and which level needs housekeeping based on more worms than I started with. Thanks for this video.
😂 I like the way you put that "which level gets room service....which needs housekeeping" hilarious!!! In my experience the tower systems (with a lid) really help to keep the moisture at the right levels for what the worms like without the fear of having too much water because it just drains out. I look forward to hearing how it works out for you & the worms! Thanks for watching letting us know what you're doing with your systems!!🪱🪱🪱I learn so much from other peoples' experiences.
Lol, I asked the exact same thing on a longform video we started yesterday. "100% pure castings", how ??? Lol Amazing to see them all the way through the whole system!! Has to be the 6,400 holes, give or take ;) Perfect moisture Brother, parameters = NAILED IT !! If you get time, have a look at the 15:40 mark, bottom right - they're (10 or so worms) are moving in symphony!!! Must be engineered that way to stay moist, self preservation is so cool !!!! Let's go!! Cheers J&C 🪱🌱🪱🤜🤛
Great minds think alike!! 6,400 holes but who's counting!!! I wonder if any one worms has been through every hole🤔 I think you're right about being engineered that way to stay moist. Thanks for watching...you are getting into more modern times & editing!!🪱🪱🪱
I'm a very new #WormFarmer made all the beginners mistakes and discovered the youtube channels that are actually doing & succeeding with my idea 💡 😂 Thank You for posting your videos 📹 now I'll be able to make my new adventures more successful 🎉 I've ordered the 5 Tray System like yours from Amazon 😊
That is fantastic!! I'm so glad you found our channel!! I know you're gonna love your new VermiHut!! Here is a video of me starting one from scratch if you haven't seen it already: ua-cam.com/video/g5Sag75OAXY/v-deo.html be sure to leave the lid off for 2-3 days in a room with the light on 24/7 so your worms get nice and settled. It is such a fun system to run! If I had to do it all over again, I would add an additional tray full of dry bedding on the bottom in addition to the top tray I put the little bit of food and worms in. Keep us updated on your progress and feel free to drop a comment on our videos if you have any questions!! Thanks so much for watching and for using our links!!🪱🪱🪱
Very well done Patrick 👏 I've only ever seen my Pot-O-Worms taken apart. Yours is similar, but Square vs Round. And I just gently scrape 1/4" layers off the bottom tray and get 2 large coffee cans filled before I run into the worm balls. You really are doing so well 🪱👍🪱
Thanks so much! It was very interesting to see the similarities and differences between our 2 worm towers in your video series. Thanks so much for your support!🪱🪱🪱
I learned from my worm factory 360 that blue worms are not good tenants in stacking systems. They simply don't want to go up like the reds will. In my experience the best way to get worms out of a finished tray is to set it on the top of the uppermost tray and put a light over it. It'll drive the worms down into the top tray which is where you want them to be. Lots of healthy castings, cocoons, and I hope you're charging those mating worms an hourly rate for the room I mean geez right on top without any blankets😂😂.
🤣 Yep, they sure are populating quickly!! This is a good mix of red wigglers & blue worms, they all seem to have found their niche and are thriving in here!! I've been pretty impressed with the castings that I pull out of the second tray after it's been put down there for 60 days. Maybe the blues are finishing the job!! I think I call what you are talking about the agitation method. It is my new go to harvesting method for this tower the last three harvests!! Thanks so much for stopping by and for your support!!🪱🪱🪱
@@Vermicompost Oh I'll always be a supporter of your channel. I support anyone that keeps things from going into the landfill and is mindful of the environment. Not to mention your supportive of my channel as well and your wife seems like such a wonderful person. A very likeable family 🥰 and a great UA-cam friend
Good to know that if you put your oldest tray on the top and no cover it will dry out. Mine is very wet but I don't want to add browns or paper of any kind bc I want to harvest castings sometime soon.
Another thing I do is harvest by leaving the lid off and agitating the castings a minute at a time every 15 minutes for about an hour or two and the worms all dive down into the lower tray. Then you can just set the tray aside and let it dry on it's own for even longer!! This video shows how I do it: ua-cam.com/video/gzoOUqi6CBk/v-deo.html Thanks so much for stopping by to watch!!🪱🪱🪱
I am really glad that I ran into this video! I've seen a bunch of your others and have enjoyed them but what we learned about putting the bottom pin on the top is very valuable! I have some strange worms in my first bus Bin and they don't do anything like any composting worms. Nobody can identify them. I'm just wondering, do you know where I can go to find out what in the world kind they are? They're big and fat and wonderful, but I don't know what they're eating. I got a bunch of flies in the bin because they weren't eating what I was putting in there. Now I've got the VermiHut like yours and 500 European nightcrawlers and they do everything like everybody's videos. It's really fun! One of the things I like about the hut is that you can lay some overripe frozen and defrosted grapes on top of the bedding and they just go after them. What's nice about it is that the flies can't come in through that cover, if you put that mat up there inside the cover.... didn't you get some white cloth with your vermaHut plus? I made a little cover for that white bottom piece to keep them out of the bottom of the bin where the water usually collects. It looks like it's going to work nicely, but we will see.... my bins are quite new. Again I say thank you!
I’m so glad you are enjoying my videos!! If you are in the United States you can call your local county extension office and ask if they have some one on hand who can identify them. Each county in the United States is partnered with a University to help the public with home agriculture and other services so they are probably your best bet. That is wonderful that you Ave the VermiHut!! I absolutely love mine and yes I have the mat in my lid and I have absolutely no issues with flying insects!! I actually called VermiHut about that white cloth and they said it is a hold over from earlier models that didn’t have the hard white plastic basin barrier with holes in it. He said I could place that cloth on the white barrier if I wanted but I don’t use it at all I’m so excited for you and your worm tower!! Worm farming is so much fun!!! Thanks so much for watching & letting us know how things are going with your bin!!🪱🪱🪱
I ordered some worms from eBay, I love my eBay adventures, I’m going to set them up in my frog one that I have in my kitchen just in case because I’m not sure what they will be😆 You’re doing really well your worms are gorgeous🤩
Thank you so much! I'm looking forward to seeing videos of your new frog worm tower. eBay adventures...isn't that the truth😀Thanks for all the encouragement & help🪱🪱🪱
i love worms. i used to have a worm bin. when i want the casting, i will remove the worms one by one. is a lot of works but i enjoy it. i wonder in the worms will survive if i accidentaly put on my garden. i am planning to restart my worm bin when we move to our new house.
