Over-Wintering Worms Outdoors: My 1 Year YouTube Anniversary NEW Project
Рет қаралды 3,823
Күн бұрынLong description today because I want to acknowledge all of the people who have helped me reach the point I am at today.
I want to thank everyone so much for their support and patience with me as I am still learning (especially the filming/editing aspect) and growing in my worm composting ventures.
**Thank you first and foremost to my mentor, Larry Shier for all of his help and encouragement to me along my journey and helping me navigate making a website and opening my online store. Larry has an incredible website and is a huge guru in the worm world:
www.thebluewormbin.com
KZfaq: / @thebluewormbin3444
Thank you to the following people and channels for shouting me out!
Steve Churchill @ The Urban Worm Company:
www.theurbanwormcompany.com
Urban Worm Bag link: www.urbanwormbag.com/emily
London Worms & Garden:
/ @londonworms
I was also recognized by:
Catherine @ My Hillside Garden:
/ @myhillsidegarden3998
Some of my favorite KZfaq (worm related) Channels are listed below:
Tori Davis @ Anarchy Worm Bin:
/ @tori7635
Lilia Kogan:
/ @liliakogan3043
Newell @ World Composting:
/ @worldcomposting
Tom @ VermiBag Tutorials:
/ @vermibagcompostinggar...
www.vermibag.com
Jay @ Miles of Worms:
/ @milesofworms8840
Grant:
/ @grantmcintosh
AV:
/ anvig
Ro At:
/ @roat7934
Da Kine Garden Stuff:
/ @dakinegardenstuff
**BENTLEY (The Compost Guy) overwintered Worms in Canada in a windrow! Bentley runs the Worm Farming Alliance and is one of the other huge gurus I have been able to talk to and learn from. Check out this awesome video!
• Winter Worm Ranch - Pa...
I want to invite anyone who is interested in a Facebook group/forum where many of us are experimenting and testing the limits to join us @ Experimental Worm Fun:
/ 637519716666180
Cofounded by my great friends Wayne and Tori!
🥂The first 2 people to email me after reading this description and watching as well as commenting on my video will have their choice of 1 pound of worms sent to them entirely free as an Anniversary THANK YOU from me!🥂
crazywormlady@outlook.com
You can always shop my store and read my blog @ www.thecrazywormlady.com
I am super excited to delve back into my blogging as things are settling back down a bit for me, so stay tuned for that!
I plan to watch this experiment carefully. I have a compost thermometer that we will be using to track temperatures and we will make adjustments along the way and see how it works for us. I am open to any and all ideas and feedback.
As always, thank you so much for watching, liking and subscribing! I am blessed beyond measure to be a part of such an amazing community of Worm Nerds 🤓
Happy Worming and 1 Year YT Celebration 🍾 Week,
Emily (The Crazy Worm Lady)
@nickthegardener.1120 Жыл бұрын
Hi crazy worm lady you have given me some ideas about my new outside worm bin! Thanks Nick 👍🐛🙏💚
@liliakogan3043 5 жыл бұрын
I hope this experiment is a huge success and the worms will be able to safely overwinter outside. Even though I live in sunny so cal I'll still be very interested how they'll do. Thanks for doing this and thank the worms for their sacrifice to science. :)
@TheCrazyWormLady 5 жыл бұрын
Lilia Kogan I think you know me well enough to know that I would bring in heaters if things got too hairy! 😂 I can’t imagine sitting back and letting my worms die. Already have some cool ideas in the works to implement along the way if need be... as additional aspects to experiment with. More to come on that soon!
@DaKineGardenStuff 5 жыл бұрын
Wishing you success with this experiment! Never had to worry about the cold as I've always lived in temperate or desert climates. When I lived in So. Calif., my worm pails were halfway in the ground in the garden, so the worms were "free range". Here in the desert, it's a greatly different story - all my bins are inside. Happy 1st YT Anniversary and wish you many more!
