Easy Worm Composting Tips
Having and maintaining a red worms compost bin is a fairly easy task. There are no dangerous chemicals to mix, expensive machinery to operate or complex steps to follow. All you need to do is make a compost bin, fill it with organic bedding, let loose the little red worms into the box and take care of them. In no time, you will have rich organic compost for your home gardening needs! It is as simple as that! But there are some essential particulars which should be considered. Paying close attention to these simple, minute details will be essential to achieving that result. If you do not take care to address these little details, your red worm compost bin will not succeed. So, what are these little details that we are talking about?
Things to Consider for your Red Wiggler Worms
Temperature
Well one thing is temperature. Red worms consume food the fastest at 59-77 degrees Fahrenheit which is about 15-25 degrees Celsius. The coldest they can survive in is at around 50 degrees Fahrenheit or 10 degrees Celsius and the hottest is at 86 degrees Fahrenheit or 30 degrees Celsius.
Temperatures exceeding both points can harm your red worms. That is why it is essential to watch the temperatures in which your red worm compost bin is subject to. These temperatures indicate that your red worm compost bin can be placed inside the house during the summer season without subjecting it to any danger.
On the other hand, if the red worm compost bin is to be placed outside, it is strongly recommended that you place it in an area where it can be averted from direct sunlight and insulated against frost in the winter season.
Worm Composting Problem: Worms Climb to Top of Bin
Sometimes your red worms may try to climb to the top of the bin, do not panic. This is a very common vermicompost problem. This is a reaction of the worms to an abnormal status of your red worm compost bin. There are three possible reasons why they are doing this:
Right Moisture is the Key
One possible reason for this is that the bedding is already too dry or if this is not so, then maybe it is too wet. Another reason is probably because you added an ingredient into the compost bin which irritates the red worms. If the bedding in the compost bin is too dry, try moving it around while spraying it with water. You have to take note that the bedding should be moistened in such a way that it is damp but not wet, kind of like a well-wrung sponge. On the other hand, if the bedding is too wet, then this can be remedied by shredding some fresh, dry newspaper and mixing it with the other contents of your worm bin. You have to make sure that you mix the shredded newspaper with the contents at the bottom of the bin so that it can absorb any excess water that may have accumulated there. If it is still very wet inside the bin the next day, add some more shredded newspaper to the mix.
Give them the Right PH
Worms are also particular when it comes to the acidity of the material in compost bin. The acidity inside the compost bin should be at around 6.4 up to 6.9. They may be reacting to the acidity of the compost bin material if you see them trying to crawl out of the compost bin.
There is little to worry about if you see them trying to crawl out of the compost bin. Few ever succeed in doing so. But you have to tend to their needs if you want to keep them healthy and producing rich red worms castings for your garden. Therefore, taking note of these things when caring for your red worms is important.
Having and maintaining a red worms compost bin is a fairly easy task. There are no dangerous chemicals to mix, expensive machinery to operate or complex steps to follow. All you need to do is make a compost bin, fill it with organic bedding, let loose the little red worms into the box and take care of them. In no time, you will have rich organic compost for your home gardening needs! It is as simple as that! But there are some essential particulars which should be considered. Paying close attention to these simple, minute details will be essential to achieving that result. If you do not take care to address these little details, your red worm compost bin will not succeed. So, what are these little details that we are talking about?
Things to Consider for your Red Wiggler Worms
Temperature
Well one thing is temperature. Red worms consume food the fastest at 59-77 degrees Fahrenheit which is about 15-25 degrees Celsius. The coldest they can survive in is at around 50 degrees Fahrenheit or 10 degrees Celsius and the hottest is at 86 degrees Fahrenheit or 30 degrees Celsius.
Temperatures exceeding both points can harm your red worms. That is why it is essential to watch the temperatures in which your red worm compost bin is subject to. These temperatures indicate that your red worm compost bin can be placed inside the house during the summer season without subjecting it to any danger.
On the other hand, if the red worm compost bin is to be placed outside, it is strongly recommended that you place it in an area where it can be averted from direct sunlight and insulated against frost in the winter season.
Worm Composting Problem: Worms Climb to Top of Bin
Sometimes your red worms may try to climb to the top of the bin, do not panic. This is a very common vermicompost problem. This is a reaction of the worms to an abnormal status of your red worm compost bin. There are three possible reasons why they are doing this:
Right Moisture is the Key
One possible reason for this is that the bedding is already too dry or if this is not so, then maybe it is too wet. Another reason is probably because you added an ingredient into the compost bin which irritates the red worms. If the bedding in the compost bin is too dry, try moving it around while spraying it with water. You have to take note that the bedding should be moistened in such a way that it is damp but not wet, kind of like a well-wrung sponge. On the other hand, if the bedding is too wet, then this can be remedied by shredding some fresh, dry newspaper and mixing it with the other contents of your worm bin. You have to make sure that you mix the shredded newspaper with the contents at the bottom of the bin so that it can absorb any excess water that may have accumulated there. If it is still very wet inside the bin the next day, add some more shredded newspaper to the mix.
Give them the Right PH
Worms are also particular when it comes to the acidity of the material in compost bin. The acidity inside the compost bin should be at around 6.4 up to 6.9. They may be reacting to the acidity of the compost bin material if you see them trying to crawl out of the compost bin.
There is little to worry about if you see them trying to crawl out of the compost bin. Few ever succeed in doing so. But you have to tend to their needs if you want to keep them healthy and producing rich red worms castings for your garden. Therefore, taking note of these things when caring for your red worms is important.
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