redhen
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In-ground bins - 2005/12/13 08:35
After years of monitoring and trying to be "bin manager", I have found that in-ground bins work best for me. I still have about 16 plastic bins going, because I sell worms and bins. I have all kinds of possibilities set up to demonstrate, how it can be done, in many different kinds of situations, to people who come here to build bins. I have a hole-in-the-ground bin, which was never actually a hole,( never got around to digging it). I just put food scraps on the ground, covered it with leaves, and waited for the worms. They did come and brought all their friends. That bin does not have any cover, so it is a free for all. I don't really care, so it works. I have built some cinderblock bins, that do have hinged lids. They are just dry stacked over some hardware cloth, in contact with the ground. I grow most of my herd in those bins, so the free lunch is closed to other large creatures. I do not monitor any of those outdoor bins very much, and I think the worms and all other decomposers are much happier with me just dumping the buffet in and leaving them to their business. They know what they are doing, so..YAY!
Here is a link to the images of my cinderblock bin and 1 shot of the hole-in-the-ground:
http://photobucket.com/albums/y209/redhen/projects/
Susan Quinby-Honer
redhen@nc.rr.com
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sauce man
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Re:In-ground bins - 2005/12/13 16:17
Susan, Great pictures. I have a question, How far do you dig out the dirt inside of the cinder block bin? And are the blocks sitting on the ground or are they buried part way in the ground. This is not what I thought your in ground bins looked like when I read about them in your other posts. I'm glad you put this link on. I wish this site had a page where people could put up pictures because its interesting to see how everybody has a little different set up. It would also be nice to see pictures of the people that frequent this sight. I think I will try to figure out how to put a link to some of my photos of my set up. Thanks for the pictures. Tom
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redhen
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Re:In-ground bins - 2005/12/13 21:24
Sauceman..Look on the "Discussions Suggestions" forum page and click on the "adding images to posts". You will see a detail of how to add images to your posts. Perhaps you could start a new thread with folks showing their set-ups. (Probably not great news for people with "dial-up" connections)  I only put my Photo Bucket images on because there were so many to show. I never dug anything for those bins. I just laid the hardware cloth down, put cinderblocks on the edges of that cloth, (to keep out voles and moles), and added bedding and food. I use leaves on top of the food in those bins. Today, I buried "plugs" of grain in all quarters, to act as little furnaces. Even with the temps here in NC in the low 20's at night, I see the worms up and feeding.
Susan Quinby-Honer
redhen@nc.rr.com
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sugo
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Re:In-ground bins - 2005/12/24 10:47
I'm fixing to make an in-ground bin like yours, Redhen. My partner, though, cautions that hardware cloth contains zinc--poisonous to humans. I wonder if this matters. I know that my worms process out all kinds of pathogens, making the castings safe for the garden. But metals?
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redhen
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Re:In-ground bins - 2005/12/26 10:41
hmmm..I do not think zinc is poisonous. Zinc is a nonpoisonous and an environmentally sound product. It does not contain impurities that could be set free under atmospheric conditions or produce toxic fumes in case of fire. Zinc is an element essential for life and most organisms need it to survive.
Most rocks and many minerals contain zinc in varying degrees. It also exists naturally in air, water and soil. Zinc is most commonly found in the earth?s crust.
For humans, zinc plays an essential role in metabolism. For example, zinc is vital for the proper functioning of more than 200 enzymes, for the stabilization of DNA and the expression of genes, and for the transfer of nervous signals. Zinc is a trace element, as important as iron, magnesium or calcium.
I actually take zinc supplements when I feel a cold coming on.
There are other metals to consider but I do not think zinc is one.
Susan Quinby-Honer
redhen@nc.rr.com
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ynotnow817
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Re:In-ground bins - 2005/12/26 23:01
Redhen is 100% correct about zinc. Check out a bottle of Centrum. Zinc Oxide is the thick white stuff used by surfers and skiers to prevent sunburn.
