red wigglers

[Motacrazy]

So, my birthday is coming up next month and I'm wanting to put the word out that I'm HIGHLY interested in getting a home kitchen composting system w/ some red wigglers.

Any recommendations? I'm open to all systems. Family of 3 (currently) 4 in April (whoohoo!!) just want a big setup so I can put a ton of stuff in there (I know myself).

thanks all!

[Ginger]

I don't know anything about home systems. I use a compost pile in my yard, but you might have a better response if you post this on the Digging in the Dirt thread.
Good luck

Ginger

[Tundra_Queen]

sorry i don't come in here very often so am just seeing this now.

I have six worm bins in the basement. the first one I bought with the worms the other 5 I made myself.

Get a big rubbermaid container.....drill holes in it all over,,,not too big holes , sides, and lid and not in the bottom.

Shred up newspaper, making it damp but not wet. Add layers of dirt every so often and put the worms in and there ya go.

Rotate where u put the kitchen srcaps every time u add them and also add a teaspoon of limestone with the scraps as this helps the worms travel thru the scraps easier and keeps the ph from getting too acidic.

Good luck
Debbie

[Motacrazy]

Might sound like a silly question, but how high is your lowest hole on the side? 6 in ? 10 ish ?

Thanks.

[Tundra_Queen]

Hm good question..not silly.

I made the boxes such a long time time ago....um well at least six inches.maybe more...I'll look next time I go down in the basement. The basement is not my favorite place to go to,but I'll look soon.
Debbie

[Tundra_Queen]

I went to look at the bines,,, the bought bin had only holes in the lid and the ones I made I only put holes around the top couple of inches of the bin and the lids.

Sorry it took me so long to get the info but I really don't like basements,,it's a childhood thing.

Hope that helps ya.

Debbie

[Motacrazy]

Excellent. Thanks Debbie. I wanted to get my bins ready over the holiday weekend, but didn't have a chance. Hopefully this coming weekend I'llhave them ready. My wife isn't even remotely excited about the prospect of picking up any worms for me. Even if she doesn't buy me any, my grandparents usually give me $20/$25 and tell me to 'get what I want,' so that's what I'll do

[Tundra_Queen]

good luck! I hope u have luck setting them up, just don't make the paper too wet or the bin will have water in the bottom and smell a bit when you go to empty the castings out. That is why u don't put holes in the bottom so the seepage doesn't leak thru the holes.

I also add dry paper when I put the kitchen scrapes in the bin after a while to soak up the seepage too.

Debbie

[Motacrazy]

10 days and counting. I've got my fingers crossed.

Thanks Debbie.

[Tundra_Queen]

Motacrazy, 10 days? Does that mean u have had your bin going for 10 days now?

Debbie

[Motacrazy]

at the time it was 10 days till my birthday, alas, it has come and gone w/o any Red Wigglers I'll just have to buy my own.

[Tundra_Queen]

Ahhh... that's too bad. Happy Belated Birthday!!

But this way u can go window shopping and pick out your favorites,,, sort of like picking out puppies.

Debbie

[Motacrazy]

I wouldn't even know where to get them here in KC. I need to get them ordered; I had looked at composters.com and some other sites, will probably get them there.

[gamekeeper]

I had a trouble spot in my yard it was a dry rocky area surrounded by trees that kept it dry with their roots.I beganputting all the leaves from from the entire yard their aswell as the manure and shavings from our kennel,grassclippings and all the household waste.I add 1000 redwigglers every year .I have planted a collection of ferns ,Lilly of the valley etc and they are all thriving.When winter comes the leaves are waste high but after the snow compresses them and the worms work on them they are almost completely devoured.
Peter