This is a public-interest archive. Personal data is pseudonymized and retained under GDPR Article 89.

Re: Red Wiggler Help!

Chris,

Build a worm composter for those Red Wigglers, then feed them all your
vegetable waste from the kitchen.  Your information is correct.  Red
Wigglers need a high organic content to survive.  If you don't want to build
(or buy) a worm composter, you can just work them into your garden.  When
they die, they add more nitrogen to the soil.  If you are interested in a
worm bin, go to the library and get the book _Worms Eat My Garbage_ (darn,
can't think of the author's name).  It's an easy to read book (I did it in
two nights, reading the hour before I went to bed), but very comprehensive.
Your local County Extension will probably have information on worm bins too,
including plans for building one.

Sally
spwolff@whidbey.net


>Here is my dilemma!

>In February I added some horse manure to my compost pile in order to bring
>up the nitrogen levels. The compost pile is now approximately 2 yards in
>size. The horse manure was loaded with Red Wigglers. I now have millions of
>them in my compost pile. I am sifting the compost through a 1/4 in. screed
>box 8' X 4" to remove all the unwanted material, twigs, rocks etc.

>In order to save the worms from being mashed through the screen, killing
>most of them, I have painstakingly been hand picking them out and adding
>them to my garden. 

>I have been told unlike earthworms, Red Wigglers require super high organic
>levels with high nitrogen levels or they will not survive long.

>The organic levels of my soil based on a recent soil analysis
>is 12.8 but nitrogen is very low.

>I am pondering if I am  wasting my time with this very slow endeavor,
>should I continue to try and save the Red Wigglers to add to my garden or
>just go ahead and run them through the screen?
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index