@TheCrazyWormLady 5 жыл бұрын
Da Kine Garden Stuff thank you so much! I am enjoying your videos as well. I am admittedly behind, but it’s always nice to see how other people run their systems. Many of my ideas come from what I have seen others do successfully. Thanks for watching!
@waynetadlock9719 5 жыл бұрын
Full marks...!
@TheCrazyWormLady 5 жыл бұрын
Wayne Tadlock thank you! Incoming new members to the group. I shouted it out in the description and gave some props to the science master! ❤️
@sharonhampton5173 4 жыл бұрын
Have ten worm bins and one hungry bin.keep all of them outside in greenhouse. Have heating pads under each bin.one inside hungry bin.they have done very well over winter.live in pacific north west
@sgilbert1377 5 жыл бұрын
I started one last fall, with broken down leaves n dry grass for bedding. They have been thriving like mad! My inside bins are doing awesome! Good luck!
@TheCrazyWormLady 5 жыл бұрын
s gilbert where do you live? What are temperatures like over the winter?
@sgilbert1377 5 жыл бұрын
Hi Emily, I’m in Oklahoma, temps got down to the single digits. 1 degree at one point. I just added more bedding n hoped for the best. But all in all, it turned out well! The definitely multiplied by spring. Because there were a bunch of cocoons in the mix when I started. And it was on the north side of the house. How cold does it get there?
@TheCrazyWormLady 5 жыл бұрын
s gilbert I am zone 6B. Maryland can have months at a time in the winter of below freezing every night and 30’s most days. We reach negative wind chills regularly in January and February as well. It’s definitely not Canada/arctic cold with several feet deep freezing of the ground, but it can get pretty harsh. I am putting myself to the ultimate test!
@sgilbert1377 5 жыл бұрын
I’m gonna try round 2 this year as well n see how it turns out this year. Ya never really know til you experiment, right?
@TheCrazyWormLady 5 жыл бұрын
s gilbert I feel the same way!
@franklittle 5 жыл бұрын
Congratulations! I'm excited to see the new experiment too :-). I've never kept any worms outside through the winter (first winter I brought them indoors and they've stayed indoors ever since lol). My guess is they won't eat a lot when temperatures are cold, but even if most die off or are dormant during winter, you'll have a spring population explosion because they'll have laid lots of cocoons. Advice I remember for wintering them outdoors is to insulate the outside of the bin with bubble wrap or whatever waterproof insulation materials are handy, and if you're worried it's really far too cold in there then some slices of bread can act like hot water bottles (but if coffee grounds heat up well I bet they'd do the job too). Anyway, best of luck and I eagerly anticipate the results videos.
@TheCrazyWormLady 5 жыл бұрын
Frank Little thanks for following along!
@GrantMcIntosh 5 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much for including me in your list of favorite worm channels!
@TheCrazyWormLady 5 жыл бұрын
Grant McIntosh you deserve it! Love all the worm porn I can find but not all Worm porn is created equal. It’s fun watching you experiment and run the WF like I do. Always good videos. Thanks for being a loyal subscriber! I am lucky to have you in my little community.
@GrantMcIntosh 5 жыл бұрын
@@TheCrazyWormLady I really appreciate it. I don't have any "composting worms" experience outside. I hope your project works out for you and the worms. I do have some "yard worms" set up in some crates that I've had for a few years now that I use for fishing. I haven't ever made a video of them so I will have to soon.
@TheCrazyWormLady 5 жыл бұрын
Grant McIntosh I would love to see your setup!
@tori7635 5 жыл бұрын
Well done, and well said! I know I wouldn’t be here if not for LJ & Brian. So excited for this one!!!
@markblairharley2890 3 жыл бұрын
A broken chest freezer makes a great large worm bin With only a little modification Being well insulated it saves the worms from any temp. extremes I moved from the UK to Thailand So I have the problem of stopping them getting too hot
@constancewright2429 4 жыл бұрын
How are you doing during this Covid. Appreciate your service on the front line.💃💃Miss your up dates. live I. Burtonsville md.
