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 | Watering your vermicompost kit or bin |
Here again the experts disagree, I prefer keeping my vermicompost kit on the wet side, wetter then most. 70% moisture content seems to be acceptable. When the bedding is squeezed tightly only a few drops should appear. I've found that very little watering is necessary when scraps are added on a regular basis, the scraps supply the moisture.
I've heard it said that if you see a slime trail than the earthworms are okay. I've never seen a slime trail from my redworms, and doubt if I ever will. My thinking on this could be wrong, but if the worms need to generate their own moisture in order to crawl around, then they are burning up energy that they could better be using eating garbage.... so, I keep my bedding wetter and they eat a lot better. I don't keep them soaking wet, just nice and damp, they are shiny and slick and they move through the bedding real fast, I can hardly catch them... But, I would imagine that one disadvantage to keeping them this wet, would be the potential for faster break down of the food, which could lead to sour bedding faster. I add brown paper bags and cardboard that seems to counteract this.. Plus I keep what I call a "safe zone" at one end of the bed, I don't add feed or water to this area, it never dries out, but it does give them a safe place to get out of the active part of the bedding in case it gets sour, too hot or too wet. Once the bed is established for a while most problems solve themselves.
The worms prefer a dark, cool place, so even though you want to watch their every movement, let them get settled a little, then just take them from their nice dark, cool place and look at them, then put them back... A place that you can easily view them, isn't necessarily good for them... If you have the cabinet style, you can leave them out, its dark inside the unit, just don't put them in direct sunlight, or place them where it gets too hot or cold.
| That concludes our first lesson. See you back here same place and time for your next lesson... click here to return to main lesson page |
| If you have any questions or comments you may post them on the blog |
| IF YOUR KIT develops a unpleasant odor, sour, etc.., e-mail, contact me immediately. |
- Judy
- In page links:
- My History (A)
- Worms (W)
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T-Dome Homes Basic Manual