We sure are a funny bunch, aren't we? That we are amazed by a huge worm ball! Thank you for sharing how this bin is supposed to run. It seems like there is a pretty good investment needed, between the cost of the bin, the compost and the worms. Looking forward to the updates. Enjoy! Catherine
So happy you decided to do this. I have been very interested in the Hungry Bins but they are very expensive and seem to be less than ideal. Look forward to following this for sure!
They are expensive. I'm trying to figure out how to make these bins work better for me, and give me less of a wet mess when harvesting and more of a moist consistency. Maybe if I harvest more frequently and keep the lid open it will make a difference, but that's not exactly following manufacturers instructions. 😉
I find that sometimes there is more moisture in the castings and have left it out to dry a bit before using it but really have not seen any difference in its potency when it is wet or dry, the plants still love it.
@@JoseMartinez-ov2vf I sift my castings, so having it wet is not ideal. I will have to let them dry out though, as that is what I had to do in 2017 when I had the original two bins working.
When I ordered my ANC from her after Xmas, I was amazed at how healthy and lively they were. I think she weighs on the same principal as a bakers dozen.
Vav-voom! 🤩 I'm excited to watch this play out but wow , now I understand what that other person was saying about harvesting the compost they already put in.
@@liliakogan3043 Actually you do get worm castings after 3 months when you harvest the tray for the first time. Worms can still get down there and after the compression forms which is what holds everything in except for what is in the tray some worms get trapped down there. After almost a year I find the odd worm in the harvest tray but less over time. They can survive there for ages eating the bacteria in the compost material. I had worm castings in my first harvest all around the edges and it just gets more concentrated with every harvest. Also the nutrients from the worm juice constantly wash castings down.
@@JoseMartinez-ov2vf there really is no such thing as worm juice. Leachate is the excess liquid released by the food scraps as they decompose and is not recommended for edible plants. Worm tea is an end product of putting finished castings into oxygenated water. Although I know worms can and do go to the bottom, the product one harvests in the beginning is the same material one puts into the bin. I had my HB for a year before taking it apart, and all the compost I harvested was the compost I originally put in. You may have had a different experience with your bin, but this has been mine. I'm only starting up the bin to show people what happens on a weekly basis. I already know the outcome.
The compost I originally put in will most likely be the same when I harvest it, but wetter. Due to the design of the bin, all the liquid drains down and saturates the compost. When I started the bin two years ago I did it the same way and found very wet, sludgy compost at the bottom. I'm not expecting anything different this time around. The whole system makes little sense to me now that I've been composting with different systems. I think if one uses leachate, this bin would work best. Definitely not for me.
@@treborfoot9129 my plastic totes are shallow, therefore letting me turn the material over for proper aeration and moisture control. The Hungry Bin is too long for me to be able to reach the bottom to turn and aerate the material, hence the bottom always gets too wet.
Not sure it's accurate to say you're harvesting "The same compost you started with" for at least 2 years. One of the things worms do is pee pee poo poo all the good nutrients out, which runs through the soil and compresses over time. If you add a pound of food a day for 6 months, it doesn't disappear. It turns into concentrated nutrients and put right into that soil you're harvesting. Now, yes, you're starting with Compost, so it would never be bad, but it's certainly not 'the same' as you started with.
What if you fill the bin in increments? One third full with worms and compost and layer? It seems you will receive actual worm casting quicker. Comments?
@@hoardellen You could, but with a funnel bin such as this, if you take castings with a bin that low, you'll be removing a ton of worms and cocoons with your castings. and while your FIRST may be faster, the 2nd will take even longer as you seriously depleted the colony with your first harvest.
@@hoardellen Happy to. Worm farming is great, and these bins make it very easy, but it takes a few months to get started. Don't get frustrated, you're building a foundation for amazing compost for years to come.
I noticed a silver grate at the bottom of this bin. I did not receive one with my order and didn't know I was supposed to. Do others have this strainer for the bottom of the bin?
if you harvest in 30 days you will get compost, but if you wait six months for the first harvest the worms may have had sufficient time to transform the compost into castings. what do you think?
I agree for the most part. The instructions on the bin say to start harvesting at 2 to 3 months in. I will harvest when the bin gets to the very top. I will then see if the material will be in better condition. As you may have seen in my previous videos, I started harvesting the HB 6 months in, and the material was wet. So now I'm going to follow more of the instructions and do a harvest earlier, at about 3 months. We will see.
I live in mid-Michigan and tried to start my bin up - in my garage - in mid-January. We got an arctic freeze for several weeks and none of my worms survived. Getting ready for trial number two in mid-May. I'm wondering if I winter the worms over in my garage once my farm is established. Has anyone had experience with this?
Hi. Thank you for the video. I would like to learn more about the bedding. For the bedding, would you prefer to purchase 1. “KELLOGG GARDEN ORGANICS ALL NATURAL N'RICH SOIL ENRICHING CONDITIONER” 2. “Coconut bricks” Please let us know your thought. Thank you.
I use shredded paper and cardboard with some coco coir. I typically put in some buffer, like eggshell or oyster shell, and some coffee grounds. I don't buy anything for their bedding, instead I try to compost our waste. Coco coir has no nutritional value, so I wouldn't use it alone in a bin. Combine it with some other kind of carbon, like paper, dry leaves and grasses.
Lilia Kogan Thank you for the replied. For this video and ( @ 1:31 ), I believe you used some bedding material. Should I use a same brand and bedding to get “start my Hungry Bin”?
Austin Ly if you have a Hungry Bin, then the manufacturer recommends filling the bin 3/4 full with compost. If you don’t have compost at home, you may need to buy it.
Austin Ly I don’t have any particular brand of compost. Just go to your local nursery and ask for some compost. I’m sure they’ll have some options for you.
Watch how the manufacturer sets their up in this promo video. It is quite different as you will see. This is the way I set mine up and I have had no trouble at all with my system. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-1ewlDk_3LRo.html I couldn't understand adding the buckets of water to the system when setting it up after the compost was put in, but that's exactly what I did, and it is working great.
