by samenrahmen
Automatic Worm Tea Supply
12:23 pm in Materials and Resources, Projects in Process, questions by samenrahmen
Okay, here’s one to add your thoughts to:
Having read this, I was wondering whether one couldn’t build a compact WF-AWTS using a (large) bottle.
I think it’ll be quite easy to do one in my farm setup, but may be more difficult in the normal configuration.
I was thinking of a bottle with the bottom cut off, turned around, with some lid that lets air through, wrapped in insulating material, preferably placed the shade.
After the bottle is placed upside down, a coarse sponge filter is not too tightly showed into the bottom end, and it is placed so that the end of the sponge (hanging out) is in contact with the reservoir (or a part that is regularly flushed).
Worms, substrate and starter food are added. The coarse filter will ensure the worm farm doesn’t get too wet, and it’ll let the worm tea produced pass through little by little, eliminating odour.
Thoughts ?
Edit – here it is in all its GIMPish glory:
From bottom to top we have:
Wick, sponge, worms in soil, kitchen scraps – and the bottle, obviously.
… and first addition already:
If you have the space above your window, simply add another bottle on top of the others.
It’ll be in the shade, and you can let the airlift pipe moisten the sponge as well.
Con: You’ll need a chair to feed the worms.
I’m having a bit of a problem imagining the bottle.
Could you upload a drawing somewhere?
(Not that I would build anything like it, but some others might want to see it.)
Also, if you can use the airlift to moisten it, why not let the bottle be the lowest bottle in a column?
(the final bottle before the reservoir)
For a lot of windows, that would mean that it could be below the windowsill, anyhow.
Well, if YOU won’t build one, my life – and my will to draw anything – ends right there
Just imagine a plastic bottle, upside down, with only the bottom (i.e. top right now) cut open.
The sponge stuffed into its mouth is kept moist to ensure the worms won’t dry out, and to let the worm tea pass through.
You’d put in some (preferably sterilized) soil into the bottle, add the worms, and some kitchen scraps the next day or so. When the bottle is full, you could take a new bottle, add a starter of worms and soil and start again. The remaining contents of the old one would land in your garden.
I should perhaps add that it should be at the very top because the worm farm won’t function if you let water pass through it – the worms would simply drown. The airlift tube would simply be used to moisten the sponge.
I could also imagine someone putting the worm farm on top of the reservoir, but having the sponge hanging in the water would probably soak up to much water, or nothing at all, if the water level of the reservoir changes. I think a (smaller) wick connecting sponge and reservoir would then be in order.
Hope the drawing helps.
I’ll probably give the worms the Neem scraps to chew on, too, whenever I’ve made an infusion for the WF. That should keep the fruit flies away from the worm farm.
I have three identical bottles for the first stage.
I won’t use any sort of sponge for this, cut an opening into its lid to accomodate the wick, and see how things pan out.
I would be concerned with pathogens, mold, and fungal growth. Also, when you buy worms there are often times other organisms in the soil it comes in, which could include aphids or worse. :-/
I noticed the sterilized soil. My experience in outdoor composting is that soil, loaded with microbes aplenty, is the magic ingredient to expedite decompostion. Compost tea is very nutritious. I wonder if you’d be better creating tea in a separate environment, then
boiling it before introducing it to your system. Consider a five gallon pail w/ lid and some nylon stockings.
I’ve been worm composting for several years, and it shouldn’t be done this way. The worms hate light. They don’t work that fast. But the big problem is that the liquid which drains out the bottom of container is full of pathogens and can kill your plants (believe me I’ve done it more than once). Worm tea is actually made with the solid waste, the worm castings (poop) which are soaked in water for several days. This should be used fairly weakly. Google it’s usage for concentrations.