That is wonderful!! I also have removed my worms one by one and counted them as seen is this video: ua-cam.com/video/Img2UsmHL3A/v-deo.html You are right it is a lot of work!! Your worms will be fine in your garden but they won't stay there for long. Since they are composting worms they will travel to find something piled up that is dead like a pile of leaves or some other material. Your typical garden earthworm is a close cousin to composting worms but not the same. Thanks so much for taking the time to watch! I'm excited for you for your move and new worm bin!!🪱🪱🪱
@@Vermicompost Thank you for the information =) I will continue doing what I was doing- remove the worm one by one haha. I want the worms to have a good live. oh ya I hired a worm consultant (not cheap >.< but and totally worth it1) last time as that was my first time and the worms were escaping and broke my heart. the consultant gave me a tip which is leave the bin open when I want to harvest the casting so the worm will move to the lower level to escape from the light. so less worm for me to remove haha.
That's very good advice!! Check out this video where I rotate this VermiHut...at the end I show How I harvest it: ua-cam.com/video/9x467PSF2xE/v-deo.html
I have a question... i just got this bin and have zero experience so far.. but i was wondering if you/anyone could do a reverse process? Put the new trays under the old tray...is it easier for the worms to move down into it? Then you could take that upper tray and put it below that new tray after most of your worms made it down into that new tray of food.. again i have no idea about anything just wondering why it isnt done that way..
Congratulations!! I love my VermiHut and I'm sure you will too as it gives you many years of fresh worm castings!! That is very intuitive of you to think about doing things in reverse! It took me a while before I figured the best way to run this worm tower and it is not quite the same as the instructions. Here are a couple of videos on how I run things now: ua-cam.com/video/3xluhsRA9I0/v-deo.html and ua-cam.com/video/I_ilo_M8gv0/v-deo.html The worms will travel up and down the tower system to where ever they want to go. The majority will be in the active feeding tray or top tray, but others will be in the trays below that and some will even go exploring up in the lid and down in the basin...this is all normal and they don't need to be retrieved from inside the lid, they will come and go as they please...but will not escape. The videos explain it better but here is a quick run down of how I manage my system. I started with one tray...This is the active feeding tray. After about 2 months I put another tray on top of that. So now I had a new active feeding tray and the old one becomes my "pre-harvest" tray. Now after about a month I put another tray with just dry shredded cardboard in it on the bottom...this I call the inoculating tray. Basically this tray will catch any drippings from too much moisture and this will help to inoculate it. I will sometimes put 2 inoculating trays on the bottom, just to store them. So...the next tray that become the active feeding tray is the oldest inoculating tray, I harvest the pre harvest, and the current active feeding tray becomes the new pre-harvest tray. Ok, so now I have probably confused everything so this may be a good time to watch the videos!!😂 I'm so excited for you and your new adventure with your VerniHut. Feel free to ask any questions you might have on any of my videos and I can let you know what I have learned running this system for the last year and a half! Thanks so much for watching!!🪱🪱🪱
Thank you!! It is a great worm tower and I love how easy it is to use! As long as you don’t over feed and start with enough worms, I suggest 500-1000 red wigglers, they will be very happy and make lots of great castings for your garden!! Thank you for all your support watching my videos!!!🪱🪱🪱
I have my worm bin indoors here in Colorado. I have a sub pod (underground) bin out in my garden. When is it safe to move some worms out to the sub pod? Can they handle any freeze at all? Thanks.
To be honest I would wait until spring to introduce worms to the subpod from the indoor bins. You can feed the subpod & you might get some red wigglers from around the area but they are already used to your climate. I think when you have a week above freezing temps at night that will be enough time for your indoor worms to figure things out and by next winter the worms will be acclimated and know what to do to avoid the cold or lay cocoons for the next generation. Hope this made sense and helps out!! Thank you so much for taking the time to watch and ask a question I’m sure other people have!!🪱🪱🪱
Worms do what they want to do, not what designers claim. How I harvest bottom tray. Put on top layer, leaving lid off to dry and get light. Stir castings several times daily will drive worms down into feeding level. When castings dry enough use light over tray to do light separation.
Worms do what they want to do...perfectly stated! That sounds like a great technique, I think someone else was trying to explain the same thing on another video of mine but I didn't quite understand. I'm gonna try this on the next harvest. Thanks so much for the well explained tip & for watching!🪱🪱🪱
I haven’t started my worm farm yet. But can u take this very bottom bin and put it on the top and let it dry out to make them go down to the new layer that suppose to be the top to get them to leave this very bottom bin and ti help it dry out some?
Great question!! I have evolved how I run my VermiHut since I started. When I get ready to harvest, I do indeed take the tray I want to harvest and put it on top. Then I agitate the castings for a minute and leave the lid off for 15 minutes and agitate it again for a minute. I keep repeating this cycle about 4 or 5 times until almost all of the worms have fled to the tray below. This sounds a lot like your suggestion, right? Yo could even do this over a day or two and it will help the castings dry out. The way I run my VermiHut now is trays first enter on the bottom with just dry shredded cardboard. After a few months they get soaked with the moisture from above and are inoculated with microbes. From there I bring the tray to the top and feed it for 60 days, and then finally I let it "rest" as a pre-harvest tray just underneath the next new top feeding tray. Then I harvest it as I explained above. So I have 10 pounds of fresh castings coming off this system about every 60 days. Here are a couple of videos to explain how I do this new way or rotating trays: ua-cam.com/video/I_ilo_M8gv0/v-deo.html & ua-cam.com/video/5zqKfUi2R4U/v-deo.html Thanks so much for watching and asking a great question!!🪱🪱🪱
@@Vermicompost Ty for your feedback on this awesome suggestion! I’m gonna try this once I get my farm up and running! I can envision all the benefits using the run off from the waste and fallen castings into the new bin too. Tho it’ll be a new setup I’m still gonna do that dry layer at bottom and out them on the layer above. I bought enough for 4 worm trays (dunno if I needed to buy that many!) now I suddenly feel empowered! Ty for all the great advise!
