I have spoken to many people about worm composting and I get many different responses.
I have gotten the questionable look, the look of disbelief and the look of "you have got to be kidding". No matter which look I get, I end up explaining what vermi composting is all about.
First of all you do not have to spend an arm and a leg on on equipment. The biggest cost in the beginning should be the worms. I bet most people already have the other equipment. And by the equipment I mean a plastic bin. If you have to buy it, you should not be paying more than $10.
Now for the worms you should use red wrigglers. They are the most efficient in vermi-composting. They are hearty and tend to stay near the surface. You can buy 1000 red wrigglers for about $30 from Uncle Jims Worm Farm. That's about a pound of worms capable of composting approximately 1 lb. of kitchen scraps and/or grass clippings per day. (organic material only, no meats)
Drill about 5 to 10, 1/8th to 1/4 inch holes in the bottom of the plastic bin for drainage.
On the bottom of the plastic bin place some shredded newspaper about an inch thick. Wet the papers. Then place your compostable materials on top of the wet papers. Then spread the worms on top and cover with a good layer of dirt. This dirt will keep the fruit flies to a minimum.
Set the bin on the cover that came with the bin and cover it with a piece of wood. You can keep the composter in the garage, but during the winter you want to take it inside.
Now that is how you make a cheap vermi-composter. If you have any other tips and suggestions please comment below.
First of all you do not have to spend an arm and a leg on on equipment. The biggest cost in the beginning should be the worms. I bet most people already have the other equipment. And by the equipment I mean a plastic bin. If you have to buy it, you should not be paying more than $10.
Now for the worms you should use red wrigglers. They are the most efficient in vermi-composting. They are hearty and tend to stay near the surface. You can buy 1000 red wrigglers for about $30 from Uncle Jims Worm Farm. That's about a pound of worms capable of composting approximately 1 lb. of kitchen scraps and/or grass clippings per day. (organic material only, no meats)
Drill about 5 to 10, 1/8th to 1/4 inch holes in the bottom of the plastic bin for drainage.
On the bottom of the plastic bin place some shredded newspaper about an inch thick. Wet the papers. Then place your compostable materials on top of the wet papers. Then spread the worms on top and cover with a good layer of dirt. This dirt will keep the fruit flies to a minimum.
Set the bin on the cover that came with the bin and cover it with a piece of wood. You can keep the composter in the garage, but during the winter you want to take it inside.
Now that is how you make a cheap vermi-composter. If you have any other tips and suggestions please comment below.
Posts
5 comments: