How to Build a Compost Wormery

Any gardener who knows their Zinnia from their Azalea will tell you that adding compost to your garden soil is the key step to having an above average garden.

Composting doesn't have to be complicated and your compost pile doesn't have to take up half your back yard. In a large plastic trash can, or a variety of similar containers, you can start your own compost wormery. You can take it one step further and build a totally recycled, reused wormery by repurposing some items you already own but were planning to throw away.

You get a better producing garden and reduce the amount of trash you are sending to the landfill twofold!

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Large plastic outdoor trash can with a lid
• Some form of collection tray
• 3 bricks, old phone books or other item to elevate the bin off the ground
• Gravel, Sand, Broken Bricks or other drainage material
• Divider (old carpet is great)
• Multipurpose soil mix
• Newspapers
• Kitchen Waste (food stuffs that will decompose)
• 100 Tiger or Red brandling worms
• Drill

1. Drill air holes around the top of the bin.

2. Drill holes in the bottom of the trash bin so you can collect the resulting liquid in a tray beneath the bin.

3. Place your bin on the bricks or whatever you chose for your supports. Make sure it's stable and won't easily tip over.

4. Fill the bottom of the bin with 4IN/10CM of gravel.

5. Place the old carpet or some form of divider on top of the gravel. It should allow moisture to seep through but you can use any variety of things as a divider.

6. Add 4IN/10CM of multipurpose soil mix.

7. Top with shredded newspaper.

8. Add your worms.

9. Add a thin layer of kitchen waste, about 2IN/5CM.

10. Cover with damp newspapers.

11. Cover tightly with lid to keep flies and other critters out.

12. Suitable food:
    
    * Paper towels
    * Tea bags/leaves
    * Grinds/filters
    * Bread scraps
    * Cereal
    * Ice cream
    * Biscuit crumbs
    * Meat
    * Fish
    * Dairy products

13. Unsuitable food:
    
    * Onion and Garlic
    * Spicy foods
    * Citrus or acidic fruit should be given in small quantities only (e.g. lemons, oranges and kiwifruit)

Tips & Warnings

• Keep your soil damp
• Don't pack the soil down, the worms need to move
• When the food scraps are full of worms it's okay to add more
• The liquid collected in the tray is a super plant food that can be diluted with water and given to your plants
• Keep your wormery out of direct sunlight
• Think green and recycle or reuse ordinary stuff to make your wormery. Even old tires stacked in layers!
• Meat and Dairy scraps will get smelly fast
• Don't add too many scraps at once
• Beware of raiding racoons and make sure your lid is secure enough to thwart their attempts or move your wormery inside
• Avoid treated wood if building a wooden wormery or using wood as your divider

Resources

• eHow Home and Garden Topic Guide.
• Wormeries in Ireland
• Worm Farming

[Daethian]

on 8/22/2009 Thanks for the clarification!

[mommyhen42]

on 8/21/2009 Great tips, except that you should avoid milk, grease, and meat scraps those things are best left for phoenix worms and not earthworms. I have several bins and have been doing worms for years now and everyone says that you should stay away from the things I mentioned. Otherwise you have done a superb job

[soanyway]

on 6/14/2009 My grandma did this in Colorado as I was growing up. She sold her worms to fishermen! Very cool article.