@@Vermicompost PS: can I use the Guinea pig poop in the worm culture or do I gotto soak it and make a tea from it or is the poo best saved for a compost pile?
Sorry I missed these replies!! The great thing about having more trays is one can act as a sifter for various projects or for harvesting castings from incomplete material!!
I've found that this worm tower does a good job of giving the worms ample room to expand and grow their population so I think you could definitely use it to raise worms to feed chickens!!🪱🪱🪱 Thanks so much for watching & asking a great question!!
That is a great question!! I have never done it but I know you can using some precautions. I leave it up to the folks who use that method to explain the steps to make sure the bokashi is ready for the worms to consume. Thanks for the great question, sorry I don't have a complete answer!! Thanks so much for dropping by to watch!!🪱🪱🪱
Thanks so much, I hear some people observing the blues kind of overtaking their mixed bins but the reds and blues seem to both be thriving. Thanks for watching!🪱🪱🪱
Why not reversing the tower? Nutrients normally go down with the water so that the bottom tray will most likely always have some food for them, and the same goes for moisture.
That is a great point!! I actually changed up the way I run this system from when this video was made. Now all my new trays, full of bedding, start on the bottom where they get the benefit of the moisture seeping down into them inoculating them with microbes!! After they have been at the very bottom for about 60 days I bring them to the top where I actively feed them. Here is a video of how I run the system now: ua-cam.com/video/3xluhsRA9I0/v-deo.html and ua-cam.com/video/I_ilo_M8gv0/v-deo.html Thanks so much for your keen insight on how to run this worm tower better!! It wasn't until I got a comment similar to yours that I realized a better way to run it!! And thank you so much for stopping by to watch!!🪱🪱🪱
Not at all!! That is the most amazing thing about compost worm bins!! The smell of a worm bin if you get super close to the bedding is the smell of walking though a forest after it rains. If a worm bin smells, it is because it has been severely over fed and is way too moist. My wife was totally skeptical but is now a believer😀 Thanks so much for the great question and thanks for watching!!!🪱🪱
@Vermicompost That's amazing I always feel like that would smell horrible. But I am moving more towards getting one set up besides my tiny Tupperware dish of them 😅
I've definitely notice they like the wetter bins or trays too. I may need to slowly increase the moisture level in my bins. Thanks so much for watching and commenting!!!🪱🪱🪱
This was one of my older videos before I started doing my current method of rotation. At the time I was trying to explain that the worm tower was started 242 days before and then give the length of time each individual tray was placed on the VermiHut worm tower as I was building it up. Here are two videos that will help explain the super efficient way I run my VermiHut now: ua-cam.com/video/_uRRpwZcMXM/v-deo.html and ua-cam.com/video/XNG4i8iXc_g/v-deo.html Sorry about the confusion, my more current videos are much better!! Thanks so much for watching!!🪱🪱🪱
Great question!! The instruction say 5 trays can handle 10 Lbs of worms or 2 Lbs per tray which is about 2000 or so red wiggler & blue worms mix. I started with one tray and added my second tray after about 40 days. I've been running the system now for about 1.5 years and I estimate I'm up to about 4000-5000 worms with 3-4 trays running at a time. I harvest a tray about every 2 months and get somewhere between 9-10 pounds of castings each harvest. I found that keeping a tray of dry bedding on the bottom keeps the basin dry and allows the worms to explore some more while inoculating the bottom tray before it is moved up to the top feeding tray. I've realized the worms love to roam all inside every nook and cranny of the worm tower but they stay inside the tower. I have updated videos of how I run the system now if that interests you: ua-cam.com/video/I_ilo_M8gv0/v-deo.html and ua-cam.com/video/TOFAUwGifHs/v-deo.html I started my first bin (not this one) with 100 worms and it crashed and failed from over feeding so I went big with 2000 worms when I started this one : ) It has worked out great so far...having that many definitely cured my overfeeding problem!! Thanks so much for the great question and for watching!!🪱🪱🪱
😂🤣😂 Believe it or not there is a method to my madness! I just use a glove on my right hand because that’s the hand that typically digs into the bin & my dirty finger nails don’t look very good on camera to me. I usually only hold things or pick up things with my left hand so no need for a glove as the finger nails stay clean on that hand. I also figured I'd save more gloves that way! I have no issues getting my bare hands into the worm bin when I'm not filming, it is just for aesthetics on videos!! I know it looks odd to wear just one when my left hand gets dirty anyway! Either way I wash my hands after "playing" with the worms!! Thanks so much for asking a question I'm sure lots of other folks have & of course thanks so much for watching!!🪱🪱🪱
Honestly when it comes to worm farming there are so many contradictions, 90% of the ones being shown as 'ideal' are extremely dry, the bottom tray of you system has healthy looking castings and worms, but the tower system is a bit flawed and not the most successful of designs, and i dont care what anyone says, there is no easy way of harvesting - a healthy system is going to be teeming with eggs, baby worms , they are easy miss or will take a lot of time to sift through.
