New Worm Box

[hendi_alex]

Is much larger than my old arrangement. So far so good!





Several years old compost bin arrangement. If doing over would have poured the concrete pad to accommodate the three bins in a row.

[ReptileAddiction]

How does your worm bin do outside? I read somewhere that if they get too hot they die and I imagine it gets fairly hot there.

[hendi_alex]

Never had a problem with excessive heat, though the worms most actively multiply during the moderate temperatures of spring and fall. If you notice the top of my worm box has a 3/4 foam board insert to keep the heat from penetrating so much and to preserve moisture. In the past I've placed my worm box in the shade during the hot summer, so may either have to change its current location or may have to improvise some shade.

[ReptileAddiction]

I might think about adding my own bin outside. To give them some shade (and since you can obviously build things) you could build a frame out of 2x4's or whatever you have laying around (for some reason I always have excess 2x4's so that is what popped in to my head) then staple shade cloth to it and then give it 4 "legs".

[tomc]

Alex is dependent on temperate weather in the Carolina's. If its cool enough he'll do great. if its uber hot even with a foam barrier they'll roast.

[hendi_alex]

I kept worms in an old kettle grill for years. Outside temperatures often got up to near 100 degrees and the kettle was black enamel, but the worm colony always survived. I may do a little more research on their temperature tolerance however, so I'll know when to take other preparation.

[hendi_alex]

The box is lined with landscape fabric, and I'm sure that helps a good bit with moisture control. Also, the blue foam board on top keeps water from evaporating from the surface. My worm bed is fed a combination of one year old partially composted leaves as well as a moderate amount of kitchen scraps. I've never had a problem with the bed getting too dry, but have had previous beds get too wet when dry browns are not added often enough. Pretty often during mild weather when the worms are most active, I remove a bid of the material from the box and mix in some fairly dry browns that help absorb excess moisture. If the bed ever does start to get a little too dry, I'll just spray it from the hose that is nearby.

This bed does hold about 12-15 cubit feet, so it will likely be very slow to dry out.

[jamiea]

Great idea, I can reuse an old raised bed, and it already has a lid.

I was getting fed up with the stacked worm bins (they're such a pain to load and get the compost out without getting rid of the worms).

Can't wait to try this. Thanks!