glowery
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A Protected Species Earthworm
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When it is time to Harvest castings... - 2006/05/12 09:23
I see people talk about 1/4 inch and 1/8 inch screen when they are harvesting castings. Is this something that I buy at a hardware store, if so what exactly do I ask for?
For the time being since I just have the 2 bins I am going to have hubby make me a couple of screening trays to use, later down the road when I have more worms then I will purchase Bob's plans to to have hubby make a seperator.
When storing castings in plastic bins or barrels I have read here these need holes for air ciculation, so how many holes are we talking about and how big? I want to keep the microbes alive, but don't want the castings to dry out.
Glenda
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WormMainea
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Re:When it is time to Harvest castings... - 2006/05/12 10:45
Yep. I got mine at the local ACE. It is galvanized wire lath used when pouring concrete-- looks like little diamonds & comes on a roll. I also use a sifter with an old galvanized screen (bigger & it is squares) that was handed down to me. Don't know where that screening came from, but it is faster and VERY durable. I've found it best to sandwich the screening material between PT 2x4 and wood stripping when nailing it together-- less chance of tearing the mesh when laying it on something.
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WormMainea
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Re:When it is time to Harvest castings... - 2006/05/12 10:52
Regarding storing the sifted castings, you should punch air holes worm castings are living material! I admit  that I keep these around in just about any container available when I'm sifting (sometimes even a newly made worm bin serves). I punch holes in the lids of other containers (plastic peanut butter jars work great) and try to fill with at least a few inches of castings.
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glowery
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Re:When it is time to Harvest castings... - 2006/05/12 10:54
The frames you describe are what I had in mind. How big are your frames? Are they square or rectangular?
What about the holes in the casting keep set up?
glenda
Glenda
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Bev Warden
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Re:When it is time to Harvest castings... - 2006/05/12 11:04
Hi Glowery,
I just bought some yesterday at Buchheit's. I asked for "hardware cloth". It came in a 5 foot roll.
I couldn't find it at first, because I was loking around the screen wire. It was way off in the back of the store, across the building.
Husband cut it in half and framed each half in wood. He made some nice sifting trays.
I was going to sift them into the small plastic wading pool, then start over again in the cow.
I live in the Festus area, so we are not too far away. I went to Bob's to get my worms, too. We are going to go next week and get his plans for the worm harvester, also. We're just going to scale it down to a 5 gallon bucket.
I don't know if you have a Buchheit's near you, but any farm supply store should have them. The hardware cloth cost around $8.
When I harvested the first time, I just put my castings in an old dr4esser drawer in the basement. I don't have it covered at all. Just put a mesh bag in them and food in the bag. I make sure they stay damp, though.
When I see worms in the mesh bag, I just bring them up and put them with the rest of the herd.
I love reading your questions and the answers you get. Please keep them coming.
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glowery
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Re:When it is time to Harvest castings... - 2006/05/12 11:14
Being new to this I have no idea what to expect when I harvest the bins the first time in regards to how much castings there may be. I am hoping enough to at least keep my tomatoes side dressed through this growng season. I have told before that one brother-in-law and I, have this friendly little competition on who can grow the biggest and best tomatoes each year. He doesn't know about my worm casting deal yet and I am not telling until after the summer, 
On a catty side note, my husbands niece brags continually on her great garden containers and how huge her tomato plants are, ya'll ought to see the spindly sickly plants she has each year I don't know how she ever has tomatoes. You have no idea how bad want these plants to do exceptional just to shut her up (if that is possible ) My plants are always bigger and healthier than hers, but I want to even top myself this year.
Okay I know I am going overboard here with the whole tomato plant thing, but those and cukes are my favorite things to grow, and I keep not only hubby and myself in maters but also my two daughters and their families.
Glenda
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WormMainea
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Re:When it is time to Harvest castings... - 2006/05/12 11:15
Rectangles. Size is a good question-- my newer one fits over my wheel barrel (sometimes I plan things). It is about 24"x40"). My old one is smaller maybe 24"x30". Both are big enough that if I fill them with worm castings they are a bit heavy to shake the castings through if you pick them up, but perfect to lay down and SHAKE.
Don't know what you mean by "What about the holes in the casting keep set up?".
Mark
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Bev Warden
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Re:When it is time to Harvest castings... - 2006/05/12 11:19
I started with 4000 worms. When I harvested, I got 3
5 gallon buckets of castings.
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glowery
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Re:When it is time to Harvest castings... - 2006/05/12 11:24
Regarding the holes in the casting containers were for air circulation to keep what is in castings alive. I have read where people keep their castings in plastic barrels and totes with lids much like you would keep a wom bin so they don't dry out completely yet have some air to them. I was wanting to know about the holes so they have enough air but not too much so they dry out.
