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Worms in wicking beds

Looking for feedback on how well worms are sustained in wicking beds. Thanks.

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by TCLynx on September 12, 2013 at 2:43pm

worms are likely to be very happy in a wicking bed as long as you keep plenty of additions of organic matter to the bed. Worms like moist but not overly wet conditions and decomposing organic matter, a wicking bed sounds like a wonderful place for worms to live.

Permalink Reply by Blue Hiller on October 12, 2013 at 4:03pm

I threw a handful of wrigglers into my wicking bed. Stay tuned.

Permalink Reply by Robert J on October 25, 2013 at 7:35pm

Mine are doing fine... My bed is an experiment I have a 3" layer in the bottom where the water lives, and use a mix of peat, worm castings, and perlite for the top. I put in about 50 wigglers and probably have a hundred or so now.

Its designed as a self watering system so the water level is maintained pretty constant.

Permalink Reply by Blue Hiller on October 26, 2013 at 7:06am

Robert,

Do you add additional organic matter for the worms?

What is the surface area of your bed?

Thanks

Robert J said:

Mine are doing fine... My bed is an experiment I have a 3" layer in the bottom where the water lives, and use a mix of peat, worm castings, and perlite for the top. I put in about 50 wigglers and probably have a hundred or so now.

Its designed as a self watering system so the water level is maintained pretty constant.

Permalink Reply by Robert J on October 26, 2013 at 7:47am

about 30 square feet. No need. The bed seems to generates enough dead root matter to keep them happy. In a few weeks i'll be covering the whole thing with straw to over-winter and leave some straw behind in the spring. According to the worm guy, they or at least their eggs should survive the winter. Will see in spring.

Blue Hiller said:

Robert,

Do you add additional organic matter for the worms?

What is the surface area of your bed?

Thanks

Robert J said:

Mine are doing fine... My bed is an experiment I have a 3" layer in the bottom where the water lives, and use a mix of peat, worm castings, and perlite for the top. I put in about 50 wigglers and probably have a hundred or so now.

Its designed as a self watering system so the water level is maintained pretty constant.

Permalink Reply by Blue Hiller on October 26, 2013 at 11:21am

Good thought. I have several smaller wicking beds (40-50 gallon containers, 3" rock, coir, soil) and I have thrown in a clump of worms & their compost to give them something to snack on in the transition to the plant root (seedlings now). All of this is in a passive solar GH which is staying at 58-60F through 30F nights here in Maine. I'll try to report back on outcome.

Robert J said:

about 30 square feet. No need. The bed seems to generates enough dead root matter to keep them happy. In a few weeks i'll be covering the whole thing with straw to over-winter and leave some straw behind in the spring. According to the worm guy, they or at least their eggs should survive the winter. Will see in spring.

Blue Hiller said:

Robert,

Do you add additional organic matter for the worms?

What is the surface area of your bed?

Thanks

Robert J said:

Mine are doing fine... My bed is an experiment I have a 3" layer in the bottom where the water lives, and use a mix of peat, worm castings, and perlite for the top. I put in about 50 wigglers and probably have a hundred or so now.

Its designed as a self watering system so the water level is maintained pretty constant.