Common\nearthworms are not used in worm bins, you need special compost worms (Eisenia\nfoetida) (or Lumbricus rubellus) that feed on decaying vegetable matter of\nalmost any kind (except very acidic materials such as citrus peel, or those\nthat heat up very quickly, such as grass clippings.) These aren\u2019t found in\nlarge numbers in the soil, but you can find them in old compost or manure piles.\nYou can also get them from another worm bin, through the mail, or from a\nfishing tackle shop. I got mine out of an old, badly made, compost pile and I have\nmaintained this same community of worms for over 18 years. Each worm can live\nfor 4 \u2013 5 years so I must have the great, great, great grandchildren of the\noriginal worms. I would like to be able to say that I recognize each individual\nworm and have a name for it, but I don\u2019t (at least not all of them). They have\nhad their ups and downs during that period and have suffered periods of neglect,\nbut they are still going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Making a worm bin<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Like\nany other living creature, worms need a suitable habitat and you make one by\ncreating a worm bin. The simplest type of bin is an old discarded plastic\ngarbage can, with a series of holes punched into the bottom 4\u02dd of the sides for\ndrainage. The bottom is then filled with 6\u02dd of sand or gravel to provide good\ndrainage and water is added to provide humidity. A series of boards are set on\ntop of the gravel (to keep it separate from the compost) and 3\u02dd of bedding goes\non top of this. I like these plastic bins, because they don\u2019t deteriorate and\nit\u2019s easy to get more at the town dump (unfortunately they no longer allow you\nto take them, so I have to steal them). I started out with one bin, but eventually\nhad three.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\ncan also make a worm box out of plywood, which is better in that you can have a\nwider shallower pile of material, which the worms prefer. However wood isn\u2019t as\ndurable as plastic of course. My most recent bin is copied from a friend in\nOakland and is made from an old galvanized livestock watering trough, which\nworks better than anything else I have seen. It is much bigger, shallower and rodents\ncan\u2019t chew holes to get into it (they are attracted to both the worms and the food\nscraps.) I also fitted a tap at the bottom so I can drain off any excess\nliquid, which is an amazing plant food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Where to put it<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Near\nthe kitchen is good, so you don\u2019t have to walk far (though it can also be deliberately\nplaced somewhere you need to visit regularly for other purposes.) The worms\nwill be happiest within a temperature range of 55 – 75\u00b0F, so in winter you may\nhave to move them to a warmer location, such as a shed, basement or greenhouse.\nIn summer you may have to make sure they have shade to keep them cool. A full\nbin can be pretty heavy, so it is only practical to move it when it is empty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bedding<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The\nbedding is where the worms live initially and could be mature compost, peat\nmoss, straw, hat, aged manure, leaf litter, or leaf mold, mixed with an equal\namount of torn newspaper (I have also used old shredded book manuscripts). This\nshould be quite moist, like a wrung out sponge. Another layer of bedding is\nused to cover the mix of worms, food waste and maturing compost, to hold in\nmoisture. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Using the bin <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The\nkitchen waste is added to one side of the bin at a time and covered with bedding.\nThe amount of waste that can be disposed of depends upon the number of worms, the\ntemperature and the size of the food scraps (the smaller the particles the\nfaster they will decompose.) It is best to give them too little food rather\nthan too much (it\u2019s always easier to add more). Large quantities of food may\nheat up, or start to go anaerobic and smell. You may need to add water to keep\nit moist and add lime if the pH is too low. If you go away for a while and the\nworms run out of food they may die, but they will lay eggs that will hatch\nlater. Obviously you should try to avoid this happening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Separating worms from compost<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When\nthe compost is fully decomposed and its origin is not recognizable , it is\nready to use. To separate the worms from the compost, without harming them,\nyou can pile it on a flat surface in the\nsun. The worms will move down from the top of the heap, into the cooler lower\nlayers and you can then skim off the worm free top layer and return the worms\nto the bin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Using the compost<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Worm\ncompost is very concentrated plant food and precious stuff. I most often add it\nto individual planting holes, or use it for top dressing underneath mulch. It\ncan also be used to make actively aerated compost tea, for a very effective,\nself-sustaining waste recycling and plant feeding system.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"![\"\"](\"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/worm-compost-4.jpg\")
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