making large batches of worm food

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Ns950641

Active Member
so i have been building a couple flow through worm bins over the weekend and they will have a combination of alabama jumpers and euro night crawlers. i am trying to figure out a mix ratio for some worm food to compliment a mostly compost diet also let me know if i should add or remove anything.

crushed malted barley
egg layer blend of chicken scratch
oyster meal flour
topdress nutrient blend (bas craft, red bud, etc)
and cornmeal as a filler
 
Fluffy Butt

Fluffy Butt

Well-Known Member
I'd add some comfrey leaves from time to time if you've got some. Freeze them first to speed things along. I'd also double check to make sure your chicken scratch doesn't contain antibiotics. I am no worm expert, just my 2¢.
 
N

Northwood

Well-Known Member
Ns950641 said:
so i have been building a couple flow through worm bins over the weekend and they will have a combination of alabama jumpers and euro night crawlers. i am trying to figure out a mix ratio for some worm food to compliment a mostly compost diet also let me know if i should add or remove anything.

crushed malted barley
egg layer blend of chicken scratch
oyster meal flour
topdress nutrient blend (bas craft, red bud, etc)
and cornmeal as a filler
Click to expand...
I'd be careful with the chicken feed. Layer mash contains a very high degree of protein (nitrogen), but especially calcium and phosphorus. The oyster flour will add even more calcium. The worms and microbial life may not find the high pH to their liking. It's low in carbon compared to nitrogen also, so even if most of that nitrogen just goes into the air you might still face the danger of your worm media heating up which your worms will probably not enjoy either.

I like to keep it simple. My worms eat our kitchen scraps, tea bags, coffee grounds, brown paper, leaves, spoiled hay, and other waste green & brown material from a variety of sources. I figure I don't need amendments for the worm bins, because they're the ones creating the amendment from the raw organic material added to it, which incidentally contains all the elemental nutrients the plants required and built into its biomass while growing.
 
Snowman78

Snowman78

Well-Known Member
Northwood said:
I'd be careful with the chicken feed. Layer mash contains a very high degree of protein (nitrogen), but especially calcium and phosphorus. The oyster flour will add even more calcium. The worms and microbial life may not find the high pH to their liking. It's low in carbon compared to nitrogen also, so even if most of that nitrogen just goes into the air you might still face the danger of your worm media heating up which your worms will probably not enjoy either.

I like to keep it simple. My worms eat our kitchen scraps, tea bags, coffee grounds, brown paper, leaves, spoiled hay, and other waste green & brown material from a variety of sources. I figure I don't need amendments for the worm bins, because they're the ones creating the amendment from the raw organic material added to it, which incidentally contains all the elemental nutrients the plants required and built into its biomass while growing.
Click to expand...
Agreed, I only add shredded newspaper and small fine branches aswell. Lawn cuttings, brown leaves and kitchen scraps. There's some really good you tube diy worm farms on there. Great to pick up little tricks here and t there
 
N

Ns950641

Active Member
alright did some research and thinking (a dangerous combo) and i think i will exclude the layer mash and amendments so thhere diet will include
kitchen scraps
shredded cardboard and paper
compost
used peat base soil
yard trimmings and waste
and an occasional scoop of "worm food" for grit and added enzymes

for bedding im using a mixture of cocoa, shredded paper/cardboard, used soil with roots, and just a touch of compost

am i missing anything? also this bin will be outdoors what can i do to help keep it productive through winter? i was thinking a combination of a thermostat controlled seedling heat mat placed inside the bin on the lid possibly and then lining all walls with a couple layers of carboard
 
Snowman78

Snowman78

Well-Known Member
Ns950641 said:
alright did some research and thinking (a dangerous combo) and i think i will exclude the layer mash and amendments so thhere diet will include
kitchen scraps
shredded cardboard and paper
compost
used peat base soil
yard trimmings and waste
and an occasional scoop of "worm food" for grit and added enzymes

for bedding im using a mixture of cocoa, shredded paper/cardboard, used soil with roots, and just a touch of compost

am i missing anything? also this bin will be outdoors what can i do to help keep it productive through winter? i was thinking a combination of a thermostat controlled seedling heat mat placed inside the bin on the lid possibly and then lining all walls with a couple layers of carboard
Click to expand...
I used cardboard on the sides as insulation too.
 
P

pich

Active Member
I’m running 2 urban worm bags with red wrigglers. I feed veg scraps, trimmings, and recycle root balls and stems. Use shredded cardboard for bedding and oyster shells for grit. Flow through systems make harvesting easy. Make worm tea every week and plants seem to be thriving.
 
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