Using Rice Sacks as Earthworm Bin

I started my vermiculture project using an outdoor bed for African Nightcrawlers (ANC). Recently, I have been also trying out rice sacks [the regular ones, and not the laminated rice sacks] as container for worm bedding (also called substrate) and earthworms.

The bedding consists of pre-composted kitchen waste and tree leaves and a handful of soil.

Each sack contains bedding materials that has a minimum height of twelve inches (12"). The maximum height is eighteen inches (18") of bedding [that's about up to my knees]. For every six inches of bedding, sprinkle about 200 ml of water and spread a handful of soil over the bedding. Place the sacks in a shaded area, say, under a tree.

Do not introduce your earthworms yet.

Allow the bedding to settle for about two to three days before introducing the earthworms. Check the temperature of the bed before introducing the African Nightcrawlers into the rice sack bed. The bed should be cool. If the bed is hot or warm, allow it to cool for a couple of days more.

I just use about twenty adult earthworms per sack to maximize reproduction rate [vermiculture]. Each sack is watered three times a week using about one-fourth liter (1/4L) of chlorine-free water.

If you wish a faster vermicomposting process, use about 250 grams of African Nightcrawlers per sack [that's about two handfuls of adult African Nightcrawlers].

I use a clothespin to close the sack. The sack must be securely closed to prevent predators like frogs from eating the earthworms.

Don't add food anymore to encourage the worms to consume all the bedding.

The bed can be sorted 45 to 60 days after introduction of earthworms. Stop watering the bedding one week before harvest for easier separation of castings and earthworms.

I plan to harvest one sack each on the thirtieth (30th), forty-fifth (45th) and sixtieth (60th) day to determine best results for the rice sack vermiculture method.