Your worm bin should be as a moist a wrung out sponge. A great way to find out if the moisture is just right is to do a squeeze test. Grab a handful of the castings in your bin. If water drips, your bin is too wet. If the castings do not stick much to [...]
Posts Tagged ‘moisture’
“Rotline” Question of the Week: How moist should my worm bin be?
Posted in "Rotline" Question of the Week, tagged castings, Composting, moisture, vermicomposting, worm bins, worms on September 8, 2010 | 1 Comment »
Rotline Question of the Week: Where should I position my compost bin?
Posted in "Rotline" Question of the Week, How to, tagged "Rotline", "Rotline" Question of the Week, bins, compost, compost bin location, compost bins, compost insects, Composting, Heat, home composting, moisture, sustainability, vermicompost, vermicomposting, water, water conservation, where should I put my compost bin?, worm bin, worm bins, worms on June 30, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
There are several things to keep in mind when setting up your composting station: Sun or shade? A worm bin is best placed in the shade. The worms will not fare well in hot temperatures or during a deluge of water during a rainstorm. By placing them in the shade, they will be more protected [...]
Crock Pot Composting – make the ultimate worm food!
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged carbon, compost, Composting, crock pot composting, decomposition, food scraps, Heat, moisture, red wigglers, Temperature, vermicomposting, worm bin, worm bins, worm castings, worm food, worms on May 19, 2010 | 1 Comment »
Crock Pot Composting How to make the ultimate worm food! By: Diane Hollister, Master Composter Worms have no teeth, so they can’t consume the kitchen scraps you feed them until the scraps are broken down a bit. You can do this yourself very easily by putting your food waste in a crock pot. Here’s what [...]
Rotline Question of the week: Can I add frozen food to a worm bin?
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged "Rotline" Question of the Week, Composting, food scraps, frozen fruit in worm bin, fruit scraps, moisture, mushy food, red wigglers, thaw, vegetables, vermicomposting, water, worm bin, worms on February 17, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
If you just made a fruit salad or cut up a large watermelon, you may have more material than can be fit into a worm bin at one time. It’s very convenient to stow this food in the freezer until the worms are hungry again, but will the worms eat this food after it has [...]
Rotline Question of the Week: All this rain has made my bin too wet!
Posted in "Rotline" Question of the Week, tagged "Rotline" Question of the Week, anaerobic, bins, browns, compost, compost bin wetness, Composting, home composting, moisture, nitrogen, rain, red wigglers, straw, vermicomposting, water, worm bins, worm tea, worms on January 22, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
Bin wetness from rain is usually a non-issue in San Diego County but recently, with the extreme rain that has fallen on our lovely County, outdoor compost bins are probably on the soggy side. Remember, optimum bin dampness is comparable to that of a wrung out sponge so if your bin is dripping, it is [...]
“Rotline” Question of the Week: What kinds of paper can be composted?
Posted in "Rotline" Question of the Week, tagged "Rotline" Question of the Week, carbon, compost, compost bin, gardening, greens and browns, moisture, paper, Solana Center for Environmental Innovation, sustainability, waste reduction on December 16, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Paper provides a carbon source for your compost bin. Many kinds of paper can be added to your compost bin, even those with colored ink. The secret to using paper successfully is to shred or chop it and then moisten it before adding it to your bin. It is also helpful to alternate layers of [...]
Why should I compost? I’m not growing vegetables.
Posted in Master Composters, tagged alternate daily cover, anaerobic, biodegrad, carbon dioxide, carbon sequestration, compost, Composting, decay, decomposition, food scraps, garden compost, gardening, green house gases, greens, healthy soil, home composting, landfill, Master Composters, methane, moisture, organic material, pollution, runoff, soil, soil amendments, Solana Center, sustainability, vermicomposting, waste, water conservation, water retention, yard clippings on November 18, 2009 | 2 Comments »
by: David Emmerson, LCCHS Science Teacher and Solana Center Master Composter Kitchen waste, yard clippings, paper, coffee grounds, and other organic materials that are produced in the home are all considered “biodegradable”. This term has a positive connotation, especially to us environmentalists. It means that they can be broken down into their raw materials by [...]
“Rotline” Question of the Week: How often should I turn my pile?
Posted in "Rotline" Question of the Week, tagged aeration, air, backyard bins, Biostack, compost, Composting, how often, Master Composters, moisture, Solana Center, turning bins, water on September 30, 2009 | 2 Comments »
It really depends on how fast you want things to break down. The more you turn your pile, the more air it gets and the faster materials can be broken down by microorganisms. You do not have to turn your pile for the materials to break down. It will just take longer. Turning your pile [...]
“Rotline” Question of the Week: What should I do with my compost bin while I’m on vacation?
Posted in "Rotline" Question of the Week, tagged "Rotline" Question of the Week, browns, compost bin, compost bin sitter, decomposition, greens, Heat, moisture, new worm bin, red wigglers, red worms, Solana Center, vacation, vermicomposting, worms on September 17, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
With holiday season approaching, we have received a lot of questions about what to do with your compost bin while on vacation. No need to hire a compost bin sitter! If you have a backyard composting bin (Biostack, tumbler, etc.) your bin will be fine while you are away on a trip. Your bin will [...]
“Rotline” Question of the Week: Do I need a thermometer to compost?
Posted in "Rotline" Question of the Week, tagged "Rotline", carbon to nitrogen ratio, compost bins, compost piles, compost thermometers, Composting, diseased plants, Heat, microbes, moisture, pile size, Solana Center, Temperature, thermophilic bacteria on June 23, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
You can definitely compost without a thermometer, but thermometers do make composting a bit easier. Thermometers can help you know when to turn your pile, when to add more material, when to add water, and when your compost is finished. Many composters also enjoy the satisfaction of seeing just how hot their pile can get! [...]
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