DIY Network

Worm Composting Worm Composting From "Fresh from the Garden" episode DFFG-124

Worm composting is a little out of the ordinary... but it can be great fun for the entire family! Read on for tips on getting started and composting successfully.

advertisement

• You can order worms for your compost as a kit. The kit featured here has a base, a water collection tray, three worm trays, filler material and a lid. Once a kit is put together it can hold 1000 red wiggler worms.

• According to the directions, the first step in putting together the kit is to attach the water collection tray to the leg base using the supplied screws. This unit is sized to fit on a table so that you can get easy access to the worms to feed them. One pound of worms can eat a half of a pound of food scraps each day. That’s why you get so much compost from so few worms.
  

  	The kit featured here has a base, a water collection tray, three worm trays, filler material and a lid. Once a kit is put together it can hold 1000 red wiggler worms.
  	The worm trays stack one on top of the other.
  	One of the most important steps in worm composting is to make a thick, moist bed for the worms to live in.
  	In a couple of days add some bedding material and food waste to the second tray under the newspaper.

• The next step is to insert the water collection liner, making sure to line up the drainage holes. Then put the drain valve through the tray and liner and attached it with a plastic ring. This ring will keep any compost water from leaking out, if you see leaks check the fit and placement of the ring.

• Then put the worm trays together. They just stack one on top of the other. They need to be secure but not too tight since you will need access to the worms. Now you can put the trays on top of the base. Finally the lid goes on top to keep the worms in and dry air out!

• One of the most important steps in worm composting is to make a thick, moist bed for the worms to live in. To start the bed, soak the coir brick that comes with the kit in one gallon of water. Also soak some shredded paper. Then mix in a hand full of vermiculite. Next, add a small amount of vermiculite to the water collection liner and set the bottom tray in place. Then pour the bed mix into the tray.

• Next put the worms in the tray. Start with 2 trays. Save the other one for later, when the worms have multiplied. The worms start in the bottom tray. As the worms compost all of the food in their tray, they’ll move up to this second tray. The second tray only needs moist newspaper, a piece of cardboard and the lid. Now all you have to do is add some food.

• Worms can help compost lots of different types of household waste like food scraps, paper napkins, eggshells, drier lint and even vacuum cleaner dust. A family of 4 can discard enough waste to feed a pound of worms a day.

• In a couple of days add some bedding material and food waste to the second tray under the newspaper. Worms eat the bacteria, fungus, mold and yeast that break down your waste. They need carbon from shredded paper, cardboard and other wood products to do it. That’s why you have to add about half food to half paper products every time you feed them.

• In order for worm composting to work the worm bed must be kept moist, but not wet. Before you add paper products soak them in water and gently wring them out. If the bed gets too dry the worms could die and if it gets too wet the worms can drown. Check your system every few days and make sure you keep the worms out of the sun. The heat from the sun can dry worms very quickly.

• Once the worms have moved out of the bottom tray you will be left with pure compost, known as worm castings.