Thanks for watching & passing your knowledge! I couldn't agree more. My outdoor bin, which is just a 20 gallon grow bag is by far my easiest bin. It takes a beating, retains moisture very well but drains it when it rains, and gives the worms room to get away from heat and other mistakes I make in it😀 Someone asked me if I'd buy the Vermihut again and I said No, not with the experience level I have now. Although I do not have escapees, the worms explore absolutely every inch of that system to include inside the lid and basin bringing casting along with them. And most importantly, as you said, they do not self sift...there is no easy way of harvesting! Now for a beginner that is not really confident in getting the moisture/bedding/food right or wants the bin indoors and doesn't mind the cost, it is a good starter system as it comes with every thing you need minus the worms. Thanks again for stopping by!🪱🪱🪱
@@Vermicompost Honestly, to beginners, my advice would be patience, even after running wormeries for years i still expect finished compost over night, its a very long term investment and there are a lot of things a wormery could do without, too much grass, too many weeds, they shun that sort of stuff, and i rarely get enough food scraps to fulfil all my wormeries needs, but a healthy system will have baby worms and eggs absolutely clumped to every cm of casting, this whole dry empty handfuls of casting like these youtubers show is just a fantasy, i mean you could put finished castings to dry in the sun but that's pretty much a suicide mission defeating the point of vermicompost, all those wet moist microbes been killed off you worked so hard for.
@@another8125 So true!!! Even when I thought I was being patient, I clearly was not. Having worm bins is a great lesson in patience. I totally agree with you on casting moisture levels. Really dried castings even look dead and have a different color. I store my finished castings in a 3 gallon bucket with holes and a lid but it keeps them super moist without going anaerobic. I keep almost a perpetual baiting station in there to get out any babies before I use the castings. I find the wetter the bedding (up to a point) in my bins the more cocoons I get, especially in the spring. Thanks again for sharing your experience. I learn so much from comments like yours🪱🪱🪱
@@Vermicompost I completely agree with the correlation between wet bins and higher reproduction, i even find the more you fiddle with it to aerate it the more it slows down production and food consumption, leaving it for a month and coming back to it to find this beautiful crumbly chocolate gateau type texture to break into is just the most satisfying thing ever!
Below are some of the items I use for vermicomposting & my channel's videos. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you if you use these links. Thank you for supporting this channel!
Worm Bins I use:
Vermihut 5-Tray Worm Compost Bin amzn.to/3Xs1eGe
Urban Worm Bag V2 amzn.to/3XE9QsT
20 Gallon Fabric Grow Pots amzn.to/3EBYhdr
3 gallon Rubbermaid Roughneck tote amzn.to/3eKDLhO
Other Worm Bins:
Worm Factory 360 3-Tray Version amzn.to/3AHnjqK
Worm Factory 360 5-Tray Version amzn.to/3tYfWY4
Bus bins amzn.to/3fd8AvP
Equipment I use:
12 Sheet Cross Cut Micro Shredder (I use it to shred cardboard) amzn.to/3xYZKYu
Magic Bullet Small Blender (to pulverize egg shells) amzn.to/3gwEzb4
Indoor Outdoor Wireless Thermometer for worm bin amzn.to/3wIdXbO
Additional thermometer sensors 433 MHz amzn.to/41juD7v Please make sure Thermometer & sensor are the same MHz
Additional thermometer sensors 915MHz amzn.to/3WTFgua Please make sure Thermometer & sensor are the same MHz
Kitchen scale to weigh worms & food: amzn.to/3HnOQjg
Blue gloves amzn.to/3XsBg5n
Digital handheld Thermometer amzn.to/3EWfC2j
Compost Tea Bags amzn.to/3fCb5o1
Solar powered light amzn.to/3nOucAq
Reusable Keurig Coffee K-cups amzn.to/3FNXvt6
Other useful equipment for worm farming:
5 stackable sifter with different sized mesh: amzn.to/3S2k184
Cameras & camera equipment I use:
GoPro HERO11 amzn.to/3jkRpLa
Flexible Tripod amzn.to/3CGTjcF
Insta360 GO 2 camera amzn.to/3oxCc80
Insta360 One X2 camera amzn.to/3nqV6hp
iPhone 13 Max Pro amzn.to/3nq52aU
Canon EOS Rebel T8i amzn.to/3HcBuX6
4 Ocean bracelets I wear
Multiple colors to chose from bracelets amzn.to/3HMbHEx
Books on worms & worm farming
Worms Eat My Garbage amzn.to/3L4FXN2
Where to buy worms: www.TheGardenAndWormLady.com
They look so happy in this condo
@@Grumpah 😂Vermicomposting is addicting for me! If it wasn't for my wife restraining me I'd probably have 10 bins or more : D I think you're gonna really like the Vermihut!! Worm Towers are really neat systems. Thanks for stopping by to watch!!🪱🪱🪱
Moving a finished bottom tray to the top and leaving it uncovered with frequent mixing will get worms to move down into the working tray. It also dries out the castings for sifting.
That is awesome advice I hope a lot of people read here! Another commenter had offered similar advice so I gave it a try starting toward the end of this video ua-cam.com/video/bXosUkhhVV4/v-deo.html and giving the results towards the beginning of this video ua-cam.com/video/290gFn0g7U0/v-deo.html
It was a total game changer! No worms in my castings and I only had to agitate for a total of three times for about a minute each. I agitated once every 15 minutes. Thanks for the tip and for watching!!!🪱🪱🪱
That is what i do! Works great! Put the harvesting tray on top with the lid off. Put a small plastic on top because the microbs must have a bit of moist too. But no worms after some time they dive down into the feeding tray beneath it
I think I have the answer to separating worms from the castings you want to harvest from a tray system. The trays make it easy!
Move the tray to be harvested on top instead of bottom and keep it uncovered. Put your bright light over that open tray, and do traditional light harvesting. The worms will move out through the bottom. Keep stirring every 15 minutes. When they have pretty much left, scoop the castings into a regular tub with side air holes, and bait out any that remain with one side of a banana peel, every 5 days, promptly, for about 2 weeks. Then store the castings for a month, baiting out babies after 2 or 3 weeks. Now use the castings in your garden, or store.
