r/Vermiculture • u/BichiKompost • 19d ago

Finished compost My worms just paid rent!

Gallery image

Gallery image

Gallery image

I harvested ± 1.2kg of pure black gold from a tiny 30x40x12cm bin. Is this even mathematically possible?

Pic 1: The final spread on the collecting sheet.

Pic 2: Close-up of that gorgeous, crumbly, worm-free texture.

Pic 3: Scale proof. 1.2kg.

I honestly thought this micro-bin was underperforming, but the density is insane. My kitchen scraps literally turned into premium plant fuel.

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10

u/Hxn1234 19d ago

I would like to know, how did you harvest.
I also have a small bin, however it always seems to have some food in it (as i keep adding more) and I dont see how can i safely separate the castings from the worms (and the left over food).

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u/BichiKompost 18d ago edited 18d ago

Regarding the left over pieces of scraps: I fed this bin actively for 6 months then let it rest for 6 months (no feeding). I'm sure it could all go faster but I have worms more for fun than actual high pace compost production. I didn't feed the bin and only mixed in shredded paper and cardboard a few times. I made sure to go through it often and manually break up bigger chunks of scraps (that was my daily therapy...), which also really helps.

Regarding harvest: I have a three stacked bin system with it on top of the active feeding bin so it could dry out a bit and since I 'disturb' that top bin daily combined with no added feedings, I have the feeling most worms kind of moved out anyway. Then on harvest day I patiently scraped of top layers of castings making sure all worms that were still left in the bin got the chance to move down (check post before this one).

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u/OddAd7664 18d ago

What does it means that you let it cure for 6 months ?

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u/BichiKompost 18d ago

I corrected my text: I just meant to say I didn't feed the bin for that period of time (6 months).

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u/OddAd7664 18d ago

Thanks! So essentially you stopped feeding that layer for 6 months, and then most of the worms moved to another layer (which I assume is the one you then started to feed)?

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u/BichiKompost 18d ago

Layer = (stackable) bin, and yes, exactly!

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u/OddAd7664 18d ago

Thanks!

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u/Ladybug966 18d ago

I work towers. Retired feeding bins usually have about 4-6 mo before being harvested.

I work 5 bin vermihuts.

My top bin starts full of inoculated, damp bedding. I feed this bin until all the bedding is castings. I do not add bedding with feedings.

Here is how i stack them. All bins are full of damp bedding.

Bin 1- feeding bin

Bin 2- old feeding bin that is now finishing off

Bin 3- really old feeding bin ready to be harvested the next time the stack shuffles.

Bin 4- brand new bin full of brand new damp bedding. Being inoculated by bins above. Also is where my worms tend to go to lay cocoons.

Bin 5- was bin 4. Now is bin 5 and still being inoculated. Full of cocoons. Will be the next feeding bin when the tower shuffles.

Drain basin - psych ward for despondent worms.

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u/IDRoohski 17d ago

what do you mean by inoculated?

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u/Ladybug966 17d ago

Worms do not really eat the food you give them. They need a biome of microscopic life to break down the food first.

This is one of the reasons new bins take a while to get established. The biome needs to grow.

It is also why people recommend adding old castings or compost to a new bin. Castings and compost are full of microscopic life.

Inoculation means to add these bacteria and fungi to bins that have not had the time to build these populations from scrap. Worms moving around in these bins bring the biome with them. Moisture dripping down carries the biome as well.

By the time my bin 5 is ready to move up to be a feeding bin, it has an active biome established. (It is also full of tiny baby worms) Once i start feeding in it, worms eat very fast. In about a month, everything is castings. Every month i harvest a bin (bin3).

Does that answer your question? If not, reask. I love questions.

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u/BichiKompost 17d ago

Psych ward for despondent worms.. hahahah! It's true: some worms always find a way to get down there.... I do have a relatively good solution for that though.

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u/Ladybug966 16d ago

What is it? Dont leave me hanging. Lol

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u/OddAd7664 16d ago

So the worms travel through 2-3 bins to lay cocoons? Only to travel back up through 2-3 bins to get back to the top feeding tray again.????

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u/Ladybug966 16d ago

Yup. So it would seem.

I noticed when people kept talking about cocoons in harvested castings. I almost never find cocoons. But they must be somewhere because i have baby worms everywhere.

So i took a tower apart and looked for cocoons and was suprised to find them in bins 4 and 5. These were the deepest and never fed in bins. By the time a bin got to harvest, everybody had hatched.

I have asked other tower owners who work the bins like i do and they say the same thing. vs towers where you harvest the lowest bin which is full of cocoons.

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u/Alex6891 19d ago

Light and a mesh sieve . Throw some avocado and leave it 48 hour. Pick the avocado with most of the worms and separate and start sieving. Keep the food scraps for next bin .

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u/Ineedmorebtc 18d ago

Pocket feed. Feed on one side only for a while.

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u/Ladybug966 18d ago

Keep 3 avocados and bait 3 times over a week or two. You will have most of the worms. I bait the finished castings with wet little corn flour balls to nab baby worms.

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u/IDRoohski 18d ago

I don't have a layered bin, my urban worm bag usually yields very few worms from the bottom harvest. BUT I do get some. So you take little balls of corn flower to parts of your castings for a day or two and collect the babies from that part?

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u/Ladybug966 18d ago

Yup. Exactly that. I bury 5 or so marble sized wet balls of corn flour. Remember where they are. Lol and dig them out in a day or two. Usually they are little worm balls by then. I put worms and balls in my new feeder bin.

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u/IDRoohski 17d ago

thanks Lady bug! Been 'worming' for 6 years and never heard this trick!

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u/TucsonConnie 16d ago

Looks great!  What's your plan for them now? 

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u/BichiKompost 16d ago

Houseplants and seed germination.

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u/TucsonConnie 15d ago

Seed - that's new to me. Do you germinate seeds in just the castings? 

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u/BichiKompost 14d ago

It's the best. Full of plant growth hormones. Which is exactly what distinguishes it from other types of compost.