Doesn't worm casts have some kind of germination hormone in it? I remember I tossed in some string beans I thought were rotten into my bin and 10 days later I saw six bean seedlings

I have seeds of all types sprout often. I used to do something about it but now I don't worry. Eventually the darkness wins plus burying it at the next feeding helps smother it.

I have seeds sprouting all the time....cantaloupe, especially.
I just pick them out and leave them to die so the worms will eat them.

I get a lot of pepper plants. They seem to sprawl forever with no light. I leave them alone for a couple of weeks and they disappear.

hi! this happens to me all the time. and i am wondering: has anyone taken sprouts from their bin and successfully made new veggie or fruit plants out of them? i would love to save some sprouts in the spring for veggies for the garden.

any suggestions? i am a very very inexperienced gardener (though wormer for a year!) and i'd love any advice.

I've thought of this also, but the problem would be that the sprouts will be almost too leggy to be any good.

Maybe if you watch them closely. Put them on top and watch them. Once you see them start to sprout, move them into a peat tray filled with the compost.

actually, i've got a bunch of sprouts that sprouted outside right now. i used some VC in a pot of rose cuttings, and random seeds sprouted in sunlight. they are muscular,i think, growing outside as nature intended?

i doubt they'll make it this winter, but possibly in the spring - would they have the chops to make it?

All kinds of stuff sprouts. I just mix it in. I've even had mango seeds sprout.

I harvested from one of my nested 5-gallon bucket bins this weekend and found some strange extensive root *thing* had grown underneath the worm's home into the leachate bucket below. Lots of worms were clung to it and swimming around in the leachate too.I have no idea what kind of root this was, but it was tough like tendril roots on a maple tree and I couldn't find any stem associated with it. I had a tough time separating this root thing from the castings also. Any idea what I was growing? I tossed bits and pieces of it into the newly-bedded bin as I separated worms from castings. I'm still puzzled as to what I had growing.

I have managed, quite by accident, to grow two oak trees from some acorns. The kids had collected them and I in a fit of cleaning madness I chucked them into the bin. Once the bottom bin was removed, I found two little saplings in there which I duly planted (with some VC of course). We have since moved so I'll have to go back to check on them.

I've got green peppers sprouting in my bin; but the peppers that I'm actually trying to start under my seed lights arent being cooperative! :)

One of the oak saplings is still alive and well. Will have to see how big it gets.

We also had this occuring in our bins. As most people say, it is not much of a problem, when you see the sprouts. It can be more annoying when the seeds sprout in the garden, after adding the compost to the garden soil.
Adding the organic waste that contains seeds first to a bokashi bin might help here. The seeds will be killed and the bokashi can still be added (in small portions) to the wormbin afterwards.

you can read more on my blog: www.compostier.blogspot.com
it's in dutch I'm affraid, but if you hit 'translate' it will be available in english

Here is a link that might be useful: seeds germ in the compost bin

I am doing a science experiment in my school were I try to grow a house plant, tropical plant or some type of fruit/ vegetable out of a worm bin and another out a regular compost bin with mixed soil. The bins are both black buckets with large circular holes cut in them for the plant to grow through. The plant is going to be a tropical plant that can grow in shade and with moisture. Does anyone think I would be able to grow a plant with earthworms in a large from bin or a plant with only compost? If I could what type of plants should I use? I ordered red wigglers should I use another type of worm?

I am doing a science experiment in my school were I try to grow a house plant, tropical plant or some type of fruit/ vegetable out of a worm bin and another out a regular compost bin with mixed soil. The bins are both black buckets with large circular holes cut in them for the plant to grow through. The plant is going to be a tropical plant that can grow in shade and with moisture. Does anyone think I would be able to grow a plant with earthworms in a large from bin or a plant with only compost? If I could what type of plants should I use? I ordered red wigglers should I use another type of worm?

Alex, I see no one has yet responded to your post. I'd like to try to help you, but before trying to address your concerns, I have a lot of questions for you!

1. What is the stated purpose of your experiment or what question are you hoping to answer with this experiment?

2. What do you mean by "regular" compost?

3. Are these 5-gallon buckets you have, or what? If so, do you really need such big containers?

4. Why do you have to cut holes in them for the plants to grow through? Do they have lids that cannot be removed? What about holes in the bottom? These are necessary for drainage - very important!

5. What do you mean by "regular compost"?

6. You said you have ordered red wigglers...Do you necessarily wish to grow a plant in a working worm bin? Or is it because you need the vermicompost? I will tell you that this will have to be a very long-range experiment indeed if your goal is to obtain worm compost and have not yet started a bin! It takes at least several months to receive finished worm compost. They do not eat fast & poop a lot daily like cows or horses! LOL On the other hand, finished worm compost IS available to buy at garden centers or online if having some to use for your experiment is your main goal here.

Now, I also want to suggest that there may not be much, if any, difference in a plant grown in what I am guessing you mean by "regular compost" and worm compost. Both should contain a good mix of nutrients. However, if you were to use containers that each were filled with various types of growing media - say, one with plain soil from the yard, one with peat moss, one with sand, one with perlite or vermiculite, one with bagged soilless mix with fertilizer and one without, etc., then I would expect you would see very different results.

Also - and this is another point concerning the time frame you are working with - if you were to start your experiment with already-growing plants compared to starting your plants from a type of seed that grows quickly (say radishes, beans, squash, or citrus seeds for example) you will likely need months to see what effect the various types of "soil" will have on that plant's growth. Using all the same type of seed in each container would show results comparatively quickly. (Note that the different pots likely would have different moisture requirements, too.)

I am not trying to criticize your experiment but to critique it and am happy to offer further assistance and reply to any further questions you have if you will post them here. I am sure many other readers would be happy to help you, too. I hope you respond to this soon so we can help you get started!

Alex, if this has to be a tropical plant, an avocado is a good one to start with! My granddaughter has one I gave her last fall that had sprouted in one of my worm bins and it is growing pretty fast in the kitchen window at her house in Ohio. We just had to transplant it into a bigger pot last weekend. It is about 20" tall now.