Q&A for How to Make a Worm Compost System

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  • Question
    How long does it take for a worm to reproduce?
    Maggie Moran
    Home & Garden Specialist
    Maggie Moran is a Professional Gardener in Pennsylvania.
    Home & Garden Specialist
    Expert Answer
    The mature worm will give 2 or 3 cocoons each week, and each cocoon will house about 3 baby worms each.
  • Question
    How many worms do you need to start a worm bin?
    Maggie Moran
    Home & Garden Specialist
    Maggie Moran is a Professional Gardener in Pennsylvania.
    Home & Garden Specialist
    Expert Answer
    It is ideal to start with between 1 pound and 3 pounds of worms, depending on the size of the bin. On average, it takes 5-7 pounds of food each week.
  • Question
    How much money can you make selling worms?
    Maggie Moran
    Home & Garden Specialist
    Maggie Moran is a Professional Gardener in Pennsylvania.
    Home & Garden Specialist
    Expert Answer
    Nightcrawlers average about $0.08 per worm and go for about $30 per pound. The price may vary depending on demand, location, and the type of worm.
  • Question
    How do worms make compost?
    Maggie Moran
    Home & Garden Specialist
    Maggie Moran is a Professional Gardener in Pennsylvania.
    Home & Garden Specialist
    Expert Answer
    As the worm eats food scraps, the worm passes the food parts through and it comes out as compost.
  • Question
    Worms are crawling up the side of the bin. Why?
    Community Answer
    Some worms will always be explorers but if it's excessive, it's because the bin is too wet (add some cardboard or better still coconut coir fibre); or too acidic (add roasted then ground down eggshells, as they not only reduce acidity but they add the essential tiny grains of mineral the worse needs for their guts to grind food).
  • Question
    Can I make a cement tank for a composting system?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    Yes, but there are better ways of making compost that is aerated and not too wet.
  • Question
    Can I add grapes to my compost bin?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    Yes.
  • Question
    Can I make compost in a cement tank?
    Community Answer
    You can, but keep in mind you will need holes for ventilation and draining the water out.
  • Question
    My worm bed is too wet. I put paper/cardboard in but I still have to drain off a lot of liquid; I have not put any liquid in at all.
    Community Answer
    The liquid is most likely the worms' urine, which is an extremely good fertilizer. Drill a small hole in a corner of the bin and drain it into a bucket, then use it on your plants. They'll grow like crazy!
  • Question
    Can I use ground worms instead of earthworms?
    Community Answer
    No, you want the variety of worm which eats decaying organic matter on the surface of the bed.
  • Question
    I don't seem to find the worms in the bin after a while. Did they die? What should I do?
    Community Answer
    Dig to the bottom. After wondering the same, I found they went lower to lay eggs. If you still don't see them, I suggest looking for clues like bad smell, low pH, and so on.
  • Question
    Why are worms so useful fo composting
    Community Answer
    There are several reasons for this. Vermicompost has very little weed compared to farmyard manure. This is possible because of the worms. They shred the seeds eaten by cattle or seeds in the FYM. It speeds up the composting process, If your farm waste takes 6 to 7 months to compost, with the help of worms, you can achieve this in 3 to 3.5 months.
  • Question
    What is the best and lightest material for composting bins?
    Community Answer
    HDPE bags are the lightest, most cost effective and best solution. These can also be moved from one place to another with ease.
  • Question
    Living in New Mexico, I'm worried about keeping the worms alive during the summer. Suggestions on keeping them alive, or should I not even attempt it?
    Community Answer
    You could try watering the bin once or twice a day and using light colors and lots of ventilation.
  • Question
    Why is it useful to compost with worms?
    Community Answer
    It helps to speed up the composting process. Worms eat stuff, digest it and thus provide smoother compost.
  • Question
    Why do earthworms surface when it rains?
    Community Answer
    Worms breathe air. When it rains the water fills all of the crevices in the soil forcing out the air. They surface to breathe.
  • Question
    How do I use the worm liquid and do I have to add water?
    Community Answer
    You should add water; if it is too strong, it might hurt your plants. 5 units of water for 1 of liquid is a good start.
  • Question
    What is the easiest way to extract compost from a small worm bin?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    If you want to separate the worms from your finished compost, you have no choice but to extract them by hand. If you're happy leaving the worms in, just pull the compost out by hand and distribute it.
  • Question
    What do I do if my worms are not moving?
    Community Answer
    Check your temperature. If it's too low, they may be dead or in a survival mode; if too hot, they may be dead. You can give them a poke and see if they move. If you rule those out, then check your pH, and check if it stinks.
  • Question
    Are coffee grinds okay to add to the pile?
    Community Answer
    Yes.
  • Question
    The worms are alien to the U.S. and I need to not release them. But in collecting the compost there will be some worms in it. How can I safely use the compost?
    Community Answer
    One surefire way is to bake the compost in the oven. Be sure to cool it before applying it to your plants.
  • Question
    Can worms survive in a bin during a cold winter?
    Community Answer
    Yes, with the right conditions. Food breaks down at a slower rate in winter than in the summer months (cold weather slows the metabolism of bacteria and the worms), so be careful not to overfeed your worms or overwater, especially. They may need more bedding to stay warm. If temperatures drop below freezing, make sure there is no excess water in your bin. Too much water may freeze and kill your worms. To warm your bin, leave it out in the sun during the day. If you live in a very cold climate, use a black worm bin (more thermal radiation). Overall, everything the worms do will take longer than in an ideal environment.
  • Question
    Can I breed earthworms in the veggie bed so I can get the compost directly onto the soil?
    Community Answer
    Yes, you can.
  • Question
    What is the best way to keep a worm farm in the winter? Can I move it inside?
    Community Answer
    You absolutely can move it inside. Depending on size and space available, you could even keep it inside year round.
  • Question
    Can I add a lid if the bin doesn't have one?
    Community Answer
    You can and should add a lid. Worms do best in a totally dark environment.
  • Question
    Do I need to keep my worms at a specific temperature?
    Community Answer
    No; however, they prefer to be cool and out of direct sunlight. Full shade to partial shade is best with the temperature staying lower than 85 degrees at the top of the bedding. Bring them into the house or garage during the winter if it's harsh.
  • Question
    Won't the worms escape if I dig the holes?
    Community Answer
    I drilled drainage holes in the bottom and ventilation holes in the sides of two plastic worm bins, and secured plastic mosquito screen on the inside, over the holes so that the worms would not escape and to make sure there was drainage and ventilation. One container was a large plastic trash can, and the other was a smaller rectangular storage bin. After several months I had large worm populations in both containers and never had an issue with worms doing a large-scale breakout.
  • Question
    Can I make a worm farm out of a large plastic tote?
    Community Answer
    Yes! Just follow the same rules of building and adding food for the worms as needed.
  • Question
    Could I decorate the worm bin?
    Community Answer
    Of course! Just make sure you don't use anything inside the bin that could be toxic to your worms.
  • Question
    Is the worm processing the same when using a barrel composter that will be turned regularly?
    Community Answer
    Turning upsets the process (the life cycle of the worms), and barrel composters typically reach internal temperatures that can kill the worms. If you're serious about trying this, try to minimize the rotations and carefully monitor the moisture and temperature.
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