Lay some boards or more screening on the limestone, so you won't dig it up with the worms, and spread five or six inches of compost—chopped hay, ground corncobs, etc.—on top of the stop-shovel barrier. Some manure (but not chicken droppings!) can be added but there's no need to try to fill the bed in the beginning. As a matter of fact, it can be left almost empty because the worms will fill it soon enough with compost made from the rabbit manure. Toss in your wigglers, let the rabbits defecate . . . and stand back for a population explosion.
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The number of worms to start with is a matter of debate. Some suggest as many as ten to fifteen thousand "pit-run" (or mixed) worms . . . or five to ten thousand adult breeders. This is fine if you're after a massive worm crop. If you just want to lessen your rabbit chores and add a little extra fish worm money to your income, though, five hundred to a thousand pit-run worms is plenty to start with . . . no matter how large your pit. While it does take two to tango, each mature worm is bisexual (both male and female) and will lay at least two egg capsules a month. Every capsule will yield from two to twenty young worms which, in turn, will start laying more egg capsules in four months. Meanwhile, the parent stock keeps right on laying and, even under less than ideal conditions, this means a population of a hundred worms could be a population of seventy-five hundred to ten thousand within six months. An order of a couple of hundred wigglers from your nearest supplier will no doubt be all the start you'll need.
UPKEEP
Earthworm pit maintenance is simple. Merely check the bed once in a while to see that the compost stays moist. Pits shaded by rabbit hutches seldom become exceptionally dry and usually need only an occasional sprinkling. Merely emptying the rabbits' water bottles into the bed when giving the animals fresh water will often do the trick. It may also be necessary to fork over the topsoil occasionally (to keep it from forming a crust) until the worm population expands sufficiently to handle that job.
HARVESTING
Just dig the worms up (remember to use a pronged fork to minimize injury) . . . and don't forget the second harvest of rabbit-earthworm compost. Once started, the bunnies and the worms will keep the level of that first-class, ultra-rich humus rising in the bins. When it's six inches from the top of the bed's walls, fork out the fertilizer and spread it on your garden. You can even turn a tidy profit selling the compost—either bagged or in bulk—to a florist for use as quality potting soil.
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