Mixing Worms in the Same Bin

This is a frequent question we get from customers, so I thought I would highlight it and answer it for everyone to see! Here is the most recent one I have received.

Can you mix red worms with other worms?( in the Same bin.)
-Chuck

+   = Good

Thanks for the question Chuck!  We get many variations of this question, sometimes people ask if worms will attack one another,  if they will fight, if they will get along, etc. The short answer is that you can mix worm species together!

There are actually some benefits to mixing the worms together:

• Always have the right worm for the environment. Different species do better in different environments. So as the conditions of your bin change, the worm that is best for those conditions will start to reproduce faster. This means you will get faster composting rates!
• Get the best of both worlds. For example, you can use your European Nightcrawlers for fishing, and have the Red Worms in there for their superior composting abilities.
• No more keeping up with 2 bins!

We are happy to answer any other questions you may have. Just shoot us an email through our contact page.

Worm Farmers in Training

I got a nice note from Mr. Riddle’s class telling me of their worm composting experience. Below is a picture of their set-up:

As you can see, these students have been getting hands on experience vermicomposting at Polk County Middle School under the careful guidance of Mr. Riddle. Here is what Mr. Riddle’s class had to say about their set-up:

Things are going well so far.  We're recycling about 10 pounds of
cafeteria waste each week, and our 7 pounds of worms seem to be handling
it OK.  I'm using straw (mostly) and some shredded newspaper for bedding.
The bin is 4 ft x 8 ft x 1 ft deep.

Thank you for updating us. We wish you all continued success in your vermicomposting efforts! It is always great to hear of students getting involved with recycling and composting. Keep up the good work Mr. Riddle and his students.

Where to Buy Red Worms

Currently, we don’t sell any worms on this site – sorry. Our mission is to provide accurate and useful information to help people interested in vermicomposting. Inline with providing useful information I can provide a recommendation to a very reputable website that supplies worms whom I have dealt with on several occasions. Not only does www.Earthworms4Sale.com provide great worms, they are also very knowledgeable and helpful.

Here are a breakdown of the different compost worms available on their site:

• Red Worms – (the smallest compost worm) -the best for the people interested in composting
• European Nightcrawlers – (a mid-size worm) great for composting and fishing
• African Nightcrawlers – (the largest compost worm) makes a good fishing worm, but can also be used to compost

Be sure to checkout their full line of worm composting products. As always, I’d love to hear what you think about them or any other worm suppliers. Knowledge is power.

Wet Worm Casting

I have noticed that when a worm bin gets too wet the casting get muddy and smelly. Harvesting the castings then becomes quite difficult. If you leave them out to dry they become hard. If you have had a similar experience than you can relate to the following reader question:

My worm castings is very wet and doesn’t crumble. it seems more like paste. How do I get it to mix with the soil? I tried letting it dry for a while and it just became hard.

The best answer is to make sure that your bin doesn’t get too wet in the first place. An overly wet bin causes anaerobic bacteria to grow, which will cause the bin to smell and detracts from the effectiveness of the castings. The castings get muddy and when dried they get hard. The castings will be more difficult to work with and less beneficial to your soil and plants.

Below are a few tips to keeping the right amount of moisture in your bin:

• Have adequate drainage holes at the bottom
• Have holes in the top of the bin as well to allow proper air flow
• Make sure your bin has the appropriate moisture content from the start and try to keep the correct balance
• Pre-soak bedding before starting a bin and wring the water out by hand
• Add dry bedding whenever wet feed is added (like fruit scrapes)
• Generally there is no need to add water to your bin, other than a mist to cool it in the summer

Keeping the right moisture content in your bin will make the worms happy, the bin should then be relatively odorless or pleasant smelling, and your castings should be rich and crumbly.