Worm farming is so simple to start and such a great way to reduce waste in our landfills.
Food is the number one thing in our landfills and it creates methane, a greenhouse gas even worse than carbon dioxide. Worms break down and decompose food scraps faster than regular composting, so it is great for an urban environment. I will be showing you how I’ve made my simple worm bins, and I will link some worm bins you can buy too.
First off, you’ll need a bin with a lid. Preferably not a clear bin, since worms do not like to be exposed to light. With either a 1/8” or 1/4” drill, you can drill holes in the lid and on the sides of the bin closer to the top. This is essential for aeration. Without this, you could produce anaerobic bacteria in your bin which is “bad” bacteria. So drilling holes in the lid and side are very important if you want to produce “good” bacteria that breaks down your food. You can also drill holes in the bottom for drainage, just make sure you put another bin underneath to catch all the excess liquid.
Next, you need to consider bedding. I use a mix of coco coir and shredded newspaper. Shredded paper and cardboard also work, and already composted materials can work as bedding too. I like to mix newspaper in with my bedding to absorb some of the excess moisture. A worm bin that’s too wet can create anaerobic conditions, so drainage or extra “carbon” materials such as newspaper to soak up extra moisture is critical. If you do have drainage holes in the bottom of your bin, be sure to place cardboard or newspaper on the bottom of the bin to ensure your worms don’t escape down there.
Now, it’s time for your worms. Place your worms in the moist bedding (it should be like a wrung out sponge - not too wet but not dry either) and give them a bit to settle into their new home. If worms are trying to escape, this is normal. It’s because they’re in a new environment. Try placing a light over the bin to encourage the worms to dig deeper into the bedding.
After the worms seem settled, you can start feeding them. The biggest mistake beginner worm farmers make is overfeeding your worms. Only give them a little bit of food at first and see how long it takes them to decompose. Then you can feed a little more. You’ll get a sense of how quickly your worms decompose your food scraps. I feed my worms every few days, but your worms may start out small so keep in mind they won’t be able to eat as much as bigger worms. Worms can eat up to their body weight in food each day but that doesn’t mean they will! I like to feed in one area of the bin, then feed the spot right next to that. I keep feeding this way in a circular motion and when I get back to the starting point, the food scraps have decomposed. You don’t have to feed this way, but I find it is more efficient. Always make sure to cover your food scraps with bedding and add more carbon materials to your bin every time you feed your worms. I can make a blog post on carbon vs nitrogen materials in the future if that would be helpful.
If you would rather buy a worm composting bin, here are some links.
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