Worm Composting

Posted by Brenda - May 23rd, 2012

Worm Composting……………….I started a worm composting bin about 2 1/2 weeks ago, just love these little guys lol.

I have started out small (in the house, no smell) because I have not done this before and wanted to make sure I could do it properly and not kill the worms. Everything is going great and I’m going to increase the size of the bin and get 2 or 3 dozen more worms (at present I have about 12 Night Crawlers).

Here is a brief excerpt of the site where I obtained the information to get started: Vermiculture, or worm composting, allows you to compost your food waste rapidly, while producing high quality compost and fertilizing liquid. Best of all, it’s self-contained and nearly odorless.

Material: Rubber is cheap, easy to use and durable. Galvanized tubs are somewhat costly but will last forever. Wood will eventually be eaten, and plastic cracks easily, but either will do in a pinch. Some people prefer wooden compost worm bins because they may breathe better and absorb excess moisture^[1], which can be hazardous to the worms. Just don’t use chemically-treated wood, which may be dangerous to worms or leach harmful chemicals into your compost. 5-gallon plastic buckets now for sale by most hardware stores can be used – especially if you live in an apartment. Clean the big 5-gallon soap buckets thoroughly and let them sit for a day or so filled with clean water before using as a worm bin.

Ventilation: Your bin should be well-ventilated, with several 1/8 inch (3mm) holes 4 inches (100mm) from the bottom (otherwise the worms will stay at the bottom of the bin and you may drown your worms). For example, you can build a worm bin out of a large plastic tub with several dozen small holes drilled out on the bottom and sides. Untreated wooden bins are naturally ventilated because of structure of wood.^[2]

Size: The larger you make the container, the more worms it can sustain. Estimate 1 pound (0.45kg) of worms (1,200) for every square foot of surface area. The maximum productive depth for your bin is 24 inches (61cm) deep because composting worms will not go further down than that.
Cover: The bin should have a cover to prevent light from getting in and to prevent the compost from drying out. Choose or make……………………..

………..For a detailed narrative on how to start go to:

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Your-Own-Worm-Compost-System

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