@texaspatty4697 5 жыл бұрын
Great spot for the bin! I am betting that those worms you found In the leaf mold are your own worms, migrated from your gardens!
@TheCrazyWormLady 5 жыл бұрын
Patty Schofield quite possible but hard to believe because my garden is a good 25 yards away if not more!
@franklittle 5 жыл бұрын
It really tickled me that there were volunteer worms there waiting to go in.
@TheCrazyWormLady 5 жыл бұрын
Frank Little me too!!! It was like they were telling me they could survive just fine! Maybe I read into it a bit too much, but maybe a good omen?
@KeikoMushi 5 жыл бұрын
If you plan on setting up some garden beds, I'd recommend placing the bin in that spot and drilling holes underneath with a lot of leaves and lawn clippings around the outside of the bin. That way, if they escape, they will add nutrients to the area. BTW, it was London Worms and Garden was where I heard about you several months ago.
@TheCrazyWormLady 5 жыл бұрын
Keiko Mushi wow, thanks for watching. I was blessed to be shouted out by LW&G early on and I continue to watch and re-watch those worm bin series on their channel! I think your idea is spot on but my concern is that where my garden is located, there is no protection from the elements. Having at least a wind break and some full sunshine is why I chose the space I did. Thanks for watching!
@TheGardenAndWormLady 5 жыл бұрын
I have had an outdoor worm bin for many years, I drilled holes at the bottom and put it in the ground, not deep, i’ve added newspaper straw veggie scraps, I noticed worms come and go according to the weather and as they please, they compost spring summer fall When they start to get cold I noticed they disappear and leave all their cocoons behind.
@TheCrazyWormLady 5 жыл бұрын
TheGardenlady01 but the cocoons hatch fresh in the spring, yes?
@TheGardenAndWormLady 5 жыл бұрын
The Crazy Worm Lady yes some do, I am assuming some of the eggs must die in the winter depends how deep they are in the bin, my outdoor worm bin is one of the easiest bins I think to manage, One day our neighbor accidentally killed a rabbit with her car and we put it in the outdoor bin just as an experiment, the entire rabbit was gone in 2 weeks, bones and all. In the spring lots of babies yes. I have a video about it
@TheCrazyWormLady 5 жыл бұрын
TheGardenlady01 I need a link to this video!
@TheGardenAndWormLady 5 жыл бұрын
The Crazy Worm Lady I don’t know how to link 😂 if you go on my page it’s the video with the blue barrel that says Outdoor worm bin
@kenrundle1735 5 жыл бұрын
Thank you for yet another great experiment! I'm looking forward to following along your journey with the outside bin. All of my bins are inside. Haven't even tried to do something outside. I'm near the foothills of the Cascade mountains outside of Seattle.
@TheCrazyWormLady 5 жыл бұрын
Ken Rundle I am definitely going to have trial by fire since I am STARTING in the winter. What was I thinking?! Anyway, thanks for watching and I am going to do my damndest to make this work!
@janetlee9861 5 жыл бұрын
Ken, I'm also in Seattle area. I started my worm bin in my garage. But I picked my worms from this lady who has her worms in her compost tumbler and had it there out in her back yard for last 18 years according to her.
@checkersx3556 5 жыл бұрын
Good info, keep the vids coming!
@TheCrazyWormLady 5 жыл бұрын
Checkers X thank you! I release a video just about every day! I appreciate your support!
@DrimFamily 5 жыл бұрын
I am interested in this since I live in a climate that does not get cold enough to overwinter anything. I always wondered how those with outdoor bins handled winter. Of course, I also look forward to seeing how you handle this over the summer like you said at the end (even though it is several months away).
@TheCrazyWormLady 5 жыл бұрын
Sifu D Bentley has an awesome video doing just this in Canada! He made me feel like I could do it. Link is going to be added to the description momentarily.
@DrimFamily 5 жыл бұрын
Yeah, I have seen Bentley's overwintering. Don't get me wrong, with his trenches and in ground overwintering, I am still amazed that the worms survive that harsh winter. I am more interested in an outdoor bin scenario like you are doing. I hope it goes well.