That is a fantastic idea and I'm definitely gonna try it next time I harvest. A couple folks suggested something similar with putting the bottom tray on top so it sounds like you all have figured out a good technique. Now that I think about it, I may have caused some of the worms found in the bottom bin in this video to go down there as I was "playing" with the trays above it. Thanks for watching, commenting, and sharing your tips!🪱🪱🪱
That's what i'm doing to. Easy to do, and no stress for our little friends !
Having watched a whole bunch of your videos and checked out some of the links I’ve just realised that my 4-tray system, which is produced in the U.K., has a far greater capacity than the Vermihut. 100L vs 40L, 4 trays vs 5.
I had the impression I might have been feeding too much but the larger system can obviously take more food.
Really like the way you manage the trays with 2 bedding trays on the bottom, a next harvest tray then the feeding tray on top. I’m in the process of replicating it but it will take a while before it’s running properly as I need to alternate the top 2 trays until the harvest tray is mature enough.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge! Appreciate it.
I think I've seen a system that may be like yours produced by VermiTek (the same company that produces my VermiHut) and it does look larger!! If your worms have reproduced to fill the capacity of it, then you could definitely feed as much or more than what I feed my 6000 worms in here!! This is a little bit of an older video so I don't think I had started the "new" way I manage the trays...it is a game changer!!! Putting the dry bedding in a tray and starting it on the bottom prevents the liquid from getting into the basin and helps inoculate the dry bedding...win/win for sure!! Thanks so much for watching my videos!! I really appreciate the kind words and support!!🪱🪱🪱
Ok
I like that you keep track of what's been done to the worms.
Thank you! It helps me learn what is going right or wrong with the experiments in my bins and helps me know when harvest time may be coming. I appreciate your support, thanks for watching!🪱🪱🪱
I finally divided my single tote into a 3 tote tower. In the process I ended up dumping the whole thing onto the floor…the water that ran out was clear which is different than what I’ve seen in videos. This will be the first winter with a layered worm house. This winte I’m learning all over again how much to feed and which level gets room service and which level needs housekeeping based on more worms than I started with. Thanks for this video.
😂 I like the way you put that "which level gets room service....which needs housekeeping" hilarious!!! In my experience the tower systems (with a lid) really help to keep the moisture at the right levels for what the worms like without the fear of having too much water because it just drains out. I look forward to hearing how it works out for you & the worms! Thanks for watching letting us know what you're doing with your systems!!🪱🪱🪱I learn so much from other peoples' experiences.
Lol, I asked the exact same thing on a longform video we started yesterday. "100% pure castings", how ??? Lol
Amazing to see them all the way through the whole system!! Has to be the 6,400 holes, give or take ;)
Perfect moisture Brother, parameters = NAILED IT !!
If you get time, have a look at the 15:40 mark, bottom right - they're (10 or so worms) are moving in symphony!!! Must be engineered that way to stay moist, self preservation is so cool !!!!
Let's go!!
Cheers J&C 🪱🌱🪱🤜🤛
Great minds think alike!! 6,400 holes but who's counting!!! I wonder if any one worms has been through every hole🤔 I think you're right about being engineered that way to stay moist. Thanks for watching...you are getting into more modern times & editing!!🪱🪱🪱
I'm a very new #WormFarmer made all the beginners mistakes and discovered the youtube channels that are actually doing & succeeding with my idea 💡 😂
Thank You for posting your videos 📹 now I'll be able to make my new adventures more successful 🎉
I've ordered the 5 Tray System like yours from Amazon 😊
That is fantastic!! I'm so glad you found our channel!! I know you're gonna love your new VermiHut!! Here is a video of me starting one from scratch if you haven't seen it already: ua-cam.com/video/g5Sag75OAXY/v-deo.html be sure to leave the lid off for 2-3 days in a room with the light on 24/7 so your worms get nice and settled. It is such a fun system to run! If I had to do it all over again, I would add an additional tray full of dry bedding on the bottom in addition to the top tray I put the little bit of food and worms in. Keep us updated on your progress and feel free to drop a comment on our videos if you have any questions!! Thanks so much for watching and for using our links!!🪱🪱🪱
Very well done Patrick 👏
I've only ever seen my Pot-O-Worms taken apart. Yours is similar, but Square vs Round.
And I just gently scrape 1/4" layers off the bottom tray and get 2 large coffee cans filled before I run into the worm balls.
You really are doing so well 🪱👍🪱
Thanks so much! It was very interesting to see the similarities and differences between our 2 worm towers in your video series. Thanks so much for your support!🪱🪱🪱
Great video and clear information and instructions
Very interesting
Worm love to you both 💕
Thank you!! We appreciate the great feedback and support!! Thanks so much for watching!!🪱🪱🪱
I learned from my worm factory 360 that blue worms are not good tenants in stacking systems.
They simply don't want to go up like the reds will. In my experience the best way to get worms out of a finished tray is to set it on the top of the uppermost tray and put a light over it. It'll drive the worms down into the top tray which is where you want them to be. Lots of healthy castings, cocoons, and I hope you're charging those mating worms an hourly rate for the room I mean geez right on top without any blankets😂😂.
🤣 Yep, they sure are populating quickly!! This is a good mix of red wigglers & blue worms, they all seem to have found their niche and are thriving in here!! I've been pretty impressed with the castings that I pull out of the second tray after it's been put down there for 60 days. Maybe the blues are finishing the job!! I think I call what you are talking about the agitation method. It is my new go to harvesting method for this tower the last three harvests!! Thanks so much for stopping by and for your support!!🪱🪱🪱
@@Vermicompost Oh I'll always be a supporter of your channel. I support anyone that keeps things from going into the landfill and is mindful of the environment. Not to mention your supportive of my channel as well and your wife seems like such a wonderful person. A very likeable family 🥰 and a great UA-cam friend
@@connecticutwormsgardens 😊Thank you so much!! Yes, Autumn is an angel, so sweet in every way!!
