Worm Bins

Some people have been asking for updates on how my worm bin is doing, so I thought I’d write up a post rather than respond in the comments.  I started one at home last week, but I plan on having one (or two) in my classroom as well.

Preface: Worms are really easy.

No, really, I promise!  Yes, there are things you have to watch out for…but it’s much more complicated than a house plant.

Introduction: Making a Worm Bin

I used a 10 gallon Rubbermaid Tote from Target that cost me all of $6.  Drill some holes in the sides, top and bottom. I used this tutorial from Portland Metro as a guide.  The key is that you want lots of air flow in the bin, but the worms, of course, you want to keep in the bin.

The next step is to make the bedding.  You can use newspaper, newsprint, regular paper, bark chips, or a combination of these (that’s ideal)…the main idea here is to make sure that it’s moist (worms need moisture), but not too wet, or they’ll drown.  The bedding should take up 3/4 of the bin, and there should be enough air flow for the worms to breathe.  I also threw a couple of handfuls of dirt, for grit.

Main Plot: The Worms and Their Food
After the bin’s prepared, you need your worms!  For worm bins, you’ll need some red worms.  You can find these at a garden supply store, or from myriad online suppliers.  I bought mine at Pistils Nursery in North Portland, an awesome local gardening store.  I started with a half pound of worms, but I may add more, as I’m finding that I’m producing more waste than I thought.

Add the worms to the bin, giving them a chance to get acclimated to their new home.  Then add the food!  You can put in any green waste–that is fruit or vegetable waste…no meat or dairy (it will get smelly).  Portland Metro also has a good list of foods that can be included in a worm bin.

Conclusion: Harvesting the Worm Castings!

I made a handy dandy record sheet to keep track of where I buried my food, so I keep it rotating throughout the bin.  After 6-8 weeks or so, depending on the amount of food you put in, you’ll find reduced amounts of bedding and a nice rich vermicompost, which is made of worm castings (or poop, in more common lingo). The easiest way to harvest the goods is to start feeding the worms exclusively on one side…once all the worms have moved over, remove the castings from the other side, add fresh bedding, then start feeding on the new side.

Epilogue: Check out this great book!

I highly recommend Mary Appelhof’s book Worms Eat My Garbage.  It will tell you everything you need to know to get started and how to trouble shoot.  Plus, I love her no-nonsense take on life.

I plan to include a weekly picture of my worm bin for you all to see…hopefully in October I’ll be able to harvest my first castings!

Here are photos from Week 1:

If you look closely, you can see a worm or two!

You should set the bin above the ground to allow air flow on the bottom, too. A tray underneath (I used another lid) works well to catch any drips.

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