@TheCrazyWormLady 5 жыл бұрын
Sifu D me too! I have some backup plans if things don’t stay warm enough. I think this can be totally doable. Just going to take some TLC! Thanks for watching!
@budpierce7443 5 жыл бұрын
2 👍,Hi Em I would Not put the bin up high or on Concrete,the lower the better,also maybe one big sheet of cardboard around the outside of the bin.
@TheCrazyWormLady 5 жыл бұрын
Bud Pierce it didn’t end up on concrete. Just leveled out with a piece of wood beneath the bin. I like the idea of a barrier around the bin though!
@ausfoodgarden 5 жыл бұрын
This coming up in my view list/suggested - whatever it is, was very timely as I've just inherited a couple of old plastic trashcans. More worm bins coming up for me :) They are small enough to hide under a tree somewhere but much deeper than the multi bin systems I already have. I'm going to have to follow this playlist so I can start getting them ready. Cheers from Australia
@TheCrazyWormLady 5 жыл бұрын
Gerry Clough thanks for watching. My worms survived some pretty intense cold over the winter. You will be surprised at how well they do!
@ausfoodgarden 5 жыл бұрын
@@TheCrazyWormLady Well I've built the bin similar to yours. It's winter here but probably would never get colder than 25F at night. Not expecting much as I'm only starting with 250 or so of wild caught worms. There are reds and tiger worms (the only ones I'm fairly confident I can identify) plus many other unknowns - but all from sifting a compost pile and not from the ground so they should do ok. Plan is if they don't do too well I'll boost their numbers from the population explosion I expect in spring from the reds in my worm cafe. Australia has over 1000 worm species including the Gippsland giant that can reach up to 3 metres in length, so identification can be tough for native species - except that one :)
@TheCrazyWormLady 5 жыл бұрын
Gerry Clough the cocoons they lay will also go dormant and hatch in the spring. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.
@milesofworms8840 5 жыл бұрын
We are really excited for this experiment! It is really well thought out and I bet your worms will be happy. Congrats on 1 year! You are amazing. ~Jay and K!
@TheCrazyWormLady 5 жыл бұрын
Miles Of Worms thank you guys! Always have awesome content! Can’t wait to carry this out with everyone along for the journey!
@jimtucker1631 5 жыл бұрын
I recently discovered you and subscribed. I'm a fledgling worm farmer and love your 'experiments' so I don't have to try them with limited resources here in Baja.
@TheCrazyWormLady 5 жыл бұрын
Zenjim237 thanks for watching! Happy it helps. How did you find me?
@jimtucker1631 5 жыл бұрын
@@TheCrazyWormLady I searched You Tube for vids on worms. the algorithm recommended you to me. Glad it did. I especiallybenefitted from one I watched when your bins were too dry. Here, raising worms indoors in the Baja desert presents multiple challenges, not least of which is moisture. l
@TheCrazyWormLady 5 жыл бұрын
Zenjim237 happy you found me as well!
@mindy779 5 жыл бұрын
Congratulations on being on KZfaq for year love all the videos you do!!!! 👏👏👏👏 I have learned so much about vermicompost from you!! 😀 This will be a very interesting experiment. Do worms hibernate? I hope they do well. It looks like a nice snug habitat you have for the worms. Good luck👍👍👍
@TheCrazyWormLady 5 жыл бұрын
Melinda Schneider no, not really. If it’s a little below their “ideal” temperature range they just slow down dramatically and are in a survival mode. If it gets to freezing, they will die. The lovely thing however is that cocoons are saved by freezing and so even IF, although I won’t let it happen, but IF this bin were to completely freeze, we would still most likely have a thriving bin in the spring when all the cocoons hatched once optimal temperature was reached again.
@mindy779 5 жыл бұрын
@@TheCrazyWormLady Very cool 😎 Will you insulate the outside of the container? When we get that off chance of a freeze in my area of Florida. I put blankets around my coop for the hens and have sheets for the gardens if there is frost. 👍I hope they all survive.
