"worm friendly" media

[Christopher Brickey]

 so i have to switch out the media in my gb's and i was wanting suggestions for a media that my worms will be happy in.

[Michael Welber]

I'd be interested too. I put handfuls of red wigglers in my grow beds of expanded shale and hydroton and haven't seen them since. i thought when I pulled some plants a few worms would come out with the roots but nothing. 

[Rob Torcellini]

i have red wigglers in all my beds...some have crushed granite, most are expanded shale.  If it's a new-ish system, there isn't much organic material for them to feast on so you will have a very small population.  I usually don't bother to introduce them until after 1 or 2 growing cycles....

-Rob T.  (http://www.youtube.com/web4deb)

[rick kennerly]

expanded shale seems to be working for mine so far.  

[Michael Welber]

Do you see them in the bed Rob? Or what evidence do you have that they are in there? Thanks. 

[Rob Torcellini]

I see them every so often in there.  They sort of self regulate their population based on the amount of food they have.  One time I buried a banana peel in the bed.  A couple of weeks later, I dug it out and found plenty!  ;-)

[Sylvia Bernstein]

I have lots of worms in both my expanded clay beds and my gravel beds.  I think the key is using media that is large enough to allow the worms to move around in.  I love your  idea, Rob, of burying a banana peel as a "worm trap" to check the health of your worm population.  I've found that a lot of them like to hang out towards the muck at the bottom of the beds as well as near the plant roots.

[Michael Welber]

Wow. Is it OK to put a banana peel into the beds? I guess I just wonder if the rotting material won't find its way back to my fish tank. 

[Christopher Brickey]

 I see my EH's every time i plant. I am hoping they are at the bottom too though, lol. i will find out soon since i will be changing the media. i just found out that the pea gravel i have been using has limestone or whatever in it and has been raising the ph of the system.

 I have not heard of expanded shale. i am looking it up now. 

 michael, rotting material is what makes the system run to begin with.

[Christopher Brickey]

 i guess that perlite is not a good option?

[Sheri Schmeckpeper]

I don't think the media matters. We use hydroton & the worms are growing like crazy. We put them in about 4 months ago, maybe, and find worms of all sizes, eggs, etc. now. They do need rotting matter to eat, so a brand new system may not provide the food they need right away.. They also have a specific temperature range for survival. Beyond that, they're pretty easy keepers.

[Christopher Brickey]

 well i heard that perlite tears them up. so i stopped using it in my potting soil mixes. i found out though that hydraton is HEAVY. so i was hoping to find a lighter media that can be used.

Sheri Schmeckpeper said:

I don't think the media matters. We use hydroton & the worms are growing like crazy. We put them in about 4 months ago, maybe, and find worms of all sizes, eggs, etc. now. They do need rotting matter to eat, so a brand new system may not provide the food they need right away.. They also have a specific temperature range for survival. Beyond that, they're pretty easy keepers.

[Michael Welber]

That could be my problem because it has gotten hot here. I won't put more in until the fall when it cools off.