When choosing a container in which to compost with worms, you should keep in mind the amount of food scraps you wish to compost, and where the bin will be located. A good size bin for the classroom is a 5- to gallon box or approximately 24" X 18" X 8". The box should be shallow rather than deep, as red wigglers are surface-dwellers and prefer to live in the top 6" of the soil.. Whether you choose a plastic, wooden or glass container to use as a worm bin is a matter of personal preference based primarily on what is available.
Some teachers have extra aquariums available. Some have wooden boxes which they would like to reuse. Others may prefer to buy or reuse a plastic container, such as commercially manufactured storage bin e. No matter what material you choose, make sure to rinse out the container before using. For wooden bins, line the bottom with plastic e.
Cover the bin with a loose fitting lid. This lid should allow air into the bin. If you take care of your worms and create a favorable environment for them, they will work tirelessly to eat your "garbage" and produce compost.
As time progresses, you will notice less and less bedding and more and more compost in your bin. After months, when your bin is filled with compost and very little bedding , it is time to harvest the bin.
Harvesting means removing the finished compost from the bin. After several months, worms need to be separated from their castings which, at high concentrations, create an unhealthy environment for them. To prepare for harvesting, do not add new food to the bin for two weeks. Then try one of two methods for harvesting:. Push all of the worm bin contents to one half of the bin, removing any large pieces of undecomposed food or newspaper.
Put fresh bedding and food scraps in empty side of bin. Continue burying food scraps only in freshly bedded half. Over the next weeks, the worms will move over to the new side where the food is , conveniently leaving their compost behind in one section. When this has happened, remove the compost and replace it with fresh bedding. To facilitate worm migration, cover only the new side of the bin, causing the old side to dry out and encouraging the worms to leave the old side.
Hands-On Method:. Dump the entire contents of the worm bin onto a sheet of plastic or paper. Make several individual cone-shaped piles. Each pile will contain worms, compost and undecomposed food and bedding.
As the piles are exposed to light,, the worms will migrate towards the bottom of the pile. Remove the top layer of compost from the pile, separating out pieces of undecomposed food and newspaper. After removing the top layer, let pile sit under light for minutes as the worms migrate down. The worm bin and bedding help regulate the temperature. When the air temperature is below 54 degrees Fahrenheit, worms slow down.
Below freezing, they can die. Above 84 degrees can cook the worms. Do you live in a climate that has temperature extremes? See our tips for keeping composting worms cool in summer and warm in winter. Bin location is the primary issue. You can mitigate some of the temperature hazards using ice, bin blankets, insulation, relocation, and moisture regulation.
Peruse our blog , check out our product descriptions , and read our Frequently Asked Questions. We are the 1 supplier of composting worms in the USA. I used large bins with combination of mulched cardboard and fresh greens.
I constantly had the problem of worms wanting to escape. They would be happy for a while and then they would be crawling up the sides of the bin and getting out.
I just could not get a median environment to keep them in there. Normally the lower portion of the worm bed is more wet then the top half. Keeping a packing-cardboard sheet on the top and spraying water with a spray bottle can address the problem.
During the cold months I kept them in the basement. THey consumed all the table refuse we gave them. Now i have them in an outdoor raised bed. I am going to let them enrich soil for a few weeks , then move them. I live in a city where temps have been over F daily. My worm bin is in my garage but have found by adding frozen water bottles capped daily keeps the worms comfortable and happy. The condensation keeps the bedding watered perfectly. They are doing great and are not water drenched from loose ice, another idea for those hot summers.
Put a LED note light over the top of them. Not all leave to find more food in the next tray up. The next layers up have plenty of worms and food.
How can I get the worms to migrate without picking them out one by one? I usually only have two trays going. This solves several problems. The extra liquid from the full tray seeps down and keeps the bottom tray moist; I never need to water. The top tray acts as a moisture barrier instead of needing to keep a moist newspaper or other covering on top, and it will keep out bugs, etc.
Finally, the worms do go DOWN and seem to be quite happy down there. This might not work in all setups, but definitely works in a two-tray setup in the worm factory. I do make sure to keep a good amount of bedding, so there is good aeration for the worms. How do you do the two trays? What do you make them with and size plus how much do you get from them?
I have two 50 gal. In the winter I use seed heating mats to keep worms an bedding warm. One time I tried to be extra nice to my precious worms and ground their food in my Vitamix.
The lucious, liquid mixture composted too quickly, raised the temperature, and the worms were escaping the heat. I think I threw a couple I rescued from day ground on there and they must have reproduced?
Now the other question, how do I use my compost when its ready without filling pots with wrigglers? I am wondering if worms will eat municipal compost?
