Looking to start a compost

[flymantang]

Not sure if this is the right subforum but it's the closest one I guess. I'm looking to start a compost and wondering if anyone knows where I can get earthworms and not lugworms (sandworms).

I've checked a couple fishing stores and so far I've only seen sandworms.

[Koen]

You used to be able to get them from a macrobiotic type shop in Sai Kung near the basketball court further towards the ocean on your left of that plain next door to the SPCA if its still there. They sold all the paraphernalia like starter kits and special bins for this along with the worms.

Also a shop called "Hings" on the corner of Yuen Po Street and Prince Edward at the Flower market that sells the equipment but not the worms. They sell composite decking, fertilisers and seed. There are a few "Hings" another further down and one on Tung Choi street upper end near Mong Kok.

We have millions of earth worms who arrive uninvited in our garden I just have to leave a few leaves around and they move in. There are a few species here including one we also have which is a giant that grows three feet long thick as a juvenile snake. You can hear them moving in the ground at night in their juicy chambers.

The ones in the store are apparently a special kind, though I couldn't work out why they were better than any others from the woman's explanation. Theirs were thin and red apparently imported though they look just like one of our thin red species.

If you have no luck just go to the country park and lift a few oldish piles of leaves in forested areas collect a few along with some leaf mould to keep them happy and moist on the journey. You might have to dig a bit as it's the dry season they tend to go a bit deeper.

[flymantang]

Thanks! Guess I'll go digging haha

[jayinhongkong]

There are different species--the imported ones are nightcrawlers and supposed to be more efficient. You can buy worm compost very, very cheap in China (and even on Taobao) and it is 100% legal to send it into HK since we are now one country. Buy wet worm compost and it will be teeming with baby worms and eggs. Remember to keep meat/animal products out of your worm bin!

[jayinhongkong]

"The earthworm species (or composting worms) most often used are red wigglers (Eisenia fetida or Eisenia andrei), though European nightcrawlers (Eisenia hortensis or Dendrobaena veneta) could also be used. Red wigglers are recommended by most vermiculture experts, as they have some of the best appetites and breed very quickly. Users refer to European nightcrawlers by a variety of other names, including dendrobaenas, dendras, Dutch Nightcrawlers, and Belgian nightcrawlers."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermiculture#Vermicompost

[MCDC]

Won't this attract cockroaches and other bugs, especially during the summer? Mr MCDC wanted to start composting but we were worried about causing an insect infestation

[jayinhongkong]

You will attract certain bugs, but the natural bacteria that will breed in there will keep the nasties away. You will get good bugs like springtails though (which are involved in decomposition). The natural fermentation keeps the smell down too. Meat and dairy are what you want to avoid unless you want to deal with putrefaction and flies...

[Koen]

Earthworms are to goldfish what beef steaks are to us. The glistenning rainbow sheen of the big fresh grey/brown plump ones are greedily accepted. If you feed your goldfish these it brings them into peak breeding conditon in a matter of a couple of days.

Interesting the thin red earth worms found here are not liked by goldfish, though. They spit them out instantly. Factoid of the day.

[flymantang]

With the rain the past few days, there are bound to be worms. There is one problem though. So far the parks and trails I've checked all have clay underneath ... not dirt. If I have trouble digging into the clay dirt (with gravel) I doubt I'll find any worms there ...

[Koen]

Hmmm there are usually worms under deep piles of leaves maybe its too cold. You need to go to a forested area and look for these places where the leaves collect, there is usually black earth immediately under the leaves (created by the worms) on top of what ever soil clay or otherwise. Earth worms don't much like hard pan clay no deep leaves though unless there is that decent layer of top soil or humus , go to another area

Even hard dried out soil will have earth worms if you dig up a spade or two failing that you are very welcome to come and get some from one of my compost areas in the garden when I get back from safari sometime after Jan 2014.

I once unearthed (in a pile of leaves) a whole lot of salamanders, warty and crocodilian with bright red bellies. Another time a nest of freshly hatched bamboo vipers, they are incredibly cute and behave exactly like an adult all jerky and stiff striking left right and centre, they aren't born very green. Another time (you can see I rootle about in compost heaps a lot facinating places) there was a beutiful shrews nest with tiny tiny shrews.

Actualy I use the soil created under the heaps to top dress pot plants, I love gardening it keeps me fit and the gardener fat. Not. She does all the hard manual labour I sort of direct showing by example.