Worm Bin and Vermi Composting For Beginners

By Whitney Segura
Learn the Basics of Composting with Worms for Beginners

Adding worms to your compost pile makes for faster decomposition, not to mention that these little critters introduce more beneficial nutrients into the soil. Ultimately, you get the best bargain because you end up with healthier plants, you save on fertilizer costs and you become a more responsible citizen of Earth.

Places

The best thing about vermicomposting is that you can do so at virtually any place in and outside the house! There is no need to worry about unpleasant smells and unwelcome insects just as long you can properly maintain the compost pile.

Preparation

There are two ways with which you can prepare your vermicomposting bin. First, you may buy a ready-made vermicomposting bin from a local store, which can be expensive but very convenient. Second, you can make your own bin by getting 8-gallon sized cheap plastic tubs lying around the house or purchased at affordable prices in stores.

Let's assume that you opted for the second route, the steps of which are as follows:

* Drill several ¼-inch holes into the bottom of the tub, place a fine mesh screen over it and then place it over bricks and a drip tray.


* Layer shredded black-and-white moist newspapers, a few handfuls of dirt for the worms to feed on, whole dead leaves and then either decomposed compost or aged manure. It should fill the tub to ¾ of its brim. If the layers seem too moist, you can either allow it to dry or add more shredded newspaper to the mix to achieve just the right level of wetness.

Now, your new garden compost bin is ready for worms and kitchen scraps to be added to the mix!

Pound for Pound

And speaking of worms, the rule of thumb is that a pound of garbage from the kitchen needs two pounds of worms. However, take note that the worms used in vermicomposting are not your typical garden earthworms. Instead, you must buy special worms like red worm and red wrigglers for the purpose, which you can buy online.

* You should lay down the worms on top of the compost pile you have just made and then shine a bright light on them. The worms should react by burrowing down into the pile, after which you can cover the tub and place it in the selected area.

Of course, you have to feed your earthworms.

Highly recommended materials include fruit and vegetable scraps, crushed egg shells, dry bread, dryer lint, coffee grounds and filters, tea bags, and other organic waste from your lawn and garden. Just be sure to chop them into small pieces for the worms to feed on.

* You will know when the compost is ready if it has an earthy, crumbly and brown appearance, which should take about 3 months. You can either mix the compost with potting soil or work it into the ground soil, depending on whether you are into indoor or outdoor gardening.

You might wonder what to do about the worms that have been separated from the compost during harvesting.

Well, you can use them to start a new compost pile! Or better yet, you can give them away to friends who may have need for said worms, thus, continuing the good cycle of compost gardening.

Whitney is an expert gardener and owner of a company that sells Compost Equipment and hydroponics supplies. As well they carry a full line of environmentally friendly products, such as the EasyGrow Greenhouse, a popular choice for professional gardeners.

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