Worm Composting Bin

Worm composting bins is a container that you use to compost food waste and turn it into a nutrient rich fertilizer for use in your garden and on your plants. People have been composting materials for years. Worms help that process along the way a little faster than traditional pile composting. The worm castings give back to the soil and make for healthier plants while at the same time saving you money from having to buy fertilizer.

One of the best things about this composting method is that the worm compost bin can be placed virtually anywhere either in the house or out. You want to take care to keep it from being in the extreme heat or extreme cold however as this will only kill your worms. As long as you properly maintain the composting bin, you won’t have to worry about foul odors emanating from it.

When preparing your worm compost bin, you want to make sure that you drill some ¼ inch holes in the bottom of your bin with a drill. Of course if you buy one of the ready to go setups like the Worm Factory, then you’re virtually ready to go out of the box so to speak. So, assuming you are making your own, then you will want to make sure you drill the holes previously mentioned.

Once you have the bedding ready, lay your worms directly on top of the pile of compost that you have made. Shine a bright light on them and they will burrow into the compost pile at which time you can cover the worm bin and let them go to work. Things that work great in your worm composting bins include fruit and vegetables, dry bread works well and organic waste from within the garden itself is great to put in your worm bin.

Worm Composting Bins

If you are reading this article, then you already have an interest in worm composting. The question then, is how to setup shop so to speak. You are probably already aware that there are multiple choices available to you all the way down to color choices. The single biggest factor will be the space you have available to you and of course, your budget.

The most efficient setup is the Worm Factory 360. The design is such that it composts organic material much more efficiently and faster than any other comparable system. What’s more, the very design of the unit itself is such that it can even be located indoors, such as in your apartment for those wishing to compost all year long.

Still others will choose to go for other systems, or to even build one themselves. While the Worm Factory® is moderately priced, it may still be out of budget for some to purchase and so you will have to decide the material from which you choose to make the worm composting bin. This will generally either be wood, or plastic. Many will argue that there really is no difference between the two materials however you have to consider the fact that wood can provide the worms with a lot more air than you would get with a plastic container.

There are in fact many more benefits to using a wooden worm compost bin as opposed to its plastic counterpart. The wood among other things will insulate the worm bins much better than you can get with plastic. Where there are fluctuations in temperature, such as warmth throughout the day turning to cold at night, the wooden bin will retain more heat whereas the plastic bin will lose its heat, possibly killing your worms.

The bedding that you use will help to insulate the worm bins but not as well as when wood is used. It is said too, that worms seem to compost better when they are in wooden containers. If your budget is one that is limited, a wooden worm composting bin is the ideal setup for you. In any case, whichever method you choose of making your own worm bin, you will need to be sure that there are holes in the bottom for proper drainage and in the sides for allowing the worms to breathe properly.

There really is no set in stone design for a worm bins. It’s more a matter of preference once you get beyond the necessity of the holes for drainage and breathing. Designs like the Worm Factory 360 however are designed in such a manner as to prevent any foul odors. Additionally, they allow air to enter the composter from all 4 sides, ensuring that the composting process proceeds unhindered. The design actually helps to speed the composting process up and works faster than any other comparable system available.

You’ll also need to know that worms from your yard are not really suitable for the worm composting bins. The ideal situation is to buy red worms which are sold by the pound for use in composting. A pound of red worms contains 800-1200 red worms depending on their size.

A worm bin is used for composting organic matter such as food waste or even certain types of manure such as that from a cow, horse, goat or other similar animal.

The way this works, is you place some bedding in your worm composting bin. Coir, which is actually coconut fiber, is perfect for using as worm bedding. You can use other materials too such as shredded newspaper, but the cost of the Coir is such that it as economical to use as anything else.