I am starting out with something simple, just a batch in an old tumble composter, but I'd like to plan for the future. We have a lot of unused materials just laying around not being used for anything at all.

Are you going to tumble the composter? It's OK if you're using that w/o tumbling. I personally do not think tumbling will keep the worms happy. Also, the finished compost is supposed to stay at the bottom and not keep getting mixed with new stuff, which will make it difficult/not possible to harvest finished compost. Just my thoughts.

Some questions re. your future plans. Are you refering to the windrow method in here?

http://dirtmaker.com/articles/vermicomposting/methods.html

I guess, if you make it big enough, once established, worms will have enough room to move w/o leaving their habitat. Also, since it will be right onto the cement floor, will it not be cooler than the air in summer? I'm not familiar with your winter but if it gets too cold, you could use heater cables to keep them from freezing.

If you were to build a FT, what size?

I wasn't planning on tumbling them but it is an available container that has a couple of fine screens for aeration. The plan is to use it as a batch bin for their first reproduction cycle or so, which I see estimated at around 3 months, and then transferring them to something more permanent if they are still alive and somewhat happy. We are only starting out with about 2,000 worms.

The "wedge" method is something I read about in a PDF resulting from a Canadian study on vermicomposting. The idea is to create a 3 sided bin, put bedding toward the back wall, and richer food on the "face" of the wedge, then continue adding fresh food and bedding to the face. Then, as the worms migrate away from the back wall toward the new material, you can at some point remove the back wall and harvest compost, and then if desired move the wall to the original open side, and repeat, going back and forth.

You are probably correct, the cement might keep the temps low enough for them to make it through our hot summers. I suppose we can only try. In the winter it is much easier to add heat. Maybe even a tarp and a light bulb would be enough warmth. Our winters usually aren't too horribly cold and the building usually stays above freezing. And this gives me a good idea, maybe we should just use lights to keep them from migrating away, incandescent in the winter for warmth, and LED in the summer just to keep them wrangled into place.

As for a FT, I can build whatever size I want (somewhat), we have a lot of plywood and particle board lying around that I could coat with some leftover paint to make whatever I want. If I go this route, I was thinking of using a design I've seen where the grid in the bottom is able to be turned and some types of spikes are used to dislodge the compost, like drywall screws in PVC. That is probably the only thing I'd have to buy, PVC, or maybe some dowel rods I could paint that would be sturdier and hold screws better. We might have some clamps or something I could throw on galvanized pipe to scrape into the compost when turned. We have a bunch of metal screws but they might be very difficult to get into a pipe, maybe not if I put it in the vise, I'll just have to try it if I decide on this type of design.

I started by buying a pound and multiplying them over a winter in a tub indoors. I dug a 5x20 foot bed 18 inches deep and dug a trench along one side in case I needed drainage. There's a big oak tree next to it that provides shade in the summer, and fallen leaves to blanket it in the winter.

I started on one side of the bed, and wedged it across. Now, it is flat and just above ground level.

I keep it covered with an old carpet in the summer and black garbage bags of leaves in the winter. It was below 20 recently, and the worm were were cozy,warm and thriving under the garbage bag.

To feed, I just pick a spot, pull back the covering and pile on the food/bedding. Next feeding will be a different spot.

To harvest, I just rake back the top a bit and dig out what I need. Worms and unprocessed material are fine for my purposes.

I don't think I answered the question, but that's how I do it on a kinda largish scale.

downplay: the wedge method you wrote about is a clever system. If I had the room I'd prefer that wedge to an FT. With FT, even if you position the grid higher up from the ground, one has to bend to be able to see. I also have to bend when scraping. I don't have that motorized/mechanical scraper. With your wedge, you can pick and choose where to scoop, also know/see how far to go for efficient harvesting. Also easier and simpler to build I'd imagine. But, if you are looking for ways to do some tinkering, just tinker away, lol.

rayzone7: thanks for sharing. It's a nifty and convenient way. I guess you have no problems with critters snacking on your worms. I have to use framed wire mesh to deny their entry

I do have some critters get in there, but they don't seem to much harm other than scattering some stuff once in awhile. Nothing a quick rake can't fix. It's way out in the country; no one sees it.

I too agree with the above mentioned . If you are just composting the tumbler system is fine., but not a good idea if you want to do vermicomposting. Starting small to see if you will stay with it might be best . People who start worm farming because they want to be able to amend their plants and gardens are the ones who realize the value of vc and are most apt to stay with worming.

I may just try the wedge design here in 3 months. I agree that it seems pretty clever, is easy to build, and we already have plenty of cement blocks. Some LED light should help keep them in place without too great expense on electricity. We have plenty of raw materials so it is worthwhile for us. They may have to eat some horse poop this summer but we have nearly a foot of it in our lower feeding stalls. I'm friends with the local coffee shop owners so getting pounds of grounds won't be a problem either. Cardboard should be pretty easy to acquire as well. I'll just have to hope the cement slab will keep them cool. If I keep the bedding at least a couple feet deep and moist enough it should be good insulation. I want to make compost, not cook worms!

Thanks for all the suggestions. Any more you have to offer will be greatly appreciated :)

My personal experience using UCG, I got tons of mites. I add it only occasionally. Besides, it's hard to see IF it's broken down or not because of the dark colour. However, I envy you for the horse poop. That is the worms' favourite but I have no access to it. Besides, the rest of my household will complain, wherever I store it in the yard (which is not too big).

Another item that is the worms' favourite are carrot cut-offs. As I mentioned before, I p/u pulp from a juice store and before they juice carrots, they cut off the tops and bottoms and the staff (young students) cut them off where ever the knife fell with still plenty of good stuff attached. I store them in closed buckets till they are soft and mushy. When fed to the worms, they'll be all over the stuff in no time, wayyyyy better than pulp.

Good luck downplay. Keep us posted. I'm very interested how you'll be doing with your wedge bin.

That is the beauty of vermicomposting, there is no set way to do it , depends on how you want to do it. inside, outside , wedge , flo-thru, large , small, containment, fully open, They all can work provided the environment is correct and you provide the correct food they can process. I too envy those that have access to horse manure as I do not , but in using the basic bedding I have acquired a good bit of VC over the last few years, great stuff.

Nearly all horse people who do not farm or garden look at it as a waste product they'd like cleaned out of their stalls (without their effort). If you really want horse poo you probably just need to look and/or ask around.

I am luck in this respect. My grandmother's horses mostly live in a pasture which is below the barn level. One side of the barn is open with feeding troughs all along it. I don't know how deep the compacted manure is leading up to and under the troughs, maybe a foot or more!

Have you considered setting up outside in a shady spot. In your climate it might be easier to protect them in the winter than in the summer inside? You could still use a wedge system. Sounds like you have access to a bunch of horse manure so the feed is taken care of. All that being said... I kind of agree with Monomer about starting with a small bin inside and learning how to care for your worms on a small scale first.

Outside is something I should consider. I worry a bit about them all taking off and escaping as I've heard they have a tendency to crawl. What if they get tired of horse poo and coffee grounds and decide to set out for greener pastures? That may not be as big a problem in reality as in my mind :)

If they are happy.. they are not going anywhere. What kind of worms are you thinking about raising?

They are all supposed to be red wrigglers. The same farm sells another species, I think the European night crawler but considering the uniformity of smallness, I don't think there were any mixed in. We did not order the mix.

You want them just for composting?

Yes, just for composting, I'm not into fishing.

Redworms are a good choice then.

Very forgiving also. They can tolerate a lot. Good composters.