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Newbie and ? about grass clippings - 2006/07/07 00:17I've been reading the posts here for about a month and haven't really read anything about using grass clippings. The reason I'm asking is that I started vermicomposting in April and had such a problem with fruit flies that I had to dump (harvest) the old bin and start a new one. The original bin was a 24"Lx16"Wx 16.5H rubbermaid, 1/2" holes drilled top, bottom and on the upper sides covered with screens. The new bin is 34 3/4"Lx16 1/2"Wx6"H rubbermaid, 1/2" holes drilled the same way, none on sides and no screen. Original bedding was shredded newspaper and bedding the worms came in. New bedding was 2" of compost from the yard, 3" of shredded cardboard (1"x1" approx) and 1" of sundried grass clippings on top. I'm still feeding 1 1/2#'S of kitchen scraps on Wednesday and Sunday. But I have no flies at all. The worms are loving the compost and grass clippings since they have become moist. My questions are was it the grass clippings or the increased container size? I'm not covering the scraps with as much material because of the container depth. Just wondering. Thanks. Deane Sumner,WA
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WormMainea
User A Protected Species Earthworm
Posts: 149
Re:Newbie and ? about grass clippings - 2006/07/07 08:06Both of those containers are big enough-- the size shouldn't be the source of your problem. The fruit flies are probably due to a common mistake. You need to be sure that you bury the food at least 2-3 inches deep in the compost (just putting it under the newspaper isn't enough).
You'll want to be careful about bringing outdoor compost material indoors-- outdoor bins have ALL KINDS of critters! And many of these are not things you want to have indoors.
Grass clippings may not be a big deal (though I have learned the hard way NEVER bring anything inside).
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CarolV
User A Juvenile Earthworm
Posts: 44
Re:Newbie and ? about grass clippings - 2006/07/07 11:20My experience with grass clippings/hay is that the worms love it. They seem to love to hang out in it and when harvesting I find lots of baby worms and cocoons among it. But the bad thing is that unless it is chopped up very tiny, it does not break down as fast and when I harvest the bins, the grass, hay is still there for the worms to enjoy.
So, I guess it is good for the worms, not so good if you want to harvest the bins in a timely manner. Composting the grass/hay would solve the break-down problem. And the worms would love the goodies that come along with the compost.
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Krow
User A Hatchling Earthworm
Posts: 14
Re:Newbie and ? about grass clippings - 2006/07/08 00:25Thank you for the info, but you raised more questions. What kind of citters are you talking about bring in and can they hurt my worms?
Carol do you use grass clippings? What kind you citters have you experienced?
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Grimlock
User A Juvenile Earthworm
Posts: 40
Re:Newbie and ? about grass clippings - 2006/07/09 18:47My experience with grass clippings/hay is that the worms love it.
But the bad thing is that unless it is chopped up very tiny, it does not break down as fast and when I harvest the bins
I did a little tupperware type experiment bin (10" X 10" X 3") and filled it with aged grass, and leaves. These leaves, and grass were around one of the trees that were probably from last year. I wanted to see how the worms would do with it. I heard that they generate a lot of heat, so I was sort of expecting the whole bin might die. They are flourishing in it though. They have been in it for about 2 weeks, and are all doing fine. Other experiments I have done have totally failed, but this one has had the best results so far.
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WormMainea
User A Protected Species Earthworm
Posts: 149
Re:Newbie and ? about grass clippings - 2006/07/10 08:01They shouldn't hurt your worms-- they are all part of nature's decomposition process. They might not be things you want in you home, though. Think about what you see in an outdoor compost pile-- centipedes, millipedes, sow bugs, bettles, flying things, etc.WormMainea.com
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Krow
User A Hatchling Earthworm
Posts: 14
Re:Newbie and ? about grass clippings - 2006/07/10 19:12After reading what you said I went ahead and built an outside bin from an article I found online this weekend. It's 24"wx48"lx14 1/2"h and it doesn't look half bad considering I can't cut a straight line with a circular saw to save my life.
Want to know if it's alright to paint it? Inside andor outside of it? Or should I just plan on replacing it every couple of years?
Deane
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Krow
User A Hatchling Earthworm
Posts: 14
Re:Newbie and ? about grass clippings - 2006/07/10 19:21After reading what you said I went ahead and built an outside bin from an article I found online this weekend. It's 24"wx48"lx14 1/2"h and it doesn't look half bad considering I can't cut a straight line with a circular saw to save my life.
Want to know if it's alright to paint it? Inside andor outside of it? Or should I just plan on replacing it every couple of years?
Deane
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Grimlock
User A Juvenile Earthworm
Posts: 40
Re:Newbie and ? about grass clippings - 2006/07/11 00:38The paint would probably have a negative effect on the woods ability to breathe. I don't know how it would affect the worms also.
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Krow
User A Hatchling Earthworm
Posts: 14
Re:Newbie and ? about grass clippings - 2006/07/11 21:43Grimlock, I agree with you, I just want to make it last longer than two years. It's all untreated wood and I live in Washington State, so with the rain we get it'll be rotting inside and outside.
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Grimlock
User A Juvenile Earthworm
Posts: 40
Re:Newbie and ? about grass clippings - 2006/07/11 23:37I have two that our outside made from scrap wood (I think untreated). They have been going for a little over 2 years. In Ohio it rains quite a bit also, and they are still in working condition. They seem to be doing fine in the elements. They look like they will be going strong for years to come.
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redgilnc
User A Fertile Cocoon
Posts: 5
Re:Newbie and ? about grass clippings - 2006/07/12 00:04Deane,
I was worrying about the same thing and not wanting to paint my worm bin I decided to use plastic sheet 6 mil. The same one they use for greenhouses. I cover the interior of the box completelly and made sure to make holes in the same area where I had drilled holes for the box (on the sides one the one on the bottom). So far it has worked great. The bottom and sides of the bin are intact. When I close the tops I just throw a tarp over it, leaving it loosely so the worm bin can breathe but do put a few pieces of wood over it so the tarp won't fly away.
I don't know of anyone else that has done this. I had been keeping an eye on it to make sure everything will be fine with the worms. It's been about 2 1/2 months now and my worms are multiplying like crazy, so I don't see any problem in using plastic as long as there are holes or vents in it.
Hope this helps! Jo'
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Krow
User A Hatchling Earthworm
Posts: 14
Re:Newbie and ? about grass clippings - 2006/07/13 19:23I think I'll give the plastic a shot, thanks for the idea. Let you know how it turns out.
Deane
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