Setting Up a Worm Composting Bin

Detailed instructions for setting up a 'deluxe' Rubbermaid worm composting bin

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[pisceantiger310]

My thought is to put a layer of window screen mesh on the bottom to allow drainage, but keep the worms from getting to the bottom container. Thoughts?

[TheCompostGuy]

Not a bad idea as long as you can almost create an inner mesh container. If it's just a layer of mesh at the bottom the worms will likely manage to work their way under it.

[Diana Bickford]

is it a bad sign that no liquid has drained out of the bin that the worms are in? There is no standing water in the bin and the material seems very moist, but I haven't gotten any worm juice. I've had my bin going a little over a month.

[TheCompostGuy]

Hi Diana,

Contrary to the information provided by some worm bin manufacturers, the aim is NOT to have liquid draining out from the bottom. This is not real "worm tea". Obviously we want our system nice and moist, and some drainage liquid is ok, but if you want good quality vermicompost tea start by making good quality vermicompost, :-)

[poemking1]

can you use fish carcasses as food for them as well or just vegetables and fruits plus can you use night crawlers or do red wigglers

[TheCompostGuy]

Technically, you can use just about any organic waste material, BUT you would certainly need to do some pre-work ahead of time in order to make it worm friendly. Nitrogen-rich wastes like this should probably be pre-composted (hot composted for a fairly short period) before being used.

[Kristen Howard]

How often do you add food to the bin, how do you know when it's "done", and how do you remove the compost but not the worms?

[malle6013]

Great video, very straightforward. Every video I watched prior to yours seemed to promote a different method, but yours encompassed all of those methods in a much simpler format. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[weishann221]

How many worms would you suggest for this size?

[Prashant Uswal]

Very Simple, informative & Easy to make compost bean...going to make it in few days from now...for my balcony garden...happy composting & gardening.

[