This bin is called the Can-O-Worms, and as you can see it is made up of several sections stacked on top of each other. You start by placing some wet bedding, worms, and a little bit of food scraps in the bottom tier. Then you keep adding scraps until it fills. Once the bottom tier is full, you add on the next tier. There are holes on the bottom of the second section so the worms are able to travel up. You fill the second tier then add the third. By the time the third is full, the worms will have completely finished transforming the garbage in the bottom section into compost and will have vacated that tier. You can then use that wonderful compost in your garden. You can also collect liquid that has built up by using the spout, and this "worm juice" as we like to call it is super drink for your plants. What's really great about this system, as opposed to making one out of a box or something (which you can do if you are on a budget), is you don't have to do anything to maintain it. You don't have to pick worms out of the bin to get to the finished product. You don't have to do ANY separating. It's amazing and worth the investment.
Here is a bit of a closer look at our composting routine. We have this wonderful compost pail that is metal and has a double filter in the lid. We NEVER smell it. Plus, it keeps insects out of it. The only time we ever have had problems with fruit flies is when we forget to dump the compost into the worm bin for several weeks. Our goal is to dump the compost once a week; then we have no problems with flies.
When we are ready to add food to the bin, we like to wrap it up in wet newspaper (non glossy pages). The worms can eat the paper too, and this keeps the food from attracting fruit flies. Here is what our top bin looks like right now:
Our second bin has been going for a while because we slowed down putting stuff in over winter. We've found that when we store the bins in the basement (which is unheated), the cooler Maine temperatures slow the worms down and they can't keep up with once a week feedings. You don't want to over feed them because they won't be able to break stuff up fast enough and it will attract fruit flies. Here is our second bin:
You can see the worms on the top a little. Worms used in vermiculture ARE NOT the ones you find in your garden. They are composting worms, and usually redworms. You can usually purchase some locally from a fellow vermiculture enthusiast, and they will reproduce and multiply so you never have to add more. Here is a closer look at one of our redworms:
Our third bin is full of compost that is ready to be used as soon as I figure out where I want to use it. It is a soft, fluffy, rich compost that will make any plant thrive.
Finally, whenever I need to fertilize one of our plants, I fill up my watering can about a quarter full of "worm juice" fresh from the spigot and then fill the watering can the rest of the way up with water. This stuff has done wonders for my plants!
If you are thinking about starting your own vermiculture system or just want to read more about it, I recommend picking up Worms Eat my Garden by Mary Appelhof. Its a fast, well organized book that is chock full of all the information you would ever need, from how to set up a bin, how to make your own bin, all about the worms' biology, troubleshooting, and more. We've referenced it countless times.
We love our worms, and this system has worked out really wonderfully for us. Now that we have two children and a big back yard, we've found that we need to start an additional compost system to keep up with our waste. The worms can't really handle much more than a compost pale a week. So we need to start a bin outside for our garden waste, yard clippings, etc. We will keep our worms because they truly make wonderful fertilizer and are a great learning tool for our little guys.
