Tag Archives: diy worm bin

Red worm reproduction.

8 Sep

A happy and healthy worm bin produces lots and lots of worms.  Red worms can reproduce quickly laying an egg sac or cocoon every 7-8 days.  Each egg sac can produce 3-20 hatchlings who reach sexual maturity in two months with a lifespan of up to 15 years!  A healthy red worm population can double in a hurry.

Keeping a happy worm bin means the right amount of food (not overfeeding).  The right amount of moisture– moist but not wet (wrung out sponge).  The right temperature, and the right pH.  If your bin is too acidic add some crushed egg shells to balance.

Raising red worms is a fun and easy way to recycle, compost food waste.  With a little practice and seeing how your worms respond, you will be raising lots of red worms in no time.

Why are all my worms at the top of the bin?

10 Aug

I had someone ask the other day about why there worms were lined up at the top of their bin?

Worms should be dispersed throughout your bin when conditions are right.  So chances are there might be an issue with your bin if you see this.  Red worms like it moist, but don’t drown them.  If the bin is outdoors make sure the soil is well draining, and that rain will not collect.  Temperature is the other big factor in my experience.  See The right temperature for worms for more info.

For an in depth look at the 3 rights of worm farming check out this link.

10 minute Red Worm Setup

28 Jul

We had some local customers ask me to come help set up their worm bed.  I delivered the worms and helped them set up their own worm bed in about 10 minutes.  We found a nice spot in one of their flower beds, grabbed a plastic pot, some post hole diggers, and went to work.  I dug a hole large enough to bury the pot, placed the pot inside with the bottom cut out, put the worms in with bedding and food, and placed the lid on top.  This took about ten minutes and now Dave and Patty have their own TexasWormFarm.com worm bed.

DIY outdoor worm farm

17 Jul

A shady flower bed in well drained soil is a terrific place for a submerged bucket or flower pot bin to make your very own worm bed or pit.  Take a bucket or flower pot and and dig a hole deep enough for at least 1/2 to be underground.  Turn your pot or bucket upside down and cut a hole in the top to feed worms and harvest castings.  Your red wigglers will be able to stay cool in the Summer and warm in the Winter.

This bin was started a year ago and has been outstanding.  This bed made it through one of the coldest Texas Winters I can remember with temperatures hitting the mid teens on a couple of occasions.  I pulled the stone covering the top in early Spring, and was pleasantly surprised to see tons of baby red worms going to work.

Your flower bed will benefit from the castings deposited by your worms, and the leachate or run off will provide nitrogen rich nutrients as well.   The cover helps to protect worms from the elements, and helps keep the bin from drying out.  Send pictures of your worm bins, and share your ideas harrellindustries@gmail.com