wordwar-ingreenink
SPROUT
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- May 15, 2015
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ok so I know worm castings themselves are good for the soil, but would it be ok/better to leave actual red worms in the soil?
They might get hungry in a pot as they won't eat anything except slimy rotten stuff, and hopefully you don't have that in your grows. A worm or two sure won't hurt anything, but they would be better in the worm box eating and pooping.:vap-Bong_smoker:
Do you not have a worm bin? Oh do it. They are fun and they produce wonderful ****. It isn't hard. Google it and get yourself a couple of rubbermaid totes with lids.
I just started one a month ago and the red wigglers are multiplying nicely.
I used shreaded newspaper to start but others have lots of ideas. THey like coffee grounds and squash and anything rotten and slimy except meat or fat. Vegetable peelings, etc.
They make good fishing bait too.
Worms will not survive in the pots. If you want to do worm castings, then you need to get or build a small worm bin and let the worms do their thing. It takes the worms months to turn kitchen waste into worm castings. This is not going to happen in your growing containers. I have one like this and I really like it: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004PYD3WE/?tag=whois03-20
I put mostly kitchen waste in mine, but there are some things they don't like--mostly things with strong flavors, like onions and cabbage. Also, no dairy, no meat, no grease or fats of any kind. Your waste products need to be cut up in small pieces--this allows the worms to break them down faster.
I would not go digging around in the soil searching for them. Just let them be and start a proper space. You will need hundreds, if not a thousand or two of worms to get started. Read up on worms if you want to do them. There is more to it than just throwing garbage into a Rubbermaid container.
I love that growing makes you feel peace. It is so good for stress, unless it adds stress, and then...well you know.
Do you not have a worm bin? Oh do it. They are fun and they produce wonderful ****. It isn't hard. Google it and get yourself a couple of rubbermaid totes with lids.
I just started one a month ago and the red wigglers are multiplying nicely.
I used shreaded newspaper to start but others have lots of ideas. THey like coffee grounds and squash and anything rotten and slimy except meat or fat. Vegetable peelings, etc.
Starting a worm bin is about the best thing you can do, both for your plants AND your pocketbook. Store bought castings aren't cheap and usually of low quality. The *good* stuff is even more expensive. But for the cost of a bag of the good stuff, you can totally set up a bin, including worms (under $50 total), and have free castings forever. I've had my bins for a bit over 5 years now.
Most of my containers have worms in them, but I don't add them. I use VC (vermicompost), which is mostly castings along with some bedding. Going for pure EWC is very time and labor intensive. VC is mainly just separating the worms out of the worked over bedding.
Anyway, VC is full of worm eggs (cocoons). Those hatch either added to the mix, or when used as top dressing later on. Mostly I find them in containers that are 5 gallons or larger, but every now and then in 1gal pots. Coming from eggs they can adapt easier to that environment, where adult worms would most likely die.
For fish bait, the european nightcrawlers work much better, simply because they are easier to get on a hook. Now, they are thinking they are just a larger version of red wigglers rather than a separate species. Both do well in the same bin together, or have been for 3 years in my case.
Canadian nightcrawlers will not work at all in any bin and must be refrigerated.
Get a bin started ASAP!
Wet
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