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redhen
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Re:In-ground bins - 2005/12/30 21:04
Just an update about these bins and winter..I went out there today and checked the worms before feeding them. I have not fed them since a week before Christmas. At the last feeding I put in pockets of chicken feed, to make things a bit warmer. I then put in a big load of produce. The produce was gone today and, where I put the chicken feed, there were masses of worms and some of that grain.. The worms were not more than 6" from the surface and very active.
Susan Quinby-Honer
redhen@nc.rr.com
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gnosnhoj
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Re:In-ground bins - 2006/02/01 20:52
Hi, Susan - this weekend's project is my outdoor cinderblock bin, weather permitting, and I have one more question:
I'm assuming that you used untreated wood for your frames and lids based on the possible toxicity of some of the chemicals (even the new mandated stuff). Did you seal the wood with anything, and if so, what?
If no sealer, does anyone have any recommendations for wormie-safe wood sealer?
My intent is to use standard 2x4s for the frame and 5/8 or 3/4" marine plywood for the lid(s).
Surely don't want to poison my li'l fellas, but also don't want my lumber to warp and draw in the weather.
Thanx
Y'all have fun, whatever you're doing.
Gary
Hopkinsville, KY |
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redhen
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Re:In-ground bins - 2006/02/01 21:27
I used left over lumber that I scrounged. I do not actually think the wood being treated would have a big effect on the worms, as they would stay away from something they found not to their liking. (Once again..funny we worry about the worms and treated wood and yet use it all around our own homes.) Being that my wood frame, for the lid, fits outside of the cinderblock, it keeps it's shape.
For me..I just keep it simple and use what I have.
Susan Quinby-Honer
redhen@nc.rr.com
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gnosnhoj
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Re:In-ground bins - 2006/02/01 23:39
Thanx, Susan - I was thinking about the possibility of treated wood chems leaching out and soaking through the cinderblocks into the bedding. That would probably not be "to their liking", eh? Think I'll stick with the plain vanilla lumber, unless somebody posts a "done that and it works with treated stuff".
I don't think a little bit of paranoia is necessarily a bad thing  , considering labor, cost and time invested in building an outdoor bin. I want this thing to be around and productive long after I am, for all intents and purposes, done feeding the worms  .
I think we'd have bigger issues with treated wood chemicals if we actually lived in the dirt with our wormies - I imagine thats where the majority of the chems end up if they do leach out.
Myself, I built my raised veggie beds with treated posts and sides - no issues so far...yes you have...no I don't...yes you do (slap - quiet!)...OK - we're good  .
Y'all have fun, whatever you're doing.
Gary
Hopkinsville, KY |
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gnosnhoj
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Re:In-ground bins - 2006/02/04 22:29
gnosnhoj wrote:
this weekend's project is my outdoor cinderblock bin, weather permitting
Well, crap  ! Winter has finally found W KY. Freezin' & breezin' all day today. I did get all my materials though, and just might bundle up and git 'er dun tomorrow. We'll see.
If anybody is interested, I visualized my plan in a 3-slide Powerpoint file; bin & lid design + materials list/costs. E-me at gnosnhoj@gmail.com and I'll be glad to share.
Y'all have fun, whatever you're doing.
Gary
Hopkinsville, KY |
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redhen
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Re:In-ground bins - 2006/02/05 11:38
Gary..bundle up and just do it! You will be ahead of the game and can start adding bedding and food too! Kind of a "Field of Dreams" theme, "build it and they will come", just might happen.
Susan Quinby-Honer
redhen@nc.rr.com
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gnosnhoj
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Re:In-ground bins - 2006/02/05 21:02
I'm gonna have to stop listening to you, Susan
 - my back and ankle are killing me!
Yes, I did git 'er dun today  ! Weather wasn't so bad after I got to shoveling and such - warmed up right quick!
Found a lot of various & sundry while grading: rocks, bricks, shoes(!), an old-timey 10 or 12oz pepsi bottle etc. It's good to have a tractor w/blade
!
