Zen’s Winter Run 2025

Pipecarver said:

Its one of the songs that sent me south in my early years. No every word of it by heart.

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I know a lot of it by heart. It always comes to mind just before winter ever since I heard it as a kid.

Pipecarver said:

Brave....With your wife...lol.....it would be a hard sell for me. Even outdoors she doesn't want rats around so no compost. I know a properly kept Compost would be fine but its a hard no with her, she knows me too well and it wouldn't be properly kept for long and turn into a smelly pile of garbage.

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Once the mites got out the bottom spigot and the little cup had gotten moved so they landed on the counter top. They didn’t get far before dying. Think they got to dry.

That’s been the only time she’s complained so far.

Yeah we can’t have a compost either. Not because I’d get lazy with it, which I probably would after a while, but because of rats and raccoons. Her and my sister saw a bunch of rats in the public transit garbage, dozens, that possibly came from the food factory and mall down the street. She doesn’t want to see that here so no compost.

The worms I’m sure she’d allow outside but they wouldn’t survive our summer or winter. So inside was where I think I’d need to do it.

I only wanted them as 10kg bags of worm poop is about $20-$25 plus tax. Even with Willow we have a lot of food scraps that get tossed out, or fruit and vegetables that start to go bad, that I can use to feed the worms. It doesn’t take much or often.

I’ll keep going with this until it either fails and they die off or it does well and I upgrade. We’ll see if they make it to spring.

Maybe posting this here will help.

Keep forgetting to get new saucers. Mine are too large if I want the fan in there too. Steamroller’s suggestion is valid and I’ve done it in the past but I’ve been trying to keep things lower in the tents. That’s why no saucer and elevator, just the big green screen and the washing tray.

But getting runoff info is no longer useful as it could be from any of the plants including the sunflower which is on Fox Farm 6:4:4.

Is there a safe way to kill the mites that does not jeopardize the worms?
I need to research this...

steamroller said:

Is there a safe way to kill the mites that does not jeopardize the worms?
I need to research this...

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I looked into making a new bed but how do I clean the worms. Some have a few riding on them. AI said putting them in water for a minute to clean them wasn’t a good move, to easy to drown them.

When I see a “oh shit” amount of them on any of the veggies or fruit I toss it. At least keeps their numbers down. It’s gross seeing one covered in these bugs. I swear one was still alive but IDK?

AI is only so helpful and often partially wrong so further research is needed. I’m just doing this blind with some YT advice.

Anything you do find let me know. AI said they shouldn’t go after living things but if hungry who knows?

20251127: GM & GGB#4

At lights on I’m going to feed them a pre flip mix. Using a fork to scratch up the top inch or so.

The plan is to flip by Sunday.

This is per 3 gallon pot.
1.5 TBSP Gaia 4:4:4
1.5 TBSP Gaia 2:8:4
2 TBSP Worm Castings
1 TBSP Biochar
.25 TSP Azos
1 TSP Azomite
1 TSP Mykos
1 TSP Gypsum
No epsom this feeding/watering.
A light amount of 4:0:0 Cal-Mag might be added to the water after top dressing is added. Half strength or less.

I read DE might help with the mites.

steamroller said:

I read DE might help with the mites.

Mites in Your Worm Bin: Why They're There and How to Control Them

Why are white and reddish mites taking up residence in your worm bin? We'll answer than and figure out how to get rid of them.

urbanwormcompany.com

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I got some. Let me check it out too. Thanks for including the link.

I’ll let you now if I use it and how it goes. They might be okay mites as I mostly see them on the vegetation but there can be sooo many it freaks me out a bit.

When a worm is dead or dying they cover every spot like a mummy wrapped in bugs. And if I’m slow to feed I can’t believe they just die and leave the worms alone.

20251128: GM & GGB#4

After scratching up the top inch or so of soil I mixed it with all the dry ingredients from the previous post. Then watered it in with 1.5 litres water and 500ml water with .5ml Cal-Mag.

I trimmed a few leaves off each to open up the bottom more for air flow and some large fan leaves from the middle. They look bushier than they are but I’ll trim more in stretch.

I left a few lower branches to remove after stretch for clones.

If all is good Sunday afternoon we’ll be switching to 12/12.

If you have any window screen place a piece ontop of the worm bin.the worms won't crawl through but the mites will.put bait onto screen .wait a few hours remove bait and submerge in water to drown mites.repeat until thier population is knocked down a little. Wet bread will work for bait.avacodos work best but a little more pricey. If you dont have screen just remove the worms from the bottom of the water bowl when you drown the mites.they will sink the mites will float.

stonemason said:

If you have any window screen place a piece ontop of the worm bin.the worms won't crawl through but the mites will.put bait onto screen .wait a few hours remove bait and submerge in water to drown mites.repeat until thier population is knocked down a little. Wet bread will work for bait.avacodos work best but a little more pricey. If you dont have screen just remove the worms from the bottom of the water bowl when you drown the mites.they will sink the mites will float.

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Thanks, I think I might in the garage. I find when I blend up the pot leaves the really like that, so do the worms.

You never warned me about the bug side of a worm farm.

Zen_seeker said:

Thanks, I think I might in the garage. I find when I blend up the pot leaves the really like that, so do the worms.

You never warned me about the bug side of a worm farm.

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Shit man I have been paying $40 bucks a pop for a little container of those mites and rove beatles and spring tails mixed in.

Alot of the soil dwelling bugs dont self regulate the way worms do.i had a problem in my indoor beds with to many isopods a couple runs ago.

stonemason said:

Shit man I have been paying $40 bucks a pop for a little container of those mites and rove beatles and spring tails mixed in.

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I’ve tried ignoring them but they reproduce so fast. And I see them riding on the healthy worms like an episode of Dune.

20251201: GM & GGB#4 Flip Day

F-67 days and counting.


Winter came Saturday night and didn’t leave. Rains washed half of it away but left an ice issue.


Everyone is still tired all the time and trying to get through their days. Here’s hoping the world takes a break from the BS for a little while.

Happy Holidays peoples.

Used a sharpy and a measured 500ml bottle to fill and mark each 2 gallon jug. (I’m in no hurry to do the 5 gallon and currently have no need too.) Now I can just toss the filter and hose into the jugs and spray to the proper line for each plant.

Added probe covers to protect them and to make a platform for the Dummy 13’s.




I’ll give them a week before I trim more. I want to cut some nice clones. At least one of each.



I still have room above to raise the light a bit. Hoping I can slow them down before raising the light. LST/HST if need be down the road.

And yes, this grow I’m hoping to move the Dummy 13’s around a bit. Two are male and two are female.

-=< I am not responsible for anything you may or may not see either in past or future posts. You have been warned. >=-

20251203: GM & GGB#4 F-65


A few leaves started to burn so I moved the light up. That was quick.







Cayenne pepper plant is still alive.