tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26816599.post258697971182254096..comments2023-10-23T17:28:19.436-04:00Comments on Jeph's Spot: Let's make compost!Jephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843262392217281569noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26816599.post-29359328547267968832023-10-01T11:24:18.504-04:002023-10-01T11:24:18.504-04:00I thought about making this system with an old pla...I thought about making this system with an old plastic cart and I'm glad you made one too and wrote about it! :-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26816599.post-82020818528937098912013-07-19T17:15:56.783-04:002013-07-19T17:15:56.783-04:00Hi guys - sorry - I seem to have missed the last t...Hi guys - sorry - I seem to have missed the last two comments here... I stopped using the drawers after about a year, mostly because of their smaller size, and I felt I was likely to overstuff them, plus not maintain them as well. Since I've got the three-tray worm bin, and also a couple plain old Rubbermaid tubs now, the drawers were just that much more work to slide open and closed and, as I said there was the size issue. Bigger drawers would probably be great.<br /><br /><br />Chris - I didn't notice any decapitations, but it IS possible. I worry about the same thing with the stackable tower trays because whenever I lift the lid off, there's always some worms on the lid, near the edge, etc and while I'm putting food scraps in, someone tries to make a run for the edge (I don't think they're trying to escape - they're just moving around). Between that and using a large kitchen spoon to lift up bedding to add more scraps, I know I've chopped some worms over the years. It's never intentional, but it happens. I remind myself that worms can recover from minor wounds (no, you won't likely get two worms from cutting one in half)...plus they're sort of a bit mindless, and hopefully aren't too aware?<br /><br />Cathy - Thanks! Unfortunately I don't maintain the blog as much as I used to. These days I'm more likely to just post a pic with quick comment on Facebook.<br /><br />Like I said above, the worm drawers DID work, but I started off with a smaller drawer system, AND sometimes I can go for weeks or longer before checking on the worms. In the bigger systems (the worm tower/trays, and the big Rubbermaid tubs), there's sort of a critical mass that keeps everything moist and they can finish off EVERY bit of scrap and shredded paper and they still do fine. With the small drawers, I'm afraid I let them dry out at some point. I just told myself that the worm castings were also benefiting from composted critters. And BOY do garden/house plants green up a short while after giving them a dosage of castings/worm pee!<br /><br />I've found a much simpler method than the drawers and even the stackable trays. I know we're told we're supposed to always have drainage, and I've seen where people have a Rubbermaid tub with holes drilled in the bottom and various methods to siphon off the worm pee (funnels and tubes, another tub underneath to catch it, etc)...but seriously, I've had two Rubbermaid tubs in our basement for probably a year or more, and I just pile scraps and shredded paper in them, alternating between them and the tower depending on which I kinda sorta remember loading stuff into the last few times, and that's it. I don't drain the tubs (so no, I'm not getting the perks of diluting worm pee into my plants), but they're also not drowning in there. I don't clamp down the lids, and I found a sheet of burlap a little bigger than the top helped take care of all the fruit fly problems I had for awhile. Worms, scraps, shredded paper to cover it all, a piece of burlap overhanging the top, and then the lid rested on and maybe only one side clamped - SUPER easy. Then when I need castings, I go in and scoop into a garden bucket and use it where needed. Sure, some worms get chopped - but they could also get picked out of the soil by a robin. I don't separate out the worms from the castings - I figure they'll help in the garden. Maybe they're not winter hardy for this area, but they've had a great life until then.<br /><br />Sorry I've babbled on - but hopefully there's some good tips here you can pick and choose from.Jephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02843262392217281569noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26816599.post-89022117553211129732013-07-18T21:55:33.302-04:002013-07-18T21:55:33.302-04:00Hi Jeph...stumbled onto your blog and have been ha...Hi Jeph...stumbled onto your blog and have been having a blast reading your posts! I'm dying to know if the drawers worked for your worms? I want to start my own composting colony and I love this ideaAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17112076457744268962noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26816599.post-24258931851994589632011-02-01T04:04:51.010-05:002011-02-01T04:04:51.010-05:00Good idea with the stacked drawers. Much easier t...Good idea with the stacked drawers. Much easier than DIY stacked bins. I'm just afraid you might decapitate a couple of worms when you open a drawer. Any such experiences?Chrishttp://cianoy.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26816599.post-84466205636594232852011-01-30T15:46:06.979-05:002011-01-30T15:46:06.979-05:00Oh congrats on your new toy! I am definitely not ...Oh congrats on your new toy! I am definitely not a Mac person. I have a MacBook Pro for work, so that I can test code on the various computers/browsers, but a lot of the UI just doesn't come naturally to me. Yes, it's definitely attractive looking, but I'm not a fan of how apps work, are accessed, etc. Oh well, it gets the job done! ;-)Jephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02843262392217281569noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26816599.post-74579694244076933282011-01-30T11:09:15.753-05:002011-01-30T11:09:15.753-05:00You are amazing. . . even in the dead of winter, y...You are amazing. . . even in the dead of winter, you find a way to do gardening!<br /><br />Hey! I got a Mac! Never thought I could make the switch. But my 5 year old Dell was dying a slow death and so many people kept telling me, "Get a Mac!" So I got a MacBook Pro and absolutely love it.Sherryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00025393028275333234noreply@blogger.com