Good to know that if you put your oldest tray on the top and no cover it will dry out. Mine is very wet but I don't want to add browns or paper of any kind bc I want to harvest castings sometime soon.
Another thing I do is harvest by leaving the lid off and agitating the castings a minute at a time every 15 minutes for about an hour or two and the worms all dive down into the lower tray. Then you can just set the tray aside and let it dry on it's own for even longer!! This video shows how I do it: ua-cam.com/video/gzoOUqi6CBk/v-deo.html
Thanks so much for stopping by to watch!!🪱🪱🪱
I am really glad that I ran into this video! I've seen a bunch of your others and have enjoyed them but what we learned about putting the bottom pin on the top is very valuable! I have some strange worms in my first bus Bin and they don't do anything like any composting worms. Nobody can identify them. I'm just wondering, do you know where I can go to find out what in the world kind they are? They're big and fat and wonderful, but I don't know what they're eating. I got a bunch of flies in the bin because they weren't eating what I was putting in there. Now I've got the VermiHut like yours and 500 European nightcrawlers and they do everything like everybody's videos. It's really fun! One of the things I like about the hut is that you can lay some overripe frozen and defrosted grapes on top of the bedding and they just go after them. What's nice about it is that the flies can't come in through that cover, if you put that mat up there inside the cover.... didn't you get some white cloth with your vermaHut plus? I made a little cover for that white bottom piece to keep them out of the bottom of the bin where the water usually collects. It looks like it's going to work nicely, but we will see.... my bins are quite new. Again I say thank you!
I’m so glad you are enjoying my videos!! If you are in the United States you can call your local county extension office and ask if they have some one on hand who can identify them. Each county in the United States is partnered with a University to help the public with home agriculture and other services so they are probably your best bet. That is wonderful that you Ave the VermiHut!! I absolutely love mine and yes I have the mat in my lid and I have absolutely no issues with flying insects!! I actually called VermiHut about that white cloth and they said it is a hold over from earlier models that didn’t have the hard white plastic basin barrier with holes in it. He said I could place that cloth on the white barrier if I wanted but I don’t use it at all I’m so excited for you and your worm tower!! Worm farming is so much fun!!! Thanks so much for watching & letting us know how things are going with your bin!!🪱🪱🪱
I ordered some worms from eBay, I love my eBay adventures, I’m going to set them up in my frog one that I have in my kitchen just in case because I’m not sure what they will be😆
You’re doing really well your worms are gorgeous🤩
Thank you so much! I'm looking forward to seeing videos of your new frog worm tower. eBay adventures...isn't that the truth😀Thanks for all the encouragement & help🪱🪱🪱
i love worms. i used to have a worm bin. when i want the casting, i will remove the worms one by one. is a lot of works but i enjoy it. i wonder in the worms will survive if i accidentaly put on my garden. i am planning to restart my worm bin when we move to our new house.
That is wonderful!! I also have removed my worms one by one and counted them as seen is this video: ua-cam.com/video/Img2UsmHL3A/v-deo.html You are right it is a lot of work!! Your worms will be fine in your garden but they won't stay there for long. Since they are composting worms they will travel to find something piled up that is dead like a pile of leaves or some other material. Your typical garden earthworm is a close cousin to composting worms but not the same. Thanks so much for taking the time to watch! I'm excited for you for your move and new worm bin!!🪱🪱🪱
@@Vermicompost Thank you for the information =) I will continue doing what I was doing- remove the worm one by one haha. I want the worms to have a good live. oh ya I hired a worm consultant (not cheap >.< but and totally worth it1) last time as that was my first time and the worms were escaping and broke my heart. the consultant gave me a tip which is leave the bin open when I want to harvest the casting so the worm will move to the lower level to escape from the light. so less worm for me to remove haha.
That's very good advice!! Check out this video where I rotate this VermiHut...at the end I show How I harvest it: ua-cam.com/video/9x467PSF2xE/v-deo.html
@@Vermicompost thanks and subscribed =) !!
I have a question... i just got this bin and have zero experience so far.. but i was wondering if you/anyone could do a reverse process? Put the new trays under the old tray...is it easier for the worms to move down into it? Then you could take that upper tray and put it below that new tray after most of your worms made it down into that new tray of food.. again i have no idea about anything just wondering why it isnt done that way..
Congratulations!! I love my VermiHut and I'm sure you will too as it gives you many years of fresh worm castings!! That is very intuitive of you to think about doing things in reverse! It took me a while before I figured the best way to run this worm tower and it is not quite the same as the instructions. Here are a couple of videos on how I run things now: ua-cam.com/video/3xluhsRA9I0/v-deo.html and ua-cam.com/video/I_ilo_M8gv0/v-deo.html
The worms will travel up and down the tower system to where ever they want to go. The majority will be in the active feeding tray or top tray, but others will be in the trays below that and some will even go exploring up in the lid and down in the basin...this is all normal and they don't need to be retrieved from inside the lid, they will come and go as they please...but will not escape. The videos explain it better but here is a quick run down of how I manage my system. I started with one tray...This is the active feeding tray. After about 2 months I put another tray on top of that. So now I had a new active feeding tray and the old one becomes my "pre-harvest" tray. Now after about a month I put another tray with just dry shredded cardboard in it on the bottom...this I call the inoculating tray. Basically this tray will catch any drippings from too much moisture and this will help to inoculate it. I will sometimes put 2 inoculating trays on the bottom, just to store them. So...the next tray that become the active feeding tray is the oldest inoculating tray, I harvest the pre harvest, and the current active feeding tray becomes the new pre-harvest tray. Ok, so now I have probably confused everything so this may be a good time to watch the videos!!😂
I'm so excited for you and your new adventure with your VerniHut. Feel free to ask any questions you might have on any of my videos and I can let you know what I have learned running this system for the last year and a half!
Thanks so much for watching!!🪱🪱🪱
Nice Video, As Always!
