Worm Composting Bin: Your Compost Treasure Chest

Worms have been used for fishing for years, but they have another purpose in life; they break down soil and add nutrients to it. You can invite these wonder worms to your garden by building a worm composting bin. Being a worm keeper requires little maintenance but the benefit is great.

Worms make compost by taking in your garbage through their front, using a few nutrients for digestion, and then leave great soil, full of nutrients, behind. This new soil is also called castings or vericompost. You can use this compost directly for planting or add it to your compost pile to enhance the nutrient levels. The worms require very little to make this black gold but the main thing is a place to live; this is where a worm composting bin comes into play.

Types Of Worm Composting Bins

Finding a place for your worms to live is not rocket science, after all you see them out in the yard so it seems that they just need some dirt, right? Well, dirt is important but you want to be able to capture the compost so you can use it. You can make your own worm composting bin. One way would be to make it out of wood. You can build a box out of wood and fashion a cover that has ventilation properties. This is a handsome choice if you plan on displaying your worm composting bin, but it may be more work then you want to take on.

Building a worm composting bin out of plastic is one of the easiest ways to house your new wiggly investment. One set of plans include:

• Purchasing two 8-10 gallon plastic storage bins with covers. Be sure to buy the darker colored ones and not the kind you can see through (worms like it dark: remember they live underground without electricity.

• Drill 20 evenly spaced 1/4" holes in the bottom of both bins. This will provide drainage and allows the worms to crawl to the second bin when the first bin is full of compost and you want to harvest it.

• Drill ventilation holes 1-1 ½" apart on each of the sides of each bin, near the top edge. Next drill holes in one of the covers.

• Next comes the bedding. Worms like moist, but not wet bedding. You can shred newspapers or use office paper shreddings, some rotten leaves (if you have them), and a handful of dirt to aid in digestion.

• Worms would be an essential element to worm composting bins. Red wiggler worms are the most successful composting worms. You can try harvesting them yourself, but it is just as easy to purchase them from a reputable worm company.

There are companies that sell worm composting bins or take a chance and build your own worm composting bin.