If you are looking to compost with Red Worms you will want to know how many worms it will take to eat your garbage.
Generally it takes 2000 worms to eat one pound of garbage per week. It is important to remember that the worms will multiply at a pretty good rate. 1000 worms under proper conditions can turn into 1 million capsules, and worms in a year.
The pH of the worm bed should be around 7.0. You can get a good chemical soil test kit at the local garden shop for about $3.00. They also sell mechanical testers, but I do not trust them. Red Worms are great worms. To keep the pH at around 7 you will need powdered limestone. The type you will need is Calcium
Carbonate, or agricultural
lime stone. The hydrated
lime, and pellet lime will burn the
worms, and will kill them.
Red Worms. cannot be placed directly into a garden to enrich
soil. Red Worms require constant
moisture, and organic matter. They will die in a matter of minutes in a garden or lawn. It takes about 6 to 8 weeks for Red Worms to go from capsule to breeder. Each capsule contains between 4 and 20 worms.
Red worms require constant
moisture, and food. The food that red worms eat consists of decaying vegetables, food scraps, paper, and other types of organic material. Red worms are not good for use in aerating gardens, or lawns. Red worms are indigenous to manure
piles, and need a constant supply of food and moisture to survive. This doesn't mean that red worms are not good for the garden. They are great! It means that you will have to culture the worms in a pit or bed, and then move the castings to the garden, flower pot, or lawn.
Here are some of the best types of food for Red worms:
1. Rabbit manure
2. Manure ( all types, but poultry manure should be allowed to age about 6 months to a year before use.)
3.Food scraps.
4.Shredded cardboard and newspaper.
5.Powdered Worm Food. Purina
make a worm food called "Worm Chow".
All of the above feed will work well, as long as you watch for heat that can come from decaying matter, pH, and moisture. Mix your bedding a few days before you add the worms so that your bedding will
be past the heating stage when you add your worms. Some bedding has a tendency to heat when bacteria begins to break it down. By leaving it for a few days after adding water the bedding should be ready for the worms.
Our policy is guaranteed live delivery! Please call, or e-mail us within 24 hours of delivery if there is a problem with your order. We cannot give replacements or refunds after the 24 hour period. Please deliver worms to a destination where someone will be available to receive
them, or designate hold at the post office so that your worms do not sit out in extreme heat or cold!