Last week, as an experiment I stocked a starter bin with bedding and 10 red worm cocoons or egg sacs. I would love to be able to see the little rascals hatch, but as you will see in the next post, counting these little critters can be pretty difficult. Stay tuned.
December in South Texas brings Christmas time and with it some welcomed cooler temperatures ideal for red worm farming. My red worms are loving this time of year, and are producing cocoons and castings like never before.
When harvesting castings or worms I have seen more “love knots” and cocoons than ever. The picture above is of two red wigglers exchanging seminal fluid. In ideal conditions red worms can produce a cocoon or egg sac every 7 days. Each egg sac (depending on conditions) can hatch 4-20+ tiny red worms.
In this season of giving you can give a responsible gift that benefits everyone. A red worm farm can compost those gift boxes, paper, and food wastet. Vermicompost (worm manure) or castings that will nourish plants and soil and keep waste out of the landfill. For families with little ones, red worms make a great learning gift that can teach kids responsibility and how to be good stewards of their environment.
Merry Christmas! from TexasRedWorms.com
When setting up a new bin it is helpful to add a handful of sand. This will help aid in the red worms digesting of food. The sand will provide the necessary grit in their gullet to help them grind food. If you are setting up an outdoor bin pick a shady spot with sandy soil if possible. The sand will not only help your worms but, provides excellent drainage, as well.
TexasRedWorms.com starter farms are complete systems that contain everything you need in an established environment that includes bedding, food, red worms, and castings. We prefer to sell and ship worms this way, especially for beginners. We want to take the guess work out of starting your farm, and ensure your success as a red worm farmer.
It’s always the right time to add compost to your soil, and always a great time to get started composting with Red Worms. It’s Fall in Texas and the cooler weather is ideal for work outside and setting up your worm bed.
TexasRedWorms.com provides you the easiest way to start composting with Red Worms (vermicomposting) today. Our shoebox sized Starter Farm provides everything you need to produce nutrient rich castings for your plants and soil, and a thriving breeding brood of red worms (eisenia foetida) nature’s best composter.
Check out our latest ad on Craigslist or just give us a call 210-310-5046. If you are in the San Antonio or Livingston, TX area pick up can be arranged, or call for shipping information.
The candy is gone and the festivities are over. Instead of throwing those pumpkins out with the trash, add them to your compost pile or feed them to your red wigglers. Composting and worm farming is fun for the whole family. It is rewarding watching your food waste turn into dark and rich finished compost. I just added some worm castings to my lemon trees, and am on the hunt for sad jack-o-lanterns around the neighborhood.
A Red Worm egg sac or cocoon can be laid every 7 days by a healthy mature red worm. Red Worms can reach sexual maturity in about a month and a lifespan that can go into the early teens. Red worms are hermaphoditic which means they both fertilize and lay eggs. Eggs can have 4-30 baby red wigglers.
Keep your worms well but not over fed, moist environment, temps from 40F-80F, and in a quiet dark place and they will produce well for you.
(Eisenia Foetida) red worms also known as red wigglers, manure worms, brandling worms, and tiger worms are native to Europe and found naturally in decaying piles of leaves and manure. Their adaptability and heartiness allow them to thrive in various climates and bins. They prefer temperatures from 40F-80F and are terrific composters.
Vegetable and fruit scraps, herbivore manure, yard clippings, paper products, used coffee grounds, and egg shells round out what I use to feed my worms. Avoid over heating worm bins caused by the composting process, and to speed up availability of bite sized food for the worms by feeding partially composted food scraps and manure. I feed my red worms from my compost bins. Variety and balance will keep your worms healthy and happy, and will ensure a balanced pH in your bins and will avoid worms trying to escape and other problems.
Scraps straight from the table can be added in small quantities to a section of an established bin when the worms have eaten through their previous feeding. For beginners and new bins I recommend feeding less course or already broken down matter.
Texas Red Worms.com spent lunch today with 300 3rd graders from Floresville Elementary School. We talked about composting, red worms, and how they could become red worm farmers. The students have been composting for about a month. Each of the eight 3rd grade science classes will have their own redworm farm to help in their composting process. Students are learning how to reduce waste and turn trash into nutrient dense castings they can add to plants and landscape around their homes and school.
The students asked some great questions and are eager to begin worm farming (vermicomposting). Thanks to a bunch of smart, and well behaved students, Mrs. Davis, and the rest of the 3rd grade science department at Floresville ISD.
According to the E.P.A. and Yahoo news the average American family throws away 4.5 lbs of table scraps everyday. Most of which could be eliminated if they had a few red worms. 57% of the trash America puts into landfills is red worm food. 12.7% food, 13.2% yard trimmings, and a whopping 31% paper. Not only could landfill space be greatly reduced, but think of the $ that could be saved if you started composting and red worming. It’s fun, easy, and great for your yard, plants, and pocket book.
Red Worm farming is fun, easy, and helps you convert food wastes into rich natural fertilizer for your yard, plants, and garden. Red worms are prolific and with time a handful of worms will grow exponentially. I have build worm beds, pits, containers of all shapes and sizes and this weekend tried something new. We had an old chicken coop that I converted into an outdoor bed.
This old chicken coop is a great spot for a worm bed. Protected from direct sun and wind with a sandy soil base that will ensure good drainage. I tilled up an area of about 10′ X 10′ and added a few loads of aged cow and horse manure to about 6″ depth. Next, I ran a soaker hose over the bed and wet down the manure. Last, I added about 2lbs. of bed run worms to start.
Things to consider when preparing a worm bed:
Protection from sun and extreme temperatures – (tin roof and three sided wall, and at least 6 inches of bedding)
Moisture – Add depth of bedding and provide adequate watering. (6″ of aged manure and soaker hose, can cover with old carpet, plywood, or tarp)
Drainage – (sandy soil or sand base will keep water from collecting and drowning worms)
Bedding and Food- (partially broken down compost and aged manure are excellent for red worms)
Texas Jumpers 
