Build your own Worm Composting Bin for under $20 - with worms included!

It is easy to build a working worm composting bin for your kitchen scraps. The hard-working red worms will take vegetable scraps, egg shells, coffee grounds, and used tea leaves - all items you would ordinarily toss into the trash - and recycle them into gardeners' "Black Gold!"

Listed below are 10 easy steps to building your own vermicomposting bin in under an hour!

Supplies Needed

 
 
From around the house, you will need a drill with 1/16 inch drill bit, some old newspaper, access to water, and a few kitchen scraps.

Items to purchase:

• 2 nesting - opaque plastic containers (6"h x12"w x 12"d)with tight fitting lids
  (pictured above - bought at Target for $ 3.99 each)
• red worms (Eisenia foetida) or red earthworms (Lumbricus rubellus) - 1 or 2 containers
  (try your local bait shop - usually $ 2.99 per container - that's about 36 hard working worms)

Step 1:

Drill about 40-50 holes, evenly spaced in the bottom of one container. This is going to be the inside container, and will hold the worms, bedding, and kitchen scraps. The reason for the holes in the bottom is to allow for the extra moisture drippings (tea leachate) to escape, so the worms aren't too wet. You can use these drippings in your garden as well. Feel free to empty them as often as you would like.

Step 2:

Put the container you just drilled holes in the bottom, INSIDE the 2nd container. Then, drill about a dozen holes per side, around the perimeter of the inside container at a level above the outside container. These holes are to create a draft ventilation system in your worm compost bin. Air will enter these holes and heat will escape from the holes that will be drilled in the lid in Step 9.

Step 3:

Purchase your red worms at a local bait shop. Each container should have about 3 dozen worms. You can start your bin with one container, or buy two containers if you have a large family, or make lots of usable kitchen scraps. Each worm can eat about half its weight per day, so remember that as you add kitchen scraps. You can start slowly, as the worms will multiply if they are happy, and then you can add more scraps.

Contact Clover's Garden Center for a resource of worms in your area: gardengirl@cloversgardencenter.com

Step 4:

Shred some newspaper, enough to loosely fill your container, and place it in the kitchen sink.

Step 5:

Add water to your shredded paper - so it has the dampness of a wrung-out sponge.

Step 6:

Add about 1/2 of the damp paper to your inner compost bin, making sure you have your two bins nested to catch any dripping water. Then, place some kitchen scraps on top of the bedding. A banana peel, crushed egg shells, coffee grounds, and lettuce scraps were used here.

Step 7:

It's time to add the worms! Make them happy, by placing the contents of the worm container (worms & bedding material) on top of the kitchen scraps - maybe even spread them out a bit.

Step 8:

Place the remaining 1/2 of the dampened newspaper on top of the worms and kitchen scraps.

Note: when you add kitchen scraps to your compost bin, place them under the top layer of paper bedding.

Step 9:

Place the lid on the inside container, and drill 30-40 holes in the lid. These holes will allow the excess heat of decomposition to escape the top of the composter.

Step 10:

Place your wonderful worm composting bin somewhere conveniently located in/near the kitchen.

Note: Worms like to work in warm (50-70° F), and dark conditions. Please do not put them in the rain or hot sun.

The Finished Product

You can start harvesting the worm castings after about 2-3 months.

Coming Soon! Pictures of "Black Gold!"

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Clover's Garden Centers | P.O. Box 1427, Riverside, Illinois 60546 | Office 630 / 323-7100 | Fax 866 / 673-3331
contact@cloversgardencenter.com