Worm Scoop

This is the ultimate beginners guide to starting a worm composting bin. The goal of this article is simple worm composting. Keep it simple from the start and explore as you gain experience. Getting started with vermicomposting is easy and you don’t need anything elaborate. Here is what you will need:

• A container to house the worms
• Bedding for the container
• Food for the worms
• And finally some worms

Worm Bins

There are many options for your first worm bin. For starters, you could buy a worm bin from a retailer, build a nice wooden worm box, or find some plastic containers. I generally use plastic bins. The 10-gallon Rubbermaid container is a great size, but any smaller or larger bin is good too. A plastic bin is easy to find and setup, light weight and easy to move, and simple to use indoors.

Worm Bin Bedding

The worm bedding is what the worms will live in and eat. Bedding helps hold in moisture and provides a place to bury the worm food. Shred some newspaper, cardboard or fall leaves. Toss in and handful of sand.

Worm Food (aka Garbage)

Most worm farmers begin with the intention of composting kitchen scraps. A common mistake is overfeeding your worms. Add food slowly and always bury it in the bedding. Rotten material is better than fresh. As you grow your bins and experience you will learn that you can add many different things.

Here are the items to begin with:

• Fruit and Vegetable scraps
• Bread, pasta, rice
• Coffee grounds, tea bags
• Egg shells (crush them if possible)

Never add meat, dairy, pet  waste, human waste, oil, grease, or chemicals. They can kill your worms and it will smell awful!

Worms – Red Wigglers (Eisena Fetida)

Now that you have a lot of bedding and a little food in your worm bin, it is time to get some worms. Well, it is almost time. Let the bin sit for a few days or more. This will allow the micro organisms to start their job.

Ok, now it is time to get the worms. Don’t assume that you can dig up some worms in the back yard or pick some up on a rainy day. These common earthworms will not survive in your worm bin. You need Eisena Fetida (Red Wiggler) worms. There are other worms, such as European Nightcrawlers, but since we are just beginning the Red Wiggler is your best bet. So, where do you get worms and how many do you need?

Where to get worms:

• Find a friend with worms and ask nicely
• Find a local worm distributor
• Order worms online

How many worms will you need?

There are various calculations to determine the number of worms per surface area. But remember we are starting simple here. I have always started a worm bin with 1 pound of worms. The worms will increase and find their optimal population quickly. Besides, if something goes wrong you only lost 1 pound of worms instead of several.

Check and Feed your worms regularly

Now that your worms are settling in, give them food on a regular basis. If the bin seems dry then add a little water. It should be damp, not soaked. I have found that the food waste provides enough moisture and water is not necessary very often. Larger, wooden boxes will require more moisture than the standard plastic containers.

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