Thanks so much for the info. The earth box is just 1" too big but too big is too big
I was on the gro-kachi site and noticed they were suggesting coco, perlite and I think gypsum for the base. That Koot guy was using it too. I was kind of wondering about coco mainly cause I've got a bunch of coco/perlite/rice hulls already. $45 for 2 cu' BAS
Unless your wealthy, FL isn't too canna friendly. Closest hydro stores are hour away and I don't trust em so I have to pay the freight.
I can chime in on a couple of the worm/bedding questions.
Its totally alright to use perlite in your worm bin. I used to do this, and am probably the one that started the practice that others have adopted.
I looked at it like this. If I am using the contents of my worm bin to add to my soil mix, I am going to want to have it 1/3 aeration eventually. It makes way more sense to add the perlite right into the worm bin, and let the microbial life establish itself within the perlite. If you think about it, it has to be way better than just adding half a gallon of perlite straight out of the bag, to say a gallon of worm castings and then mixing it up and adding to the soil mix. Think about it like charging the perlite similar to what is done with bio char. The only reason that I don't still use perlite in my worm bins, is I have found small bark nuggets or bark fines to work even better as an aeration component, with the bonus of adding free carbon and slow feeding the soil for a long period of time. For no tills like I run, its the ticket. I also like the fact that as I water in vermicompost with bark, the castings portions washes down into the soil, leaving the bark behind as a great mulch. Its a self mulching deal. I also add ricehulls to my bedding.
Also, since vermicomposting is an aerobic process requiring air, things will break down much quicker with the added aeration.
As far as coir in the worm bin. Coot hated coir, at least in the end. I was active over on GC organic when he was posting all his ideas and techs. I know from experience that coir doesn't play well with organic soil mixes. If I was going to use my castings in both soil mixes and top dressing, I wouldn't use coir at all. However, If I was running separate bins for top dress and soil mixes, I would use it in the top dress bin. Coir is a great mulch, and loaded with organic K, which is really hard to get good amounts of, therefore it makes a great, if not superior top dress or mulch. Once the coir is composted to the point it looks like dirt, it doesn't seem to pose problems in soil mixes. My good friend has a thing for coir, this is one way that works well. If you wanted to run it through bins, the thing to do is mix it with something like un-composted manure, and let it compost real well before running it through the worm bin.
Here is a basic quick bedding recipe. In other circles this is known as "Sinse's mix"
2 gallons compost or leaf mold or peat or composted bagged manure( or coir if you like)
1 gallon small bark nuggets (I used to sub perlite or pumice)
1/2 gallon of rice hulls
To that I add some dry amendments
2-4 TBS each of fishbone, kelp, crab, and neem seed meals
1-2 TBS each of gypsum, malted barley powder, oyster shell powder
I add rockdust and biochar while I am making the compost or leaf mold, to add rock dust right to the ingredients of the bedding 1/2 cup is a good amount.
You want the mix wet enough so that when you squeeze a handful, you get one drop of water out of a handful. If you are mixing it up, and its getting all balled up, you just need a touch more water. Wetter is better for the worms than dryer. The can't or don't like to travel to a dry spot.
For the record, all the stuff I list above for bedding mix is what also goes in my soil mixes. I am not getting anything special for my bedding mixes, just using the worm bins to 'pre cycle' amendments so they are ready and available the second they are used.
Other good things to add to bedding are alfalfa, soybean, and fish meals. They do get warm as they break down, so they should be sprinkled on top of the bedding and misted, or incorporated into the base materials before it is packed into a bin.
Hope that helps some. I could geek out on worms all day. Ask me anything, anytime.
cheers
os
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