I am thinking it might turn around if you could pass it through a worms intestines. We have a worm factory we needed to add a new tray so we followed the direction but for some reason our dirt in the new tray keeps disappearing. What could we be doing wrong? How much does a worm factory cost. I am in in the area southern calif. How do I order the worm factory ? From you. When and how will red wigglers be sent to my home? I live in MA where we have cold winters and warm summers.
Try putting a low watt lamp near them. The light will tend to make them stay under the medium. This is a good way to keep them in their home.
It took me less than an hour to realize that commercial so called compost bins are scam, why design garbage and never even test it? Here is a simple and most effective way to keep your worms in place. First take a large fabric pot, I have 30 gallon one, fill it with mixture of coco coir,perlite and vermiculite.
If you want follow me on youtube my grow channel is coming soon, CannaTernal. Then do I remove the worm blanket and start feeding from the new upper level and put the blanket there instead?
As apposed to spreading evenly over the shredded paper or shredded leaves of the top layer? I have a two layer plastic tote system for my worms. I used coconut coir, shredded paper, compost and a little soil in my bin for bedding. I put worms in the bin in the beginning of April.
The bin has no bad smell. I checked the PH of the bedding and it was around 7. I squeeze the bedding and do not get a drip of water. My worms are climbing up the sides of the bin going out the air holes and then down into the bottom bin and are in the leachate in the bottom bin. Also the worms do not seem to be eating the scraps that I put in the bin.
I use lettuce and other greens, carrot peels, cut up banana peels, cut up fruit, some coffee grinds and green beans They are not eating the scraps made by two people. What am I doing wrong? I grind our kitchen scraps in my Vitamix and then wrap the mix in newspaper prior to freezing. Initially, I set the frozen packet on the very top of the bedding to thaw.
Once thawed a day , the paper is soggy and I slit the side exposing the food and bury it deeper. When burying the packet I walk each successive packet to a new location around the bin — corner, middle side one, corner, middle of side two, etc. I like this freezing method because our kitchen scraps wax and wane depending upon the season and holidays. One last tip that works for me. This causes any excess water to pool on the lower end, leaving dryer spots for the worms. Most of the time, I can eliminate the excess water by simply removing the lid.
As the top drys the water wicks into it. If the water is not gone in a day I add shredded toilet paper or paper towel rolls into the water pool. Too much moisture has not been a problem. Super Food Recipe For Worms. Collect fresh seaweed from beach. Rinse in fresh water to remove sand and salt. You may start to see baby worms right away. Nicole Faires Nicole Faires is an urban farmer and best-selling author of books on sustainable agriculture and food policy.
Originally from Montana, she now lives with her family on the West Coast. Read Article. Why compost with worms? Setting up your worm composting bin A worm composter is, at its simplest, a bin with holes for ventilation and moisture. What type of bedding is best? The next step is bedding for your worms. Where should you put your worm bin? Buying your worms: getting what you pay for The type of worm most commonly used for vermicomposting is the red wiggler.
What should you feed your worms? Troubleshooting worm composting issues Being a stickler about how much food you add to your bin will help prevent a lot of problems. Prevention is key. Your composter stinks : If your compost starts to smell, dig through the bedding and remove any food waste that appears to be rotting. The worms should really be eating anything before it can get moldy, but they may let something sit to soften up.
Cutting up larger pieces will help them process food faster. A bad smell can also signal a moisture problem. Too much rotting waste can create a lot of humidity, which will soak the bin and make it a little too damp for the worms.
Add some dry cardboard and paper bedding to help balance things out and get the bedding back to a spongy moisture level. This will include moisture, temperature, and possibly even infestations. If the bin is too dry, add some water. Check for insect larvae or other issues under the top layer of bedding. If you notice insects, eggs, or even furry creatures, take the bin outside and harvest the castings.
This is a good time to clean out the bin and remove any rotting food or old bedding. Start off fresh and put the worms back in their home.
If you had a rodent invader, hold the lid down with bungee cords or rocks. Helping your worm compost thrive: amendments If troubleshooting fails to correct your problem, consider adjusting your worm bedding with one of the following amendments: Material Purpose Coconut coir Balances out nitrogen-rich materials like kitchen scraps and grass clippings, controls moisture, and improves quality of worm castings.
Harvesting your finished compost: lure vs. This is a good time to clean out any unwanted bits and add new, fresh bedding. Where can I use worm compost? Caring for your worms If conditions are right in your composter, your red worms will breed when they are over two months old.
Responses 2 Worm Composting Basics for Beginners - 2. About the Author Nicole Faires Nicole Faires is an urban farmer and best-selling author of books on sustainable agriculture and food policy. From Our Shop. Eartheasy Dual Tray Worm Composter. Subpod In-Ground Composting System. Composting Worms - European Nightcrawlers.
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