You posted early;)
Those casting are looking awesome!
Thank you! Looking forward to using those castings for my fall planting and seed starts! I really appreciate you watching and commenting!🪱🪱🪱
Very nice idea 👍 i hope i can buy like that in my country
Thank you!! It is a great worm tower and I love how easy it is to use! As long as you don’t over feed and start with enough worms, I suggest 500-1000 red wigglers, they will be very happy and make lots of great castings for your garden!! Thank you for all your support watching my videos!!!🪱🪱🪱
I have my worm bin indoors here in Colorado. I have a sub pod (underground) bin out in my garden. When is it safe to move some worms out to the sub pod? Can they handle any freeze at all? Thanks.
To be honest I would wait until spring to introduce worms to the subpod from the indoor bins. You can feed the subpod & you might get some red wigglers from around the area but they are already used to your climate. I think when you have a week above freezing temps at night that will be enough time for your indoor worms to figure things out and by next winter the worms will be acclimated and know what to do to avoid the cold or lay cocoons for the next generation. Hope this made sense and helps out!! Thank you so much for taking the time to watch and ask a question I’m sure other people have!!🪱🪱🪱
Worms do what they want to do, not what designers claim. How I harvest bottom tray. Put on top layer, leaving lid off to dry and get light. Stir castings several times daily will drive worms down into feeding level. When castings dry enough use light over tray to do light separation.
Worms do what they want to do...perfectly stated! That sounds like a great technique, I think someone else was trying to explain the same thing on another video of mine but I didn't quite understand. I'm gonna try this on the next harvest. Thanks so much for the well explained tip & for watching!🪱🪱🪱
I haven’t started my worm farm yet. But can u take this very bottom bin and put it on the top and let it dry out to make them go down to the new layer that suppose to be the top to get them to leave this very bottom bin and ti help it dry out some?
Great question!! I have evolved how I run my VermiHut since I started. When I get ready to harvest, I do indeed take the tray I want to harvest and put it on top. Then I agitate the castings for a minute and leave the lid off for 15 minutes and agitate it again for a minute. I keep repeating this cycle about 4 or 5 times until almost all of the worms have fled to the tray below. This sounds a lot like your suggestion, right? Yo could even do this over a day or two and it will help the castings dry out.
The way I run my VermiHut now is trays first enter on the bottom with just dry shredded cardboard. After a few months they get soaked with the moisture from above and are inoculated with microbes. From there I bring the tray to the top and feed it for 60 days, and then finally I let it "rest" as a pre-harvest tray just underneath the next new top feeding tray. Then I harvest it as I explained above. So I have 10 pounds of fresh castings coming off this system about every 60 days. Here are a couple of videos to explain how I do this new way or rotating trays: ua-cam.com/video/I_ilo_M8gv0/v-deo.html & ua-cam.com/video/5zqKfUi2R4U/v-deo.html
Thanks so much for watching and asking a great question!!🪱🪱🪱
@@Vermicompost Ty for your feedback on this awesome suggestion! I’m gonna try this once I get my farm up and running! I can envision all the benefits using the run off from the waste and fallen castings into the new bin too. Tho it’ll be a new setup I’m still gonna do that dry layer at bottom and out them on the layer above. I bought enough for 4 worm trays (dunno if I needed to buy that many!) now I suddenly feel empowered! Ty for all the great advise!
@@Vermicompost PS: can I use the Guinea pig poop in the worm culture or do I gotto soak it and make a tea from it or is the poo best saved for a compost pile?
Sorry I missed these replies!! The great thing about having more trays is one can act as a sifter for various projects or for harvesting castings from incomplete material!!
Sorry I missed this earlier! Thanks for asking it again on another video!
Can you use that as raising feed for your chicken?
I've found that this worm tower does a good job of giving the worms ample room to expand and grow their population so I think you could definitely use it to raise worms to feed chickens!!🪱🪱🪱 Thanks so much for watching & asking a great question!!
Feed your stupid chicken corn.
Can you give worms compost with bokashi to eat?
That is a great question!! I have never done it but I know you can using some precautions. I leave it up to the folks who use that method to explain the steps to make sure the bokashi is ready for the worms to consume. Thanks for the great question, sorry I don't have a complete answer!! Thanks so much for dropping by to watch!!🪱🪱🪱
I have a mix like that of worms this is very interesting top stuff
Thanks so much, I hear some people observing the blues kind of overtaking their mixed bins but the reds and blues seem to both be thriving. Thanks for watching!🪱🪱🪱
Yeah they do say so like an invasive my new box is ready set for the new vid but I have so much to do lol
Iv emailed u my man
Why not reversing the tower? Nutrients normally go down with the water so that the bottom tray will most likely always have some food for them, and the same goes for moisture.
That is a great point!! I actually changed up the way I run this system from when this video was made. Now all my new trays, full of bedding, start on the bottom where they get the benefit of the moisture seeping down into them inoculating them with microbes!! After they have been at the very bottom for about 60 days I bring them to the top where I actively feed them. Here is a video of how I run the system now: ua-cam.com/video/3xluhsRA9I0/v-deo.html and ua-cam.com/video/I_ilo_M8gv0/v-deo.html
Thanks so much for your keen insight on how to run this worm tower better!! It wasn't until I got a comment similar to yours that I realized a better way to run it!! And thank you so much for stopping by to watch!!🪱🪱🪱
Does it have a smell? Like a bad noticeable smell?
Not at all!! That is the most amazing thing about compost worm bins!! The smell of a worm bin if you get super close to the bedding is the smell of walking though a forest after it rains. If a worm bin smells, it is because it has been severely over fed and is way too moist. My wife was totally skeptical but is now a believer😀 Thanks so much for the great question and thanks for watching!!!🪱🪱
@Vermicompost That's amazing I always feel like that would smell horrible. But I am moving more towards getting one set up besides my tiny Tupperware dish of them 😅
@@shelbydzierzanowski2877 Time to level up!!
