From: london@sunSITE.unc.edu (Larry London)
Newsgroups: alt.sustainable.agriculture
Subject: Earthworm culture - general notes, resources
Date: 1 Jan 93 05:29:14 GMT
Organization: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

:
>Where can I get the little red worms
>that are supposed to be so good for
>indoor composting?  I tried some
>live bait shops in town and found
>nothing.

The January 1992 issue of Organic Gardening has an article on worms and
composting, "Compost Indoors! Worms Do the Work".  It gives instructions
on building a worm box (although one is available from Gardener's
Supply).  It also tells how to get the box started and what kind of
worms to use.

The correct type are redworms (aka red wiggles or manure worms).  The are
small compared to most earthworms.  Their temperature range is 40 to 90
degrees, whereas, earthworms prefer temperature around 55 degrees.  Earth-
worms also require burrows to breed.  A worm box is too warm and too
small for them...and they tend to escape whenever possible.  Red worms
stay put.

The article is written by Mary Appelhof, author of "Worms Eat My Garbage".
The book is $10.95 including shipping and handling and is available from:
        Flower Press,
        10332 Shaver Road
        Kalamazzo Mi 49002

The list of companies carry supplies:
        Cape Cod Worm Farm
        30 Center Ave
        Buzzards Bay. Ma 02532

        Carter Fishworm Farm
        Plains Georgia 31780

        Early Bird Ecology
        RR1
        Smithville, Ont
        canada L0R 2A0

        Gardener's Supply
        128 Intervale Road
        Burlington, Vt 05401

        Redworms, C/o Ron Clausen
        2111 N. Century Blvd
        McDavid Fl 32568

        Snooks Worm Farm
        Box 14
        Harold Fl 32563

I notice that the Burpee Gardens 1992 catalog has an add for
"Red Hybrid Earthworms".  It says they range from 1/4 to 3"
long.  Are these redworms?  Will hybrid worms breed true to
type?  (Maybe I shouldn't use the term breed, given the way
worms reproduce.)  How do they make a hybrid?  I assume the
idea is to get the worms to reproduce in your compost pile,
as they only send 500 for $19.95!

I one reply I got on worms so far:

>For 2000 bedrun (various sizes where 'breeder' are the larger size.
>According to the book 'worms eat my garbage' the bedrun are recommended since
>they are cheaper, breed just as well, and may survive shipping better)
>redworms, it was 21.00, and with tax that is 22.31 (back in June)

>Are bedrun a variety of redworm or something else?
>Which variety eats the most?  (Oooh you pig worm!)

One response indicated that redworms do well in 40 to 90 deg. F.
earthworms don't do as well.  They also like to escape.

What can we say about bedruns?  (Or again are they a specific
variety of redworm, doing as well with temperatures and
housing conditions.)

>I notice that the Burpee Gardens 1992 catalog has an add for
>"Red Hybrid Earthworms".  It says they range from 1/4 to 3"
>long.  Are these redworms?  Will hybrid worms breed true to
>type?  (Maybe I shouldn't use the term breed, given the way
>worms reproduce.)  How do they make a hybrid?  I assume the
>idea is to get the worms to reproduce in your compost pile,
>as they only send 500 for $19.95!

>Are bedrun a variety of redworm or something else?
There are two different sizes' of worms, in a sense. 
The 'Breeders' are hand selected to be a
certain size, usually around the maximum three inches. The idea is these
are the ones you buy if you want to start breeding worms. Because they
hand select these, they cost more (5 or 10 bucks or so, per 1000) than
'Bedrun' worms. Bedrun means 'mixed sizes, randomly selected'. So if
you saw an ad saying '2000 bedrun Redworms, 19.95 and 2000 'breeder'
redworms , for 25.00' you'd know the difference and why one costs more than
the other.
In the book "Worms Eat My Garbage", the author says that bedrun worms are
fine to buy, since she feels they might survive shipping better, and
adapt more quickly, and she doesn't feel there is any significant reason
to spend the extra money on a 'breeder' worms ...
>Which variety eats the most?
You want the compost worms, red wigglers, redworms, the 'tiny' worms, not
anything called 'earthworms'.
>What can we say about bedruns?  (Or again are they a specific
>variety of redworm, doing as well with temperatures and
>housing conditions.)
Bedrun just describes the size range of the worm you'll be getting. Its a
mixed size range.

Someone who was interested in ordering lots of worms for *fishing* would
be interested in this since he'd want big worms for his hooks and would
probably only order breeders. That's why they have the two different size
choices...

