Over several years I had tried off and on to master the art of composting in our small yard. And of those tries, 100% of them have failed. Either the soil would remain too wet, there wasn't enough drainage, or it would just smell horribly ALL THE TIME. But, for some strange reason, I picked this lockdown time to again try to compost....this time with WORMS!
With April being Earth Month, learning to compost is a fun and educational activity to do with your kids. Composting is incredibly beneficial for those who garden, even casually, and vermicomposting - composting with worms - helps to enrich the soil and reduce/ eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers. Other benefits of composting include:
- Naturally eliminating food waste
- Reduces greenhouse gases
- Improves soil quality
- Helps clean up contaminated soil
- Helps control erosion
- Saves money
- And it is good for the environment!
In addition to all of the environmental benefits, having a worm farm to take care of is just fun! Just like any pet, you have to take care of them and enjoy the benefits of watching them grow and even reproduce.
When setting up my vermicompost bin I did what almost everyone does to learn anything new: turn to YouTube. I had tried the 5 gallon bucket method before for regular composting, but that yielded no results. I decided to try the same method again, just using some little helpers this time.
Following the methods prescribed in THIS VIDEO (which I will also embed below), I used two hardware store buckets (as opposed to totes) with only one lid. Drilling holes in the bottom, sides, and top helps to ensure drainage and adequate oxygen for your worms (they are living after all). It also releases the gases produced by the composting. Remember, do this in only ONE of the two bins.
After drilling your holes, place the drilled bin into the second. This bin will trap the liquids from the first. You can use this "tea" to boost the microbiological activity in your soil by dumping it directly into your plants or veggie plants (think plant kombucha) or you can scoop some of the casting later and literally brew it like you would a cup of tea.
I ended up ordering my worms from Amazon because of the difficulty some sellers were having with shipping, but Uncle Jim's Worm Farm us always a good place to shop. For around $20 I bought 200 red wriggler worms. When they arrived 90% of them were alive and HUNGRY! We quickly added them to some soil and bedding and put some kitchen scraps in for them to eat. Given that it was below freezing for the first few nights, we chose to bring them indoors at night to keep them safe.
We are around two weeks into our composting and although a handful of the worms are either hiding or have passed on, those in there are showing signs of growth and some of the materials are showing signs of compost. The bedding, we are noticing, is one of the most important aspects to a healthy bin as well as the moisture.
To learn how to make your own vermicompost bin I recommend watching the video below:
Drilling the Bins
After drilling your holes, place the drilled bin into the second. This bin will trap the liquids from the first. You can use this "tea" to boost the microbiological activity in your soil by dumping it directly into your plants or veggie plants (think plant kombucha) or you can scoop some of the casting later and literally brew it like you would a cup of tea.
Getting the worms into their new homes
I ended up ordering my worms from Amazon because of the difficulty some sellers were having with shipping, but Uncle Jim's Worm Farm us always a good place to shop. For around $20 I bought 200 red wriggler worms. When they arrived 90% of them were alive and HUNGRY! We quickly added them to some soil and bedding and put some kitchen scraps in for them to eat. Given that it was below freezing for the first few nights, we chose to bring them indoors at night to keep them safe.
Adding some food and top bedding
We are around two weeks into our composting and although a handful of the worms are either hiding or have passed on, those in there are showing signs of growth and some of the materials are showing signs of compost. The bedding, we are noticing, is one of the most important aspects to a healthy bin as well as the moisture.
Worms Two Weeks Later
To learn how to make your own vermicompost bin I recommend watching the video below:
as it seem
We have been enjoying checking on our new friends during the week. As minuscule as it seems, it is still nice to know that you are making a difference - and learning a lot of new stuff too! :)
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