I hv noticed tat worms do like to live in a bin with more moisture. Rather than dry. They do thrive in a wetbin
I've definitely notice they like the wetter bins or trays too. I may need to slowly increase the moisture level in my bins. Thanks so much for watching and commenting!!!🪱🪱🪱
Agh, I must be super slow! The bin was 246 days old but the bottom with the castings was 109?
This was one of my older videos before I started doing my current method of rotation. At the time I was trying to explain that the worm tower was started 242 days before and then give the length of time each individual tray was placed on the VermiHut worm tower as I was building it up. Here are two videos that will help explain the super efficient way I run my VermiHut now: ua-cam.com/video/_uRRpwZcMXM/v-deo.html and ua-cam.com/video/XNG4i8iXc_g/v-deo.html Sorry about the confusion, my more current videos are much better!! Thanks so much for watching!!🪱🪱🪱
That is the problem, you want to see the mating but you might cause them to break up. Its ok they will find each other again in the worm ball.
😀it is so fascinating to find a mating pair. I’d love to see one shedding a cocoon. 🪱🪱🪱
@@russellbublitz8409 Thanks! I'll be on the look out, I'm bound to come across one emerging one of these days.🪱🪱🪱
Seems to me 2000 worms to begin with is too much. That could be the problem too many worms to begin with. Is that what the instructions called for?
Great question!! The instruction say 5 trays can handle 10 Lbs of worms or 2 Lbs per tray which is about 2000 or so red wiggler & blue worms mix. I started with one tray and added my second tray after about 40 days. I've been running the system now for about 1.5 years and I estimate I'm up to about 4000-5000 worms with 3-4 trays running at a time. I harvest a tray about every 2 months and get somewhere between 9-10 pounds of castings each harvest. I found that keeping a tray of dry bedding on the bottom keeps the basin dry and allows the worms to explore some more while inoculating the bottom tray before it is moved up to the top feeding tray. I've realized the worms love to roam all inside every nook and cranny of the worm tower but they stay inside the tower. I have updated videos of how I run the system now if that interests you: ua-cam.com/video/I_ilo_M8gv0/v-deo.html and ua-cam.com/video/TOFAUwGifHs/v-deo.html
I started my first bin (not this one) with 100 worms and it crashed and failed from over feeding so I went big with 2000 worms when I started this one : ) It has worked out great so far...having that many definitely cured my overfeeding problem!! Thanks so much for the great question and for watching!!🪱🪱🪱
Thanks for the thoughtful polite response. I had given your vid a thumbs up, now I'm going up and hitting subscribe.
Thank you so much!! I really appreciate your support!!
Hey, Michael Jackson . Why you only have one glove on? lol
😂🤣😂 Believe it or not there is a method to my madness! I just use a glove on my right hand because that’s the hand that typically digs into the bin & my dirty finger nails don’t look very good on camera to me. I usually only hold things or pick up things with my left hand so no need for a glove as the finger nails stay clean on that hand. I also figured I'd save more gloves that way! I have no issues getting my bare hands into the worm bin when I'm not filming, it is just for aesthetics on videos!! I know it looks odd to wear just one when my left hand gets dirty anyway! Either way I wash my hands after "playing" with the worms!! Thanks so much for asking a question I'm sure lots of other folks have & of course thanks so much for watching!!🪱🪱🪱
Honestly when it comes to worm farming there are so many contradictions, 90% of the ones being shown as 'ideal' are extremely dry, the bottom tray of you system has healthy looking castings and worms, but the tower system is a bit flawed and not the most successful of designs, and i dont care what anyone says, there is no easy way of harvesting - a healthy system is going to be teeming with eggs, baby worms , they are easy miss or will take a lot of time to sift through.
Thanks for watching & passing your knowledge! I couldn't agree more. My outdoor bin, which is just a 20 gallon grow bag is by far my easiest bin. It takes a beating, retains moisture very well but drains it when it rains, and gives the worms room to get away from heat and other mistakes I make in it😀 Someone asked me if I'd buy the Vermihut again and I said No, not with the experience level I have now. Although I do not have escapees, the worms explore absolutely every inch of that system to include inside the lid and basin bringing casting along with them. And most importantly, as you said, they do not self sift...there is no easy way of harvesting! Now for a beginner that is not really confident in getting the moisture/bedding/food right or wants the bin indoors and doesn't mind the cost, it is a good starter system as it comes with every thing you need minus the worms. Thanks again for stopping by!🪱🪱🪱
@@Vermicompost Honestly, to beginners, my advice would be patience, even after running wormeries for years i still expect finished compost over night, its a very long term investment and there are a lot of things a wormery could do without, too much grass, too many weeds, they shun that sort of stuff, and i rarely get enough food scraps to fulfil all my wormeries needs, but a healthy system will have baby worms and eggs absolutely clumped to every cm of casting, this whole dry empty handfuls of casting like these youtubers show is just a fantasy, i mean you could put finished castings to dry in the sun but that's pretty much a suicide mission defeating the point of vermicompost, all those wet moist microbes been killed off you worked so hard for.
@@another8125 So true!!! Even when I thought I was being patient, I clearly was not. Having worm bins is a great lesson in patience. I totally agree with you on casting moisture levels. Really dried castings even look dead and have a different color. I store my finished castings in a 3 gallon bucket with holes and a lid but it keeps them super moist without going anaerobic. I keep almost a perpetual baiting station in there to get out any babies before I use the castings. I find the wetter the bedding (up to a point) in my bins the more cocoons I get, especially in the spring. Thanks again for sharing your experience. I learn so much from comments like yours🪱🪱🪱
@@Vermicompost I completely agree with the correlation between wet bins and higher reproduction, i even find the more you fiddle with it to aerate it the more it slows down production and food consumption, leaving it for a month and coming back to it to find this beautiful crumbly chocolate gateau type texture to break into is just the most satisfying thing ever!