Post by Jay Blair on Sept 30, 2005 19:33:40 GMT -5
Take two soda bottles of the same size ( 2 liter or 3 liter)
If you use green tint you can remove the label if you use clear it is better to leave the label in place to provide the worms extra comfort.
Rinse both bottles and using scissors , cut the tops fro the bottles.
One bottle should be cut even with the top edge of the label. this bottle and cap section will become the worm bin.
Before cutting the top section of the bottle off, using a pin, compass point, small nail etc, punch air holes around the bottle from the midsection up. You can be creative in the patten but the band of air holes should be about an inch wide and be at least 5 to 10 per square inch.
Then on the bottom punch holes in the "petals" of the "daisy molded" foot of the bottle for drainage to the liquid catch bottle of the tower
Now cut the top of the bottle off at the line formed by the label top.
Cut the top out of the second bottle and discard the top.
insert bottle #1 into the second bottle and approx 1 inch below where the bottom of bottle 1 fits in bottle 2 punch a single air vent hole in the side of bottle #2. This ensures pressure release in case the two bottles fit air tight in the tower configuration.
Add shredded paper and leaves to bottle #1.
Collect tap water, preferably from the hot water tap to add to the bedding. Actually water from an aquarium after cleaning is better, however tap water left out in the sunlight for a day is sufficient.
After the water has been de-chlorinated by being left out for at least 24 hours and in sunlight, it is ready for use.
Place bottle #1 with the bedding mix in place into the catch basin bottle #2.
Add water to the bedding slowly until it is saturated and some liquid drips into bottle #2 to a depth of approximately 1/4 of an inch.
Now fit the cut off top portion that was saved from bottle #1 into the body of bottle #1 until it touches the 90 to 100 % moisture saturated Bedding mix.
Loosen the bottle cap to allow air flow but to restrict evaporation.
When you can see condensation on the sides and lid of bottle #1 and the moisture left in bottle #2 has decreased, this indicates the bedding moisture has decreased closer to the 75 % saturation considered to be optimum for the Eisenia fetida worms used in this miniature educational bin.
At this point it is time to ad 10 to 14 banded breeder E.f. worm stock to the chamber.
after 2 to 3 days and the worms acclimation to the bin is complete, it is time to sprinkle feed on the surface in small quantities.
As a worm will consume about 1/2 its body weight per day, a sprinkling of a tsp of plain cornmeal or fattener mix (see beddings and feeds) every few days to a week should be sufficient until hatchlings are born.
Food bits in small quantities may also be buried in the bedding for observance during bedding and stock inspection as the experiment progresses.
There is the basics of the Eisenia fetida desk top worm farm. We will continue this thread with a question and answer discussion and individual progress reports of our "totally recycled materials" vermi-compost educational experiment.
As soon as I have sufficient sunshine I will post a picture of the modified components to go with figure 1 below. Figure 1 is correct except the need of the tape is no longer required.
Figure 1:
Figure 2: The components. For reference the blue backdrop is 10 inches tall approximately.
Figure 3: Assembled view
Will be added tomorrow if the sun shines and my camera downloads it without a line through it
If you use green tint you can remove the label if you use clear it is better to leave the label in place to provide the worms extra comfort.
Rinse both bottles and using scissors , cut the tops fro the bottles.
One bottle should be cut even with the top edge of the label. this bottle and cap section will become the worm bin.
Before cutting the top section of the bottle off, using a pin, compass point, small nail etc, punch air holes around the bottle from the midsection up. You can be creative in the patten but the band of air holes should be about an inch wide and be at least 5 to 10 per square inch.
Then on the bottom punch holes in the "petals" of the "daisy molded" foot of the bottle for drainage to the liquid catch bottle of the tower
Now cut the top of the bottle off at the line formed by the label top.
Cut the top out of the second bottle and discard the top.
insert bottle #1 into the second bottle and approx 1 inch below where the bottom of bottle 1 fits in bottle 2 punch a single air vent hole in the side of bottle #2. This ensures pressure release in case the two bottles fit air tight in the tower configuration.
Add shredded paper and leaves to bottle #1.
Collect tap water, preferably from the hot water tap to add to the bedding. Actually water from an aquarium after cleaning is better, however tap water left out in the sunlight for a day is sufficient.
After the water has been de-chlorinated by being left out for at least 24 hours and in sunlight, it is ready for use.
Place bottle #1 with the bedding mix in place into the catch basin bottle #2.
Add water to the bedding slowly until it is saturated and some liquid drips into bottle #2 to a depth of approximately 1/4 of an inch.
Now fit the cut off top portion that was saved from bottle #1 into the body of bottle #1 until it touches the 90 to 100 % moisture saturated Bedding mix.
Loosen the bottle cap to allow air flow but to restrict evaporation.
When you can see condensation on the sides and lid of bottle #1 and the moisture left in bottle #2 has decreased, this indicates the bedding moisture has decreased closer to the 75 % saturation considered to be optimum for the Eisenia fetida worms used in this miniature educational bin.
At this point it is time to ad 10 to 14 banded breeder E.f. worm stock to the chamber.
after 2 to 3 days and the worms acclimation to the bin is complete, it is time to sprinkle feed on the surface in small quantities.
As a worm will consume about 1/2 its body weight per day, a sprinkling of a tsp of plain cornmeal or fattener mix (see beddings and feeds) every few days to a week should be sufficient until hatchlings are born.
Food bits in small quantities may also be buried in the bedding for observance during bedding and stock inspection as the experiment progresses.
There is the basics of the Eisenia fetida desk top worm farm. We will continue this thread with a question and answer discussion and individual progress reports of our "totally recycled materials" vermi-compost educational experiment.
As soon as I have sufficient sunshine I will post a picture of the modified components to go with figure 1 below. Figure 1 is correct except the need of the tape is no longer required.
Figure 1:
Figure 2: The components. For reference the blue backdrop is 10 inches tall approximately.
Figure 3: Assembled view
Will be added tomorrow if the sun shines and my camera downloads it without a line through it
