Spring is here and the worms are hungry. Cocoons, and baby worms are appearing by the minute. Here are a couple of pics from this week’s castings harvest.
Tag Archives: houston red worms
Worms new home
11 AprFrom Mike in San Antonio:
“Bro thanks a million!!! Very excited about my worms. Almost turned around and bought more! LOL. Here are some pix.
Very excited about my Garden.”
Thanks for sharing!
Spring Fever Festival March 23, 2013. 33 Herff Road, Boerne TX 78006.
12 MarThe Spring Fever Festival is Saturday March 23, 2013 at 33 Herff Road, Boerne TX 78006. Kyle from Texas Red Worms will be speaking at 11 a.m. I will be presenting basics of worm composting and answering questions on worm farming. I look forward to seeing you there.
Upcoming events include an April 16th appearance in San Antonio with Green Spaces Alliance. Stay tuned for more details.
Flow Through Worm Bin 2
27 Feb
In production since last week this TexasRedWorm Flow Through 2 has been a work in progress for several years. I have been looking at examples of flow through bins homemade and commercially available for some time. This latest design is the latest version predated by several prototypes. This latest evolution has been a success thus far. I ended up purchasing the metal racks from Costco for about $137. Easy to assemble and very sturdy, these were a great buy at a good price. I spent about $70 on hardware (nuts, bolts, screws, washers, 20′ of .25″ cable, and cable clamps). Key to a long lasting box built around the metal rack, were cypress 2×6’s from TexasDozer.com cut from my dad’s saw mill. Cypress will not rot and in it’s natural state (no chemicals used to preserve the wood) and will not leach out anything harmful to the worms or castings.
The cutting diamond bar was fabricated out of scrap and square tubing for the guides. This will be pulled with winches mounted to both sides of the rack to cut and harvest castings from the bin.
Two mason tubs purchased at Lowe’s for around $13 each rest on the bottom rack just below the flow through bin to catch castings. The bottom of the bin was lined with newspaper and worms and compost were added. We will let the worms go to work for several weeks feeding compost as needed. Over the next few weeks the newspaper will break down and the bin will be ready to harvest. For the initial harvest, remove by hand the newspaper from under the screen. Use the winch from one side to move the cutting bar across the bottom of the bin one time.
Winter Rain Adds Needed Moisture to Compost Piles and Worm Beds
9 JanEarly this week we welcomed 2.5 inches of rain providing some badly needed moisture to my compost piles and inground worm beds. The micro organisms that break down organic waste in compost piles need food, air, and water. In South Texas the missing component of that equation is usually H2O, and with a steady shower over the last couple of days we are back in business. I get asked often “why is my compost not breaking down?” and the answer is usually a lack of water. Keep your piles mixed to increase Oxygen, keep them watered if lacking in rain, and add Nitrogen bearing organic matter like grass clippings and manure to reactivate a pile. Use these winter months to get ready for spring planting and keep those compost piles fed, turned, and moist.
My Jumpers love this time of year and can be at their peak performance. Cooler temperatures and added moisture stimulate hatching of eggs and adults feeding and breeding in top layers of compost that at other times of the year maybe too hot or dry.
What type of worm is right for you?
10 Oct
Earthworms have a couple of jobs, and depending on your goals you will need to decide what worm is best for you. Earthworms feed on decaying organic matter and produce castings. Worm castings (worm poop) is nitrogen rich, pH balanced, humous that is ready to be absorbed by plants roots immediately. Earthworms are the intestines of the soil and are top soil producers. Beyond soil production, their other job is to tunnel through the ground aerating and mixing the soil as they work. Earthworms are also the “plow of the soil” mixing layers of earth while they eat, tunnel, and deposit their castings. These tunnels allow oxygen and water to reach roots of plants and break up compacted soil for greater root penetration and growth.
Red Worms (eisenia foteida) If your goal is composting and worm casting production, this prolific producer is your worm. Well suited for bin raising, not a candidate for adding directly to soil.
European Nightcrawler (eisenia hortensis) Larger worm that is an excellent for composting and fishing. Well suited for bin raising, not a candidate for adding directly to soil.
Alabama Jumper (amynthas gracilis) Large worm that is a powerful aerator. Strong worm that is ideal for adding to garden or soil and can burrow deep in hard packed soil. These worms are deep divers and do a great job of mixing layers of the soil, can be bin raised but are better suited for the soil.
State Master Gardener Composter-Specialist Training June 13 at the San Antonio Botanical Garden
13 Jun
Worms are for more than just fishing. I’ll be at The San Antonio Botanical Garden tomorrow to discuss composting with worms. We’ll be talking about how worms can take kitchen waste from the trash can to the garden and add life to your soil and plants. Soon you’ll be backing up your pickup to scavenge manure piles and livestock stalls to feed your own brood of humus producers, and you’ll be producing some of the finest vegetables and plants around.
Grow bigger healthier vegetables w/ worm castings
11 May
Last Spring was the first time my parents used worm castings exclusively to fertilize their garden. My mom and dad claimed their best tomato crop they can remember. We used a handful of castings with each tomato seedling, and the results were terrific. Even in one of the driest and hottest years on record, the taste, yield, and size of the tomatoes were outstanding.
Worm castings or earthworm manure is the best all natural fertilizer you can get. Beyond Potassium and Nitrogen, worm castings are alive with beneficial microbes. Beneficial bacteria, nematodes, and other tiny beneficials that will add life to plants and soil. You can maximize your castings harvest by brewing compost tea. You will need an aquarium pump, water, castings, and some unsulfured molasses to amplify the effects. Worm castings are the only manure that can be directly absorbed by plants roots. They are perfectly pH balanced and won’t burn up plants like other high in Nitrogen manures.
Flow Through Worm Bin part 1
22 Mar
I have tried several models of flow through systems and continue to tinker to get the results I’m looking for. The idea is for the finished castings to fall through the grate at the bottom of the bin and the worms to work towards the top of the bin.
Materials: square metal tubing, plywood, braided cable, 1.5″ self tapping metal screws, small I beam we found for the base bar to mount winches, and 2 winches (one we salvaged and another from Tractor Supply @$20) for pulling each direction.
We welded a bar to slide along the bottom of the bin to agitate the castings through the grate. I have tried other versions without the cutting bar, and castings tend to get clumpy and stuck. Stay tuned for the big reveal when we add worms and a few finishing touches.
Bexar County Master Gardener event Feb. 16th 1pm-3pm
9 Feb
Master Gardeners spring gardening is almost here. The stir of vegetable gardening and landscape rejuvenation is upon us. Adding compost will be a big part of our chores. Kyle Harrell will speak at our February meeting about enhancing your composting operation with a vigorous population of earth worms. He will teach and show how increasing your worms improve your composting operation. Our door prizes will include worm castings and tools to spread compost in your garden. Mr. Harrell is seasoned speaker and worm farmer. His presentations are tops on organics and composting.
The meeting is at the AgriLife Meeting room, 3355 Cherry ridge, Suite 208, San Antonio, TX 78230. This is a 1:00pm to 3:00pm afternoon meeting. A continuing education credit is earned for all Master Gardeners. All gardeners and the public are invited.
Texas Jumpers 