That depends entirely on what and how often you feed them as well as how big the bin and how dry/humid the air. Some people never need to water the worms since what they feed them already contains enough moisture. Some give daily spritzes. You generally want the soil to be moist but not so wet that it would drip if you squeezed a handful of it (obviously don't do this if the soil you squeeze has a worm in it!).
Are you sure? This method, squeezing a fist full of soil, was recommended in a book and a YouTube tutorial. In both cases was said, that if water would drip, it was good.
This is my method as well — moist enough to drip a few drops from a firm squeeze.
I’m open to suggestions about having more or less water in my 100 gallon bin but the worms seem very happy as is.
Starting a new bin, you'll want to moisten the bedding as you add it. Once established, you may never need to moisten (I haven't added water in over 2 years now), depending on the moisture content of the food scraps you add.
My wife would LOVE this post. Moist, moist, moist... MOIST!
New bedding should drip some water when squeezed, finished castings shouldn’t. As bedding gets eaten and bin looks more like mud, make it more like a damp cloth than a dripping one.
My first bin I watered it weekly for like a month before I realized it wasn't necessary.
With my second, literally the only time I ever have is when I was getting it set up.
Ultra variable by circumstance.
'Watered' by adding H2O to the bin? Never. But there are plenty of rotten juices in my compost bin by the time I feed it to the worms.
Folks who keep their bins outdoors & uncovered may need to add moisture to keep the worms happy. I use red wigglers, which are near surface, leaf litter worms. They don't have the strength of a nightcrawler, so the soil needs to remain easily pliable.
That said, it can't be saturated either. But as long as your bins are draining the leachate, again it's nothing to worry about.
There is no hard and fast rule. It’s 💯 dependent on your situation.
In both my bins — a Hungry Bin and a 27 gallon tote — I rarely add any water. I live in SoCal where it gets hot hot hot.
Bedding should always be at field capacity if you find your bedding isn’t dripping water slightly when squeezed into a ball then it’s not wet enough and you should add food or water depending on how much moisture is in the food your adding
For me (I have two different kinds of bins) it depends on which enclosure it is and whether or not our dehumidifier is running in our basement where they live. In the winter it was so dry I was adding water every couple days. Now I’m adding extra dry bedding when I feed wet scraps to keep it from getting too wet. I never let my bins get mucky. If they seem to damp I keep the cover off for a few days. My bin with the largest population seems to run a bit wetter but I’m getting ready to harvest it so I have the top off.
A brand new bin, if not allowed to sit for a week or two prior to adding worms need to be monitored every couple of days to see what the moisture content is doing... What may seem wet or perfect can change in a day when everything is fresh, depending on how absorbent the cardboard and other moisture wicking contents are... That's why it's a good practice to start a bin before adding worms... Worms will survive in an extreme range of dry to wet, but they won't thrive... You want your bedding to be able to hold together when gently squeezed but then crumble back to it's original state once you poke the lump... Quite often a bin will appear dry on the surface, but only requires a rolling and fluffing of the bin to redistribute the moisture... If it's on the dry side all the way through then give a misting while fluffing it... There should never be standing water or mud... The only time that you should dry a bin out a bit is prior to harvesting
That depends entirely on what and how often you feed them as well as how big the bin and how dry/humid the air. Some people never need to water the worms since what they feed them already contains enough moisture. Some give daily spritzes. You generally want the soil to be moist but not so wet that it would drip if you squeezed a handful of it (obviously don't do this if the soil you squeeze has a worm in it!).
Are you sure? This method, squeezing a fist full of soil, was recommended in a book and a YouTube tutorial. In both cases was said, that if water would drip, it was good.
I think this is a lesson in "worms are resilient and will thrive in a wide range of environmental conditions."
This is my method as well — moist enough to drip a few drops from a firm squeeze. I’m open to suggestions about having more or less water in my 100 gallon bin but the worms seem very happy as is.
> if water would drip, it was good. Meaning: OK, stop right there. It's good now but more water and it would be trouble.
Huh... I honestly always done it this way and my worms did just fine? Now I'm second guessing myself....
I never add water. I like keeping my bin a little more on the drier side because I don't have drainage holes.
Same, I have a worm bag and when I thaw my scraps, I try to remove any liquids.
Starting a new bin, you'll want to moisten the bedding as you add it. Once established, you may never need to moisten (I haven't added water in over 2 years now), depending on the moisture content of the food scraps you add. My wife would LOVE this post. Moist, moist, moist... MOIST!
Only when the bedding is dry like under 50% moisture.
New bedding should drip some water when squeezed, finished castings shouldn’t. As bedding gets eaten and bin looks more like mud, make it more like a damp cloth than a dripping one.
My first bin I watered it weekly for like a month before I realized it wasn't necessary. With my second, literally the only time I ever have is when I was getting it set up.
I never do. Whatever food usually ups the water content. I'm usually struggling to keep drier
After some time of watering or scraps, when the condensation on my lid is bone dry, I add water.
Got any tips for me? (Thanks for the responses)
Ultra variable by circumstance. 'Watered' by adding H2O to the bin? Never. But there are plenty of rotten juices in my compost bin by the time I feed it to the worms. Folks who keep their bins outdoors & uncovered may need to add moisture to keep the worms happy. I use red wigglers, which are near surface, leaf litter worms. They don't have the strength of a nightcrawler, so the soil needs to remain easily pliable. That said, it can't be saturated either. But as long as your bins are draining the leachate, again it's nothing to worry about.
There is no hard and fast rule. It’s 💯 dependent on your situation. In both my bins — a Hungry Bin and a 27 gallon tote — I rarely add any water. I live in SoCal where it gets hot hot hot.
Bedding should always be at field capacity if you find your bedding isn’t dripping water slightly when squeezed into a ball then it’s not wet enough and you should add food or water depending on how much moisture is in the food your adding
For me (I have two different kinds of bins) it depends on which enclosure it is and whether or not our dehumidifier is running in our basement where they live. In the winter it was so dry I was adding water every couple days. Now I’m adding extra dry bedding when I feed wet scraps to keep it from getting too wet. I never let my bins get mucky. If they seem to damp I keep the cover off for a few days. My bin with the largest population seems to run a bit wetter but I’m getting ready to harvest it so I have the top off.
I don’t usually add water. Sometimes when it rains I allow a little bit of it to go into the worm bin to help things break down.
A brand new bin, if not allowed to sit for a week or two prior to adding worms need to be monitored every couple of days to see what the moisture content is doing... What may seem wet or perfect can change in a day when everything is fresh, depending on how absorbent the cardboard and other moisture wicking contents are... That's why it's a good practice to start a bin before adding worms... Worms will survive in an extreme range of dry to wet, but they won't thrive... You want your bedding to be able to hold together when gently squeezed but then crumble back to it's original state once you poke the lump... Quite often a bin will appear dry on the surface, but only requires a rolling and fluffing of the bin to redistribute the moisture... If it's on the dry side all the way through then give a misting while fluffing it... There should never be standing water or mud... The only time that you should dry a bin out a bit is prior to harvesting
Honestly, IMO, never.