Worm Bin Vermicomposting Follow-Up

I received several private messages from readers interested in composting with worms - vermicomposting - asking about the availability of ready-made worm bins. I sometimes forget that not everyone is equipped for or interested in do-it-yourself projects. For you folks, I found a couple of bargain-priced worm composting bins available through Amazon that I would consider buying.

Can-O-Worms is a round, multi-level worm bin that comes highly recommended both for its function and its good looks. This one, in particular, appeals to me because it stands on legs and eliminates some of the bending and stooping I do with my home-built worm bin. It doesn't look bad, either. It's one I'd actually consider keeping in the house instead of secreted away in the garage or tool shed over the winter. It's my understanding that a properly functioning worm composter does not have an offensive odor or attract flies - an absolute MUST if I were to keep it in my house. I'm sure you feel the same way. One tip I came across suggests regularly adding a little parsley (stems or leaves) to the bin and limiting the amount of fruit scraps as insurance against odor or fruit flies. Another tip suggested putting the fruit and veg scraps through a quick whirl in the food processor before adding to the bin. It's supposed to help the worms eat it the scraps before they can rot and create odors.

It's rather cool that the Can-O-Worms has a built-in collector for the liquid worm tea with a spigot for easy dispensing. That's one of the downsides to my home-built worm bin. Collecting the worm tea requires the use of a funnel to pour it from the bottom collector tub into a storage jug. Haven't done that yet, but I expect it to be a bit messy.

Another model I like the look of is The Worm Factory. Actually, when I first considered worm composting I found a YouTube video that showed how to set up this particular worm bin. It also has the worm tea collector tray with a spigot and looks decent enough to keep in or near the kitchen. It's a little lower to the ground and square instead of round. Other than that, the Can-O-Worms and the Worm Factory seem to be functionally identical. There's about a $20-$30 price difference.

I'm constantly amazed at the range of products available through Amazon. While researching the worm composting bins, I discovered that we can also get worms called Red Wrigglers, books on vermicomposting, and even a great little stainless steel compost bucket for storing and transporting our food scraps to the worm bin or the compost pile. I just ordered one of those for my kitchen.

Thanks to all of you who wrote asking for more information on the worm composting bins. Hoping you find this post both interesting and helpful. If I've encouraged you to try composting with worms, let me know. It would be fun to keep in touch with one another so we can share our experience and compare results.

I've Got Worms: Vermicomposting

No, these are not my hands. In fact, this is a stock photo from an unknown source. I am using it to illustrate that even someone like me, who would be totally creeped out holding a double handful of worms, can take up vermicomposting with little or no discomfort. And, man oh man, the compost these worms create from kitchen scraps is black gold.

I've always had a not-so-hot compost pile for my garden and yard waste. Even though I understand the theory behind layering green and brown materials and turning the pile frequently to keep it aerated - in practice I dump all my trimmings on top of the pile and forget it. Just between you, me, and the garden shed, my compost pile has too much green stuff, is anaerobic (lacking oxygen), and takes at least a year to produce usable compost. I'm just not into the hard work on the business end of a pitchfork in order to make compost faster.

That's where the worms come in. They take all (or most) of the backbreaking work out of creating rich compost and do it fairly quickly - at least, that's what I've been told. The set-up and maintenance seems to be dead easy. Basically, you fill up a large Tupperware bin with shredded, moist newspapers, add a small amount of kitchen scraps (vegetables, fruits, coffee grounds, filters, and tea bags), and add 1 lb. of Red Wriggler worms. I got my worms from a dairy farm that uses them in composting cow manure and they cost $20 per pound. Theoretically, worms can consume half their body weight each day. That means I should be able to add 1/2 pound of kitchen scraps each day, burying the scraps under the top layer of newspaper to keep down odors and fruit flies. At the end of 5-6 months (or so I'm told) this first bin will be full of super-rich brown compost and power packed with worm castings (a.k.a. worm poo).

No sweat. No complicated layering of brown and green materials. No back-breaking turning of a pile with a pitchfork. Just feed the worms, they eat, they poop, and I get compost for the garden. Bonus...in addition to the compost, I also get "worm tea." This is a concentrated miracle liquid that leaches out of the compost. 1 Tbsp. to a gallon of water makes a wonderful liquid fertilizer or a rejuvenating tonic for weak or sickly plants. Worm tea comes highly recommended by almost everyone on the orchid forum I visit. It's saved many an orchid from dying the death of a rag doll at the hands of newbie and expert orchid growers alike.

If you'd like to give worm composting a try, here's a link for more information on constructing a worm bed. Let me know if you decide to give it a go. I'd love to hear from other gardeners who (like me) will try anything once.