March 26, 2010, Newsletter Issue #437: Home Worm Composting

Tip of the Week

If your composting space is limited, consider worm composting, also known as vermiculture. Worm composting gives you the freedom to compost in small spaces like your garage; in fact, since most people who practice vermiculture feed their worms mostly kitchen scraps, the garage is a great location for worm bins.
 

 
Making your own worm composting bin is simple. To create one, you'll need:

a plastic or wooden box with small holes in the bottom
bedding (compost or shredded newspaper)
 
worms



There are a few advantages to wood containers, the most important of which is its insulating capabilities. Plastic containers aren't great insulators and also tend to hold water.

Choose a box that's at least twelve inches deep and that has a lid. The number of holes you need to make in the bottom will depend on the size of the box. The holes, which are used for drainage and aeration, should be one-quarter inch wide.

Once the box is ready to go, add the bedding. To keep the worms happy, new materials like kitchen scraps should be added to the middle of the soil pile every two or three days. Once the bedding is in, add the worms and cover the bin with the lid. Remember that you want the soil to be moist, but not wet. When you're ready to harvest the compost, use a bright light to drive the worms to the bottom of the pile.
 

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