Geodesic Greenhouse 10/25/14

Ground level

Fish tank

Sprouts and worm bins

Compost sifter

Looking up

Top level

Lemon Balm & Orange mint

Algae and Duckweed

Cilantro in 1 gallon pot

Tomato, Basil and Strawberries

Duckweed and Watercress

Nasturtium

Green Cabbage

Lettuce

Harvested lettuce

Bagged lettuce, three pots yield a 1/3 pound every week

6" media bed

Red wiggler worm

Growing fish food

Yum

Worm Tea is added to water, algae and compost

Algae and duckweed

In a jar, all sorts of life floating around

Adding it to the fish tank

Worm Growth Info

The greenhouse is full of worms now, 4 full months after starting the worm bins with an initial population of 15,000 red wiggler worms.

One mature worm will produce 99 hatchlings over the time period of 11 weeks and those hatchlings will take 8-12 weeks to become mature worms.

15,000 worms x 99 hatchlings/11 weeks

= 1,485,000 hatchlings

The 15,000 worms keep reproducing given their is enough space, food and proper living conditions.

So.. for another 11 weeks

15,000 worms x 99 hatchlings/11 weeks

= 1,485,000 hatchlings

At this point (22 weeks) there are about...

15,000 mature worms 

1,485,000 additional hatchlings

1,485,000 juvenile worms (about to start reproducing)

In another 11 weeks there will be over 1,500,000 mature worms...

Fortunately the worms will slow their reproduction.

15,000 worms eat 7-15 pounds of food per day,  

1,500,000 worms would eat 750-1500 pounds of food per day.

I would estimate there are over 60,000 mature worms in the bins.

(Update 7/23/14)
More like 120,000 mature worms

Worms and Aquaponics 8/21/14

Worm bins and water tank on ground level

350 gallon tank with 9" wicking bed on top

Water height at 31",  

9.2 gal/in. water

9.2 gal/in. x 31" = 285 gallons

Drain pipes from all the different beds

Worm bins with acorn squash growing

Growing my own fish food

All sorts of plankton, rotifers, insect larvae, duckweed and water bugs growing.

Looking up

Strawberry plant recently planted in the 3" media bed

Nice roots after 5 days

Lemon Cucumber

5" media bed with 1"-1.5" river rock

Compost, worms and soil and mixed in with the rock

Looking down on the wicking bed

Soil layer of wicking bed... needs more compost or mulch on top

Cucumber and basil

Iron deficiencies in the wicking bed

Hanging pot with epazote

Outer ring with algae and duckweed growing

Cabbage

Caring for Worms

What to do when I receive my worms?
-Keep them out of temperatures over 85 degrees and out of direct sunlight
-Give them a drink of water about 1/2 cup water per pound
-Get them to their new home ASAP (Compost pile, com poster, Garden or Lawn)

How to introduce my worms to a new environment?
-Make sure the compost/ new home is moist and simply dump the worms in a single pile on top and cover them with moist burlap, a layer of compost or newspaper.  The worms will dig in to the pile and disperse themselves.

How do I care for my worms?
-Worms like temperatures to be between 40 Deg F and 85 Deg F
-Optimal temps between 68 and 77 Deg F
-Humidity between 70 and 95%, keep compost moist.
-Worms breath through their skin and need oxygen to survive.  Well aerated and drained compost insures healthy worms.
-Worms dont like light
-Pre"cook" your worms food by composting it first then feeding it to your worms.  Worms feed on bacteria, fungi and microbes and will not be able to eat food scraps until they have begun to decompose.

Worm bin materials
-Bedding is the material your worms and the microbial community will live in.  Worms will eat this as well.  Shredded cardboard, Shredded wood chips, Shredded newspaper, dead leafs

-Worm Food is material that is added to the bedding to keep the worms and the microbial community fed.   
-Red wiggler worms are surface feeders
-One pound of mature red wigglers equals 800-1200 worms
-Worms can eat their weight daily, start by feeding them 1/2 of their weight in food per day.
-If the worms do not completely eat the food wait before adding more food.

Do add: Vegetable and Fruit waste, bread, pasta, grains, starchy foods, aged animal manure, eggshells , coffee grounds, brewers mash, yard waste.  

Do not add:  Human or pet waste, non-biodegradable material, dairy or meat, oil/grease, harsh cleaners or chemicals.

Watch them Grow
One worm will make 3 cocoons per week
21 days until the cocoon hatches
42 days until hatchings mature

In 12 weeks 
100 worms will grow into
2800 Mature worms
5400 Juveniles
9000 Cocoons

Worms in Durango

I am now selling Worms and Worm castings

 Red wiggler worms (Eisenia fetida)

1000 worms for $20
2000 worms for $35

3000 worms for $50 
4000 worms for $65

5000 worms for $80

Worm Castings

5 pounds for $5
10 pounds for $10
15 pounds for $15
20 pounds for $20
25 pounds for $25
30 pounds for $30

Call 330-317-5769

or visit us at

2537 Main Ave.
Durango, CO