Store Worm Castings Before Using them!

[@tracitekancic4529]

That's a lot of castings! I also store mine in a bin and go in every so often and pick out the new baby worms. It's actually therapeutic. This will be the first season I get to use the castings so I'm definitely looking forward to that. I enjoy your videos, keep them coming 😁

[@WorldComposting]

I did that until I started mixing reds and euros in the bin then figured they can be free in my yard 😀 What shocks me is how much better my plants do that have the castings near it than those that don't. I can really see it in the grass where it will be green or brown near the trees I fertilize with worm tea.

[@AJsGreenTopics]

That is a nice size tote. I know that the castings make it very heavy. Thanks for sharing.

[@WorldComposting]

It is heavy and why I couldn't bring it back into the normal filming area for good lighting. I keep it right by the door so I can shovel it right into a bucket to take outside.

[@brianseybert192]

I have gone to storing my castings and other soil amendments in grow bags covered with a garbage bag. Have to keep an eye on the moisture, and fluff them up once in a while to keep the biology thriving. I use my microscope to see what is going on as well. Most people do not know worm castings, leaf mold and compost are living things, they need moisture and oxygen to survive. I am so grateful I do not depend on store bought soil amendments any longer. Stay Well !!!

[@theoneandonly1158]

Yay you did it. Thanks you for this. 😊 Much appreciated.

[@WorldComposting]

No problem 😊 I actually made a video earlier but the lighting was so bad you couldn't see what I was showing so I never posted it.

[@joeshmoe7789]

1. Not sure why you have bones? Peanut shells and avocado pits should've been removed when sifted? I remove peanut shells before they hit the screen as they have cocoons and tiny worms in them. Same with corn cobs. Just toss them in the new bin with fresh bedding. 2. You don't have fruit flies because you don't feed that bin. 3. Worms could be trying to leave because there's not enough fresh air. Could be going anaerobic. The hardest part of storing castings is also one of the two hardest things about running an active bin-Moisture Control. While you don't have to check casting storage containers everyday for moisture like a worm bin, you need to check every couple of weeks. Mix the castings if you can to know how moist they are, the top could be the only part that's dry. 4. Bury a 3" piece of banana, with the skin, at the top of the castings, NO BEDDING. Press your hand about an inch under the banana after about 3 weeks and you'll scoop many more worms than you can believe. Feed again in the same spot. Repeat every 3 weeks with fresh banana. You'll get enough worms to start a bin the same size you harvested from after a few months.

[@WorldComposting]

1) Not sure if you watched the video but I mentioned that I had added bones to see if they would breakdown in the system since it has worms and would sit for a while. I also have added Bokashi and use this as a soil factory. 2) While true spiders typically only go places that have food so I"m guessing some might have been in there at some point 3) Plenty of air I think they are looking for moisture as the castings were quite dry and the only area with moisture was where the worms were. 4) I have done this in the past with watermelon but now that the worms are a mixture of reds and euros I don't do that anymore I just put them in my yard/garden and let them get to work there.

[@adrienne107]

Do you add anything the water that you spray into the bin? I’ve heard of people doing a water and molasses mixture to keep the microbes alive and fed

[@WorldComposting]

While I do have molasses I would only use that for making tea. I do add water to it but not frequently I find that typically adding more moist castings is enough to keep the moisture high enough.

[@13thDiscipleU]

Adding molasses is only when making worm tea I had the same question so just keep moist no feeding

[@A-V]

Nice collection

[@WorldComposting]

Thanks, hopefully I'll have enough to really work into the soil near the trees this year to get better growth. How are you storing your castings?

[@A-V]

I've got it in 5-gallon buckets, and some is still sitting in the bin that it got worked down in - I've got to empty that one & get some worms into there! :)

[@coolbreeze8572]

This good information! I use old dog food bad with few holes in top .

[@WorldComposting]

That should work great especially with the holes so you get some airflow!

[@miltonzambrana4838]

thats the container I use as a worm bin!

[@WorldComposting]

I feel it is the right size for the bins I have plus you can still slide it to move it around. Get any bigger and it is impossible to move at all unless you have it up on wheels.

[@caeri37]

What about temperature?

[@AlvinMcManus]

I that enough ventilation for the castings to keep them from going anaerobic?

[@WorldComposting]

So far I haven't had any issues as the system is not full so it has a lot of air exchange inside and the bin is not sealed as much as the smaller bins.

[@uchibauki2515]

So lucky so many black gold 👍🏻👍🏻

[@WorldComposting]

I need to for my yard as they stripped off all the topsoil before building homes. It works really well for increasing the organic content in the soil and prevent the clay from clumping as much.

[@mikeschannel5149]

nice video as always and I like the quality very much :-) which camera do you use?

[@WorldComposting]

Thanks for watching. I don't think they sell my model anymore but this is a similar model Panasonic Camcorder HC-VX981K amzn.to/3st231T

[@hubumusspa268]

How much time can I store my humus in there?

[@WorldComposting]

I'm not sure how long but it would depend on temperature, air , and moisture content. You need to keep castings moist so the microbes can survive from what I've been told. I tend to water mine during the winter and add a little food as there are typically a few worms.

[@ksunga86]

What's the white stuff in the bin? Looks like perlite, but I'm sure it's not ☺️

[@WorldComposting]

It probably is as I added a bunch of old potting soil to this a while ago and didn't use it all. I use this to regenerate the soil before adding it to pots.

[@kimwilliams7051]

Good video 👍

[@WorldComposting]

Thanks 👍 Let me know if you have any questions.

[@PlantObsessed]

You look like you are in the same situation as I'm. Will I run out of room first or will spring get here. I am going to have to go find your bokashi video. Sounds interesting.

[@WorldComposting]

I have an older series about Bokashi but filmed a new one that is sitting on my computer waiting for me to edit.😬 Hard to get time with the kids wanting to get on the computer for games. I'll get it up there eventually.

[@joeshmoe7789]

1. Bones will normally take at least 2 years to break down. Better off putting in compost bin or burring them outdoors. 3. Microbes will die without moisture. Since you're not adding food, you're not adding moisture and some areas are starting to dry out. Need to mix castings by hand and add rain water if needed. Top will dry out first. Like I wrote, ventilation and moisture control are the hardest parts of worm farming. Castings bin doesn't need as much attention as live worm bins, but they still need attention. 4. My advice is for those that want to use castings for house plants or other indoor plants, such as starting plants indoors for the summer garden. You don't want to have worms in your potting soil that you mix up.

[@rogerboeve4658]

Why bones. Do you feed them meat?

[@WorldComposting]

I was doing Bokashi which is supposed to also be fine with bones. I used this as an indoor soil factory which worked pretty well. But the bones never broke down. I think next time I'll grind them up and see if that works.

[@NordicMushroom]

I suggest changing that Globe CGI in the beginning, our world is not a spinning space ball. Do the research.