Also found a few native wormies; I told 'em they'd be getting some neighbors !
Let me know if y'all can actually get to these work-in-progress pics...
http://www.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=36822746/a=3794523_3794523/t_=3794523
I'll work on the lid evenings through the week - don't intend to rush measuring, cutting, fastening and mounting.
I'm getting there  .
Y'all have fun, whatever you're doing.
Gary
Hopkinsville, KY |
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gnosnhoj
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Re:In-ground bins - 2006/02/07 00:45
Hey, All -
Looking for 'lessons learned' on initial bedding for my new outdoor bin; layers, mix, depth, OM etc.
Thanx
Y'all have fun, whatever you're doing.
Gary
Hopkinsville, KY |
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redhen
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Re:In-ground bins - 2006/02/07 08:39
When I started one of my bins, I put in a load of shredded paper. I got paper already shredded from my daughter's elementary school, as the office has to shred documents daily and they saved the bags for me. (It was in late spring and my leaves were not available.) Next bin was started with leaves for bedding and some old bales of straw. That straw takes some time to break down and would probably work better if chopped up, but by now you should know, (and for those of you who do not know me), I do not do a lot of processing of additions to my bins, food or bedding, (especially my outdoor bins). I have 3 teens and a way too busy household, so around here you have to have the will to live, (or decompose )
Gary..Look around at what you have. It will all work just fine. If you are looking to harvest compost, I would pick something that breaks down faster than straw.
Susan Quinby-Honer
redhen@nc.rr.com
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gnosnhoj
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Re:In-ground bins - 2006/02/07 23:03
Thanx for the info, Susan.
I scrounged enough coarse yard stuff (leaves, twigs, old grass) for an un-compacted +/- 2" base over the wire...thinking the coarser stuff will help with drainage. Looking to generate compost, but a good base will stay in the bin regardless.
Also cleaned out a few of my office shredders and got a good mix of strip & cross-shred for another un-compacted 3 - 4". Hoping to get a goodly supply of leaves tomorrow to mix into the paper, and top with a layer of shredded cardboard. Reckon I'll water some then.
Kinda leery about using a large amount of shredded paper, as it seems to really clump up in my WF. Does layering with other materials help that, and/or do the wormies really care? Really trying to make this easy, but don't want to start off bad and have to rebuild the bedding.
Y'all have fun, whatever you're doing.
Gary
Hopkinsville, KY |
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redhen
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Re:In-ground bins - 2006/02/08 09:47
Gary..I do not use cross-cut shredded paper because it compacts and makes miserable bedding (IMHO). Strip cut works well and is easy to fluff up.
I try not to get twigs in my outdoor bin and I do not layer anything, other than to put a covering of bedding over the food. The nice thing about an in-ground bin is that you do not have to worry about drainage at all. The worms will stir things up just right also. In-ground takes almost no monitoring and for me being lazy.. um..no.. laid back, it is vermicomposting at it's best
Susan Quinby-Honer
redhen@nc.rr.com
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gnosnhoj
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Re:In-ground bins - 2006/02/08 21:38
Well, some of our office shredders are cross-cut and some strip, so I scrounged it all, but mostly strip. My home shredder is also strip. I figure if I can get everything (paper, leaves, manure, cardboard) mixed together to start, my wormies will move around as they wish. Additional bedding / feedstock cover would be of a similar mix.
How deep did you make your original bedding before adding worms, and did you let it settle some first?
I'm with ya on the laid-back aspect of outdoor bin 'management' . Just want to get it set up right the first go'round so I can be that way.
I seem to remember that you started your outdoor bin(s) later in the year; any recommendations or "don't do that"s for me setting up this time of year? I'm not adverse to letting the herd grow indoors until spring - more wormies and more established bin conditions.
Thinking it would probably not be a good thing to transplant wormies from a 65-75df environment to an outdoor bed with night temps below freezing, although I could generate heat with in-bed OM furnaces.
Y'all have fun, whatever you're doing.
