DIY Vermicomposting Bin
We got 250 new pets today.
That's right, we are now the proud(?) owners of 250... red wiggler worms.
That's a phrase I never thought I'd hear myself say. You see, it started when I attended a composting class put on by Denver Urban Gardens. A compost heap, they said, takes up a lot of space. 6x6 feet minimum for a good compost pile, that is. Alas, I thought to myself, I will not be having a compost heap in the foreseeable future, and just spent a cold October day outside for a half hour in the Gove Community Garden for naught.
But then... they said there was another option, particularly good in condos. It is this thing called "vermicomposting." Vermicomposting takes up very little space. You just toss in your kitchen scraps and through the magic of composting, old newspaper and kitchen scraps turn into rich compost you can use to enhance your garden. You can do it in a tiny little shoebox plastic bin. You get this dark, nutrient-dense compost that is the best thing to put in plants. No smell.
The only catch: it's all done by worms.
Little space. Check. Decent amount of kitchen waste from cooking. Check. Newspapers from my coupon-ing addiction. Check. Worms... well, I am just millennial enough to try it.
So, after a mishap involving our first shipment of worms and our brand new fridge (and a prompt clean-freakout that resulted in said fridge being promptly super disinfected), I reordered a second batch. They arrived today from Uncle Jim's Worm Farm via Amazon. and I got to work making them a home where they could eat all of my food scraps and make magic worm-poo soil with.
And that's how I ended up with 250 worm-pets for $25.
If you're curious how to do this at home, here's what I did.
Supplies:
I'll let everyone know if I can keep these suckers alive and whether the compost is worth allowing 250+ pests to reside in a special recycling bin in my house.
Until next time! If you vermicompost and have any tips and tricks, let me know in the comments below!
That's right, we are now the proud(?) owners of 250... red wiggler worms.
 |
| Eisenia fetida, if you're nasty. |
That's a phrase I never thought I'd hear myself say. You see, it started when I attended a composting class put on by Denver Urban Gardens. A compost heap, they said, takes up a lot of space. 6x6 feet minimum for a good compost pile, that is. Alas, I thought to myself, I will not be having a compost heap in the foreseeable future, and just spent a cold October day outside for a half hour in the Gove Community Garden for naught.
But then... they said there was another option, particularly good in condos. It is this thing called "vermicomposting." Vermicomposting takes up very little space. You just toss in your kitchen scraps and through the magic of composting, old newspaper and kitchen scraps turn into rich compost you can use to enhance your garden. You can do it in a tiny little shoebox plastic bin. You get this dark, nutrient-dense compost that is the best thing to put in plants. No smell.
The only catch: it's all done by worms.
Little space. Check. Decent amount of kitchen waste from cooking. Check. Newspapers from my coupon-ing addiction. Check. Worms... well, I am just millennial enough to try it.
So, after a mishap involving our first shipment of worms and our brand new fridge (and a prompt clean-freakout that resulted in said fridge being promptly super disinfected), I reordered a second batch. They arrived today from Uncle Jim's Worm Farm via Amazon. and I got to work making them a home where they could eat all of my food scraps and make magic worm-poo soil with.
And that's how I ended up with 250 worm-pets for $25.
If you're curious how to do this at home, here's what I did.
Supplies:
- At least two empty clumping kitty litter bins, rinsed well.
- Drill with small bit.
- Red Wiggler Worms.
- Newspaper.
- Old egg cartons.
Steps:
- Take your old kitty litter bins and give them a nice thorough rinsing out, preferably outside, to get rid of all that dusty residue.
- Pry the top off of all but one of the bins. I tried to use a wrench, but then after some struggling found that a butter knife helped me remove that lid without too much damage to my hands.
Curious/perplexed kitten optional. - Drill a bunch of small holes near the top of the bin with the lid still on it with the drill to make air holes for the worms to get lots of oxygen with.
- Drill holes on the bottom to make an area for drainage. This will apparently make a concoction known as "worm tea". Do not drink worm tea, you gross sicko. The worm tea is a good liquid fertilizer to spray/feed on plants.
- Stack the drilled bin on top of the un-drilled bin.
- Shred up a bunch of newspaper and moisten until the paper is just damp, but not wet. You shouldn't be able to wring any more water out of it when you're done. Put this at the bottom of the drilled bin. Heads up - your hands will get all inky. Have a good rag-towel and lots of dish soap handy to rinse off when you're done.
- Fill bin with dry newspaper scraps and bits of egg carton shredded up until about 3/4 of the way to the top.
- Add worms. Mine came in soil, which I figured they liked since they survived the mail in it, so I just threw that in too.
- Feed worms and cover with more newspaper. I threw in some lettuce we had since we had extras from the pitas we made two nights ago and it's starting to get a bit soggy.
- Cover up with a full sheet of newspaper to keep out fruit flies. Place in a warm area that is convenient. Enjoy achieving peak hipster status.
I'll let everyone know if I can keep these suckers alive and whether the compost is worth allowing 250+ pests to reside in a special recycling bin in my house.
Until next time! If you vermicompost and have any tips and tricks, let me know in the comments below!
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