The composter I'm purchasing recommends to start with about a pound of worms. How many worms is that?
1138082
It greatly depends on the size of worms, what you are using for bedding, and the size of composter. I would start with 200 worms and moist shredded paper and just add a small amount of fruit peel. I just learned they will repopulate more rapidly if there are less worms.
905124
Anything that dramatically increases the heat in a composter will kill your worms. This is the reason you should not put grass in a worm composter -- grass raises the temperature too high for healthy worms. Worm composting relies on a good balance of browns and greens so throwing a bunch of greens into the mix is not a good idea.
1623042
It is a full 5lb bag. It's a great deal if you aren't too particular about your worms. They tasted fine... It's just when you plan for something then it's different it's a little disappointing. But overall it was worth the buy to see the surprise on my brothers face :)
1947617
Previous answers are right as far as I know. I only use a one chamber composter and it works out well.
1502427
i am 57 years old, 6', 190 lbs, 7.5 on a 1-10 scale for fitness with 10 being Jack Lalane. my composter is abt 3/4 full. rolling it doesn't require a grunt (yet!).
862976
If you search 'carbon to nitrogen compost ratio' you'll find lots of very good advice. Rule of thumb is 25:1 carbon to nitrogen. Don't go crazy trying to make it perfect. If the contents get stinky, you need more carbon (dried leaves, stems, corn cobs et cetera as opposed to high nitrogen materials like grass clippings, kitchen scraps, coffee grounds et al) . Important for first load is to add a shovel full of your garden soil so that you introduce the microbes needed to start the whole breakdown process.
1883746
3 Pound is the way to go for starting out. Should you wish to expand at one point getting an extra 6 pound one would probably be a nice option
391793
Mine is about 3/4 full. Going to toss some worms in on top later this week.
935356
Well vented but don't let The bins get to thick with debris. Nothing bothering mine other than worms and a little smell. Maybe you're putting to much compost debris in the bin at one time? it's taking too long for the worms to eat it so therefore the flies have something to deposit their eggs upon. I wouldn't hesitate to call the worm farm and ask him any questions, if you haven't done so yet.
2005052
It's a great little composting bin for the first time composter. It can take a while depending on how you care for it. It definitely allows for breakdown if you turn it regularly and water it regularly. I put every stray worm I can find in there too to help out the process. I didn't have compost material after using it for 4 months but have had this for about a year now and have compost material for our garden this Spring.
1726151
Let me just say that this is the best vermicompost bin I've seen so far, and I've seen a bunch. My bin has a LOT of worms, but I don't take any out of the system. I'd say once you get the population and environment set up (6 months to a year) you could take out a good handful or two a week. Or throw each bird a worm or two a day. You could also use this to incubate your worms and start a big leaf and manure pile that you could feed with castings and worms from your cafe. If you've got a big family, this may be the way to go. It's possible that this could be a primary feed source for your hens, but I wouldn't plan on it. Let me just say that this is the best vermicompost bin I've seen so far, and I've seen a bunch. My bin has a LOT of worms, but I don't take any out of the system. I'd say once you get the population and environment set up (6 months to a year) you could take out a good handful or two a week. Or throw each bird a worm or two a day. You could also use this to incubate your worms and start a big leaf and manure pile that you could feed with castings and worms from your cafe. If you've got a big family, this may be the way to go. It's possible that this could be a primary feed source for your... » Read More Let me just say that this is the best vermicompost bin I've seen so far, and I've seen a bunch. My bin has a LOT of worms, but I don't take any out of the system. I'd say once you get the population and environment set up (6 months to a year) you could take out a good handful or two a week. Or throw each bird a worm or two a day. You could also use this to incubate your worms and start a big leaf and manure pile that you could feed with castings and worms from your cafe. If you've got a big family, this may be the way to go. It's possible that this could be a primary feed source for your hens, but I wouldn't plan on it. « Show Less
407544
One or two thousand but it depends on how much you can feed them. That sounds like a lot of worms but the Can O Worms can hold more. I keep mine in the basement.
35752
I have this worm factory and started with 400-500 worms which seemed to be plenty. Don't forget they reproduce rapidly if kept healthy so you can theoretically start with even fewer. You're not going to get a ton of castings from a farm this size anyway but it's fun watching them move up through the levels leaving their castings behind. Enjoy!
661995
Sorry, I couldn't say. The air circulation is so poor inside this composter that I never got any finished compost out of it. No matter how much 'brown' I added it stayed too soggy. I ended up transferring everything to another composter and giving this one away.
523608
I personally use castings mixed with azomite as well as compost. Check out this website: http://www.tastefulgarden.com/store/pc/Worm-Castings-d114.htm
1541864
I think you would need anywhere from 2 to 4 bags depending on how deep you want the bedding. Unfortunately, I've never tried Eco Earth so I can't answer the second question.
1812435
I think I put about 9-12 bags (1 cubic foot per bag) of soil in each 4x4 square. I will definitely have to add soil again this year. I bought 2 of these of beds - they worked out great.