And on the reply about the mesh bags with food in the casting containers, do you do this because of cocoons in the castings or because small worms will still get through the screens, or maybe both?
I guess there will be a time when no more worms come up into the bag?
Glenda
Glenda
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WormMainea
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Re:When it is time to Harvest castings... - 2006/05/12 11:36
Sorry. I misunderstood. Worm bins are standard 2-3" holes 2-3 per side depending on size of bin. I punch/drill holes in the other containers less precisely but to allow plenty of air. I do this for the microbes, not the tiny worms that hatch. Depending on how you feed and harvest you may find cocoons in your sifter material. I rotate feed, and starve the corner to harvest a while (10-12 weeks). Stray adults cruising that corner get handpicked out during first sift. I may see a few cocoons then, and time permitting I hand pick those, too. The few cocoons that I miss will get into the final material. Sometimes these hatch and I find little ones, but often they'll end up as part of the tea or side dressing.
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Bev Warden
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Re:When it is time to Harvest castings... - 2006/05/12 11:36
When I sifted the worms, it was impossible to get all the babies and cocoons out.
So, Since my husband does his hobby of woodworking every day in the basement, He just keeps an eye on the bin. As the new worms hatch, they go to the mesh bag to eat. When he sees them, he just brings them upstairs to my inside worm biI don't know how long it will take before we get them all.
My castings are very healthy looking, Rich and dark.
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glowery
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Re:When it is time to Harvest castings... - 2006/05/12 11:38
3- 5 gallon buckets!!! That sounds like a lot for the first harvest, I am clueless here if that is good, but i'm impressed non the less.
I have ENC's and from what I have read they are not as fast on the job as the wigglers. If I have half that much I will be tickled.
Wanting to compost this manure into a better fertilizer is why I am thinking of starting some reds also for faster service  Not saying the manure by itself has not served me well over the years as far as gardening is concerned, there is just so much grain that passes through, even with mulching you can grow a good stand of grass in your garden with the seeds and grains germinating. I am not going to be so niave in thinking that the castings will be prevent weeds but it sure as heck should cut down on them. Besides the fact manure piles are a bit unsightly even if they are behind the barn
glenda
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WormMainea
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Re:When it is time to Harvest castings... - 2006/05/12 11:49
My reds appear to sterilize the stuff they eat-- seeds and all. While I will find an occasional onion or potato sprouting in my bins when these fall out of the feed bag and end up near the surface, I don't see other seeds germinate in my bins. When used as side dressing stuff doesn't grow in the worm castings.
Have I been fortunate or is this something others have seen?
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glowery
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Re:When it is time to Harvest castings... - 2006/05/12 11:50
No need to apologize for misunderstanding my questions, I know I don't know enough yet to make sure my questions are clear and concise, but I have a much greater understanding of what to do and what to look for thanks to all of you.
I know I ask a lot of questions, some times too many I think, but I find this all so interesting as I have loved to grow things since I was a kid, and I want to learn as much as I can.
I was so impressed with that bag of worm castings I had as this was the first I had ever experienced, that now I am wanting to have as much as I can get. I want to repot my house plants with new potting soil and castings also. Heck I may even add some flowers next year.
Glenda
Glenda
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glowery
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Re:When it is time to Harvest castings... - 2006/05/12 11:59
This is good know that you don't have anything growing in the castings, hopefully this means there will eventually be a light at the end of that weedy tunnel
Glenda
Glenda
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Bev Warden
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Re:When it is time to Harvest castings... - 2006/05/12 12:02
I have had 2 small plants in my bin. The seeds must have come from the dirt that I added to the bin. I got that dirt under a pile of dried out rotted leaves.
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redhen
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Re:When it is time to Harvest castings... - 2006/05/16 09:19
Yesterday I built one just like the one in the link below. (It's the one that's animated where the guy shows you the before and the improved version).
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/soil/msg0414122724252.html?13
My reds appear to sterilize the stuff they eat-- seeds and all. While I will find an occasional onion or potato sprouting in my bins when these fall out of the feed bag and end up near the surface, I don't see other seeds germinate in my bins. When used as side dressing stuff doesn't grow in the worm castings.
Have I been fortunate or is this something others have seen?
Vermicomposting is not hot composting so seeds are not killed. Anything with seeds will sprout. I have some of my best tomato, cucumber, pumpkin, cantelope volunteered from my bins, but it can be a real tangled mess. I now take care not to add those seedy fruits to my indoor bins but the outdoor bins get them all. Onions and big chunks of potato will take a longer time to decompose and so have time to sprout.
Susan Quinby-Honer
redhen@nc.rr.com
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