Gary
Hopkinsville, KY |
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gnosnhoj
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Re:In-ground bins - 2006/02/08 21:39
My last posted twice for some reason, so I deleted the content since I didn't see an option to just delete the post.
Carry on.
Y'all have fun, whatever you're doing.
Gary
Hopkinsville, KY |
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Bob Ingram
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Re:In-ground bins - 2006/02/09 03:06
Good job, Gary. That young buck may be a good augury for site selection as well, lol. Seeya, Bob
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redhen
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Re:In-ground bins - 2006/02/09 10:06
Gary..Because the in-ground bin is in contact with the ground I did not put much of anything in the bottom for bedding, maybe about 3" of shredded paper or wet leaves. Then put the food in and cover with about 1' of paper/leaves. You can do that right now and you will find the natives and other decomposers will make their way in there and get things going. You could add OM that you know would heat up your indoor bins. (It is so much fun to do that, on purpose, after you have gone crossed eyed trying to manage not doing that in your indoor bins) If you do that now, by spring you will have great populations and active vermicompost in your indoor bin, to finish seeding your outdoor bin. I must admit when I did this, I could not quite bring myself to give up my worm population to the outdoor one. I took a big portion of them and kept my indoor one going. I put the vermicompost (with some worms and cocoons) into the outdoor one, under the paper covering the food. The natives and other guys were already in there having a big time. Each time I harvested the indoor one the material went into the outdoor one. The outdoor one now runs on it's own. When I harvest compost, (outdoors), I just stop feeding one quadrant and in about a week or so the worms have moved into the other parts of the bin and I shovel it out, put in new bedding and start feeding. I then go to the next quadrant and move around the bin the same way. My bins right now are all full of compost waiting to be harvested..."I'll think about that tomorrow", (Scarlett O'Hara)
Susan Quinby-Honer
redhen@nc.rr.com
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gnosnhoj
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Re:In-ground bins - 2006/02/10 00:11
redhen wrote:
...maybe about 3" of shredded paper or wet leaves. Then put the food in and cover with about 1' of paper/leaves.
Fiddle-dee-dee, Susan - hoping you meant 1" v 1' of wormie-chow cover... Dat's a lotta stuff  !
Coordination disconnect didn't get me the supply of leaves I was anticipating the other day, but I think I'm good for pickup and application Friday. Hoping I can get it in the bin early, since we're supposed to get a goodly bit of snow tomorrow.
No intention of shutting down my indoor bin! Just gonna spread the love outdoors. Imagine once I get the outdoor bin crankin' I'll get more 'in accordance with instructions' with my WF, but will probably still maintain 2 working trays, just because I can and because more worms are better than less worms !
Y'all have fun, whatever you're doing.
Gary
Hopkinsville, KY |
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gnosnhoj
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Re:In-ground bins - 2006/02/10 00:24
Thanx, Bob  ! Yep, thought the bin'd be a good backdrop for my target practice...and if I actually missed it'd serve me right to have to buy new arrows  .
Y'all have fun, whatever you're doing.
Gary
Hopkinsville, KY |
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redhen
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Re:In-ground bins - 2006/02/10 08:47
No..not 1 inch, I put a good foot of leaves or shredded paper on top of the food I put in. It,(bedding) gets added to every week or so, as needed, (and it is needed).
Susan Quinby-Honer
redhen@nc.rr.com
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gnosnhoj
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Re:In-ground bins - 2006/02/10 23:02
redhen wrote:
No..not 1 inch, I put a good foot of leaves or shredded paper on top of the food I put in.
OK, I'm a dumb-arse ...still thinking 4"x12"x12" WF tray applications .
Note to self: outdoor bin depth & surface are much greater than WF. Smack head; repeat as required.
Leaf pickup fell through again - somebody hauled them off before I could. Plan B: getting >/= 6 full bags Monday. Is it spring yet?!
Y'all have fun, whatever you're doing.
Gary
Hopkinsville, KY |
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