How To Turn A Plastic Bucket Into A Comfortable Home
Cattle and worms don't like weather extremes. If it is too cold, neither species wants to eat.
They just want to stay warm. Cattle get out of the wind. Worms get out of their bin, if they can. Usually the worms will gather in a clump or wriggling mass to keep warm.
Worms work within a temperature range of 40 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Like people, they prefer a constant temperature of about 70 degrees. It's important to keep the worms happy so they will eat quickly and reproduce. Worms are not particular about where they live as long as they get food, air and water. Worm bins can be made from plastic pails, storage bins, or even old picnic coolers. The bin should have holes in the bottom so excess moisture can escape and air can come in. A piece of tight screen laid in the bottom will discourage the mavericks from leaving through these holes.
Because earthworms are underground critters, they are conditioned to work in the dark and live in soil-like conditions. Simulate that underground world by placing a layer of moist, shredded newspaper on the bottom screen. The worms - red wrigglers - can be purchased from one of several Missouri Worm Wranches.
A new worm "herd" should be introduced to its bedding and allowed to get comfortable. A bit of soil can be mixed with the newspaper, but it isn't necessary. After a day or so, add enough food so each worm can eat up to twice its weight. For example, two pounds of worms could be fed 2 1/2 to 3 pounds of food. Do not overfeed the herd. Excess food might create an acid or caustic environment that could harm the worms. Weigh the food with the help of the bathroom or kitchen scale to make sure the worms are getting the right amount.
As you feed the herd, cover their food with another layer of wet, shredded newspaper. This will help control odor and give the worms that protected feeling of being underground. Keep a lid on the worm bin to further reduce odors and help keep the mavericks in place.
Within a month or two, you may notice that there are more worms in the bin than you started with. That's reproduction! If the herd gets too big, the worms might show signs of wanting to wander. This is natural. It means the adult worms want to get away and let the new worms have a chance to grow and reproduce. This is the time to start a new worm bin for a friend or neighbor or take a few of the adult worms on a fishing trip.
At feeding time you can hear the critters moving up to sample fresh food. In a matter of hours they will be turning waste into castings. The worm castings are good plant food and should be removed from the worm bin regularly. Cows hate to live in a manure-filled shed, and worms don't feel comfortable in too many castings.
To remove castings, move the feeding area to one end of the bin. The worms will leave the castings to go to the food. Remove the castings and add wet, shredded newspaper to the cleaned out end of the bin. As the worms finish eating, add food to the new bedding area. The herd will graze its way back and you can clean the other end of the bin.
You also can dump the entire contents of the bin on a tarp placed in the shade and make small mounds of the castings. The worms will move to the bottom. The tops of the mounds can be removed until all that is left is the worms. Once their bin is set up with bedding again, the worms are ready to go to work.
Worm ranching sure beats calving on a cold spring day or roundup on a hot and dusty autumn afternoon!
Editor's Note:
If this all sounds a little too complicated, a little too messy, you might want to consider The Worm Wigwam, or a Worm Factory . Simply dump your food scraps and other organic matter in the top and harvest the rich vermicompost from the bottom. These options are more expensive initially, but the "black gold" you harvest is well worth your investment of greenbacks. Or simply add some worms to your compost bin. You won't get as rich a compost, but having some worms is better than none.
Sumber : http://www.greenhome.com/blog/setting-up-your-worm-ranch
Judul: Setting Up Your Worm Ranch
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Ditulis Oleh 1:35 PM
Rating: 100% based on 99998 ratings. 5 user reviews.
Ditulis Oleh 1:35 PM
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