Worms and Burlap

11 years ago

I understand there have been many posts on burlap. I wanted to go back into the archives to find when I first added burlap to my bins. Its not easy as Houzz doesnt seem to have things in order so I went to the search bar to find. I was thinking 6mo and it is closer maybe to 7mo anyway the 4 layers of burlap in the 360 is practically used up sort of blended into the bedding below it. Not so in my homemade plastic bin. Only two layers there but the burlap is still in good shape. So I can only conclude by this that the worms in the 360 are happier and that the herd is larger than in the homemade. Although the worms in the homemade sure eat all I put in there but it does seem to take longer.

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Comments (8)

dwighthe
11 years ago
Where did you get the burlap?
hummersteve
Original Author
11 years ago
Menards, but rural king also has it .
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hummersteve
Original Author
11 years ago
In my homemade plastic bin having burlap in it has been a waste as Ive had trouble keeping burlap wet enough as the plastic sweats so much, so leaving a 1/2" crack allows the burlap to dry out very quickly making it not advantageous for the worms. But lately I have been spraying the burlap with a pro mister on a daily routine and now the worms have gone into the burlap supposedly for procreation.
duaroger
11 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
I'm not clear on how a sweaty container is related to dried out burlap. If the system has adequate water (damp but not dripping) and oxygen (i.e. A few air holes) why do you need to leave a 1/2" crack? If it's 85 degrees in the compost and reasonably dry around the bin it will certainly dry out.

Burlap won't retain moisture as well as compost but if you're giving the moisture a way out it will dry out even faster.
User
11 years ago
Not a big fan of burlap. I've always had trouble with worms getting stuck in it.
hummersteve
Original Author
11 years ago
I have proved that if the burlap is kept moist worms gravitate to it if left dry wont go near it , dont have that problem with the factory bin. Worms love moist burlap.
worldcomposting
11 years ago
Hey Sandy,

I agree if you are going to sort them out Burlap makes it really hard. I found it to be really good when I'm first starting a bin as I can pick up pieces to add food to different levels.

Here is a video link to my youtube channel which has videos on using burlap when starting a bin. After 3-6 months the Burlap is gone and you can sort the worms.

Youtube Videos from Wormaculture!
User
11 years ago
If your going to top feed you need something to cover the soil that stays moist. When I top feed grain I usually end up with a mess of worms wrapped in the burlap. Even if I soak the burlap it still seems to dry out if I don't continue wetting it. I use it on outdoor windrows and it dries out like I'm in the desert. I use spray misters on timers just to keep it from drying out so fast. I can see it working fine for indoor bins or even covered outdoor bins.