Please help my compost bin!

I would have preferred an outdoor bin, but we have limited outdoor space.

It’s vermicompost.

Bin is plastic, like this.

Bedding is cardboard, coconut coir, dirt, brown paper bags (no printing) etc. Feeding are daily, mostly leafy vegetables, once I fed leek and a few tiny bits of potatoes, coffee grounds, tea leaves and bags, cardboard and paper…

That’s attractive! Looks like an interesting project. I think the Planet Natural link mentions weekly feeding. Does the instructions for this one say how often to feed it?

Daily. The guide is below if you are interested. I read the link in your post, it was the only place that weekly feeding is recommended.

urbalive-guide.pdf (3.4 MB)

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Thanks! Sounds intriguing. How long have you been doing this? Wish I could be more helpful.

More than 1 year, the first worms are smaller and thinner in sizes, they aren’t doing much nor reproducing, we didn’t get any compost tea. We ordered some Eisenia fetida and they arrived 5 weeks ago, they are red and size are much bigger than the previous ones, and they are really alive and moving fast.

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@Auspicious @shrinkrap

Things seem to get better with the worms escape problem. We added a lot more of dried paper and carton in the few days. First night we put lights around the bin, no escape. Second night, lights off, 2 escaped, Third night, no light and no escape! For the time being, we believe it’s the bedding being too damp.

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@naf

Excellent. So glad getting you on track was fast.

What do you use your compost product for? House plants?

I suddenly find myself back into bonsai (not my idea) and am paying attention to compost again.

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9 posts were merged into an existing topic: Our beautiful gardens (a break from food farming)

Just to report back, the escape problem is completely solved now, no worms escape for months. An extra tray is added, meaning the top tray for papers, vegetables etc. Second tray, which in the past we’ve got rid of, consists of the compose, some worms are resting there. I guess they need some space for themselves, if they don’t have that, they try to come out.

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