How much bedding do you put into each tray of a multiple bin, stackable worm bin when first starting and how full do you get them?
As usual in worm bin composting this question has more than one answer. It depends on the bedding that you are using.
For instance – manure is a dense material and does not allow for much compaction once the next tray is put on top of it. Therefore I would fill the tray almost to the top of the spacer bar, allowing for enough room for feeding and a layer of shredded newspaper over the feed stock.
For newspaper I would fill the tray all the way with dampened shredded newspaper, because there is so much more room for compaction. Shredded newspaper has so much airspace in the material that some weight needs to be applied to push out some of those air pockets. Note: however you do not want to compress the newspaper so much that you remove all of the possibility for air to be present in the bedding. The bedding needs to be able to remain “fluffy” without compressing all the air out of it. The worms need air.
The design of the tower worm bins keeps the tray from putting its weight on the material in the tray beneath it.
The spacer on the Can-O-Worms is on the inside of the tray.
This allows the bedding in the lower tray to build up to the bottom of the top tray. The worms are able to follow their natural tendencies to move up to the food and naturally migrate up into the next tray.
If you start a tray with enough bedding to allow for food stock and a layer of shredded newspaper,your next tray when placed on that tray should start out touching the material in the tray beneath it. As the worms work the material it will naturally settle and consequently need to be worked with your hands to incorporate air back into the bedding.
At some point the material will obviously be blacker, more dense, and ready for the worms to move out of it. At that point I would put a small amount of bedding in the new tray above it and wait to see the worms start to migrate up into it. That is when I would fill the next tray, add food stock and your layer of shredded newspaper and start the process all over again.
The spacer on the Worm Factory is on the outside of the tray
You will continue to work the original tray to keep air incorporated into the material and allowing it to finish composting and perhaps dry out. If the worms do not want to evacuate the material then I move that tray to the top of the tower and work the material earnestly, to dry the material and drive the worms down into the working tray. By the time all the worms have moved out of your original tray your material will be ready to use in your gardening adventures.
Happy worming,
Christy
Handle your organic waste the way Nature intended.
http://www.vermiculturenorthwest.com/