@TheCrazyWormLady 5 жыл бұрын
Melinda Schneider I think they are going to be fine, but if need be I have some insulation ideas up my sleeve. We are actually due for 2 nights of frost it looks like this week. Mid 30’s at night but up as high as 60 on Monday. Mainly going to be hanging in the 50’s. Supposed to get a lot of rain today as well. Putting it to the test already! Promise... I am going to do everything in my power to make this work!
@A-V 5 жыл бұрын
FYI - you stole my idea for my next vermi- experiment. Now if I do the same thing everyone is just going to think I'm a copy-cat. ;) But seriously.. after seeing the London Gardener set up his year-round outdoor bin, and now seeing you do it too, I'm thinking of doing the same here in NJ. Good luck to your population of co-mingled test subjects. With a Nor'easter headed our way this weekend your new bin and its inhabitants will get to experience mother nature, in her glory, right away. Congrats on your 1-year milestone! Bravo on amassing such a large following. My 1-year anniversary is coming up too -- in 2 weeks. Now I need an original idea for my next experiment...
@TheCrazyWormLady 5 жыл бұрын
A V the possibilities are endless!
@DrimFamily 5 жыл бұрын
I was thinking that you might want to move it into the sun during the day (unless there is no sun of course). This would help warm it up. Just a thought.
@TheCrazyWormLady 5 жыл бұрын
Sifu D I put it on the sunny side of our house, for just this reason.
@DrimFamily 5 жыл бұрын
@@TheCrazyWormLady Ok. I figured it might only get sun part of the time, guess I missed that. I think my e-mails to you might be going to junk mail, or maybe you didn't see them xD
@TheCrazyWormLady 5 жыл бұрын
Sifu D I sent you an email. You are correct, somehow they were going to spam.
@DrimFamily 5 жыл бұрын
@@TheCrazyWormLady I guess people writing about worms might trigger spam filters. Just shows that we need to get the word out on vermicomposting so that it doesn't seem unusual to discuss it.
@TheCrazyWormLady 5 жыл бұрын
Sifu D Absolutely!
@evegrowing7749 5 жыл бұрын
Here in Ct it gets very cold, a week of freezing weather in a typical moist bin will certainly kill the majority of the worms in this set up because it would freeze solid here. This set up is almost a big version of my vernmenting bucket system. So for myself I would have used my aeration holes so the chance of unwanted vermin getting in and laying eggs wouldn’t happen, and no unhappy worms would be getting out. Being outside you probably don’t care where the leachate goes, but I like one dedicated tube drain so I can save that valuable slurry containing so many microbes for a carbon composting pile. Leachate like this turns the “carbon pile” (minced leaves) into DUFF so much faster. DUFF, and casting together make great organic growing. The chances of them all freezing to death outside even in Maryland in my opinion are probably 50/50 why take the chance? facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=180005032616183&set=g.1455264374589248&type=1&theater&ifg=1
@TheCrazyWormLady 5 жыл бұрын
EVE Growing wanted to experiment with it. Going to ramp up the carbon sources like coffee for awhile and see what happens. It’s not nearly time for long phases of freezing so I have a little while to get it right. I don’t like to take anything serious until I have tried and proven or disproven it myself. Perhaps foolish, but just who I am. I am quite familiar with your YT and FB group. Always fascinating information. Thanks for the feedback! Wish me luck!
@evegrowing7749 5 жыл бұрын
The Crazy Worm Lady if it’s anything like your other experiments I’m sure it’ll work out fine, but good luck🤟👍
@marcharrah9951 5 жыл бұрын
Could you let us know what planting zone you live in? So we can see how this experiment relates to the areas we live in.
@TheCrazyWormLady 5 жыл бұрын
Marc Harrah zone 6B in northern Maryland.
@jimtucker1631 5 жыл бұрын
shouldn't all those lovely leaves be in your bins, or compost pile?
@TheCrazyWormLady 5 жыл бұрын
Zenjim237 working on it! I don’t like to bring leaves indoors however.