>I have some large pickle or planter crocks about two feet high
>and 18" wide.  I thought of raising worms in these in my basement.
>Is a ceramic crock a good container, or just a waste?

Well, it doesn't 'breathe', its sealed, right? I would say you'd want
something wider, and not quite as 'deep'. It might work, might not, i really
don't know, but if you're serious and have some scrap wood lying around,
then go for making the worm boxes described in the January issue of Organic
Gardening, or the '1-2-3' worm box (which is just a box that is one foot
deep, two feet wide and three feet long, for best results, use a finely
screened lid to keep out fruitflies which become a nuisance after time...the
box has about 9, 1" drain holes on the bottom. This should be sufficiant
size to hold 2000 worms...)

The book "Worms Eat My Garbage" is a great reference and a must read for anyone
seriously into worm-composting....!
:
According to several of the books I read on raising worms, the "Hybrid"
designation is pure hype. No one has been able to prove a true hybrid exists.
The differences are usually tracked down to superior feed and conditions rather
than any difference in breeding. For composting, you don't need to get into
raising the biggest fattest worms, anyway. You just want enough worms to eat
enough garbage. I started with worms dug from under a horse manure pit for
free, and have had nothing but good results, even when I added them to my
outside compost bins (after they cooled a bit).
:
:
Article 12661 (50 more) in rec.gardens:
From: kelly@cco.caltech.edu (Kelly F.)
Subject: Re: Worms and Home Composting in Winter
Date: 31 Dec 92 05:45:05 GMT

In article <1htjioINN4pu@access.usask.ca> goldie@herald.usask.ca 
(Hugh Goldie) writes:
>I recently saw part of a Canadian news program from Winnipeg, about indoor
>composting with red worms.  I would be very thankful if someone could e-mail
>or post some details about this, particularly where to get worms and how to
>get started.  It is -37 degrees centigrade in Saskabush right now and my
>outdoor compost heap is probably working rather slowly... :-).

Organic Gardening magazine had an article on this topic in the January 92
issue, by Mary Appelhof who wrote the book "Worms Eat My Garbage". The
issue has plans for a *very* nice wormbin that fits well on a porch and
doubles as a bench. It also included the following sources:

Worms Eat My Garbage (book) for $10.50 (includ shipping) from:
Flower Press
10332 Shaver Road
Kalamazoo, MI 49002

Mary Appelhof also sells vermicomposting supplies including redworms
and her latest worm composting system (a plastic rectangular container
designed for indoor use, called 'The Worms Eat My Garbage Worm-a-way'
made of recycled plastic manufactured by We recycle Corp. of
Milton, Ont. Its manufacture provides employment for developmentally
disabled individuals.)

Write to:
Flowerfield Enterprises
10332 Shaver Road
Kalamazoo, MI 49002
(616) 327-0108

Also listed were:

Cape Cod Worm Farm
30 Center Ave.
Buzzards Bay, MA 02532

Carter Fishworm Farm
Plains, GA 31780

Early Bird Ecology
RR1
Smithville, ONT
Canada L0R 2A0
(Not sure what they sell, but i would guess worms, and the plastic bin,
perhaps the book.)

Gardener's Supply
128 Intervale Rd
Burlington, VT 05401
Free catalog, they sell the plastic bin, book and worms, and all three as
a deal i believe.

Redworms c/o Ron Clausen
2111 N. Century Blvd
McDavid, FL 32568

Snooks Worm Farm
Box 14 
Harold, FL 32563

May I also add:
Rainbow Worm Farm
24700 County Road No. 95
Davis, CA 95616
(916) 758-9906

I paid 21.00 (plus tax so it came to 22.31) for about two pounds
of bedrun redworms, and they are very nice people. You *won't* get a
'flyer{ from them saying 'raising earthworms are so easy, even your
wife could do it' as i got some certain farms located in places like
georgia...:-) 

I've had bins (1'x 2'x 3' in size, 2 of them, made out of scrap wood
with drainage holes,) outside for almost two years now, and i *love*
them. I've had no problems with rats or flies or anything, they smell
like dirt, not rotting stuff, and its just magic how my foodstuffs are
turned into wonderful rich compost. I followed the directions in Mary's
book, its a great book, and so is the OG article, and if your library
has it, its free.

I haven't tried her bin, nor seen one in person, so i can't comment
on that.

Kelly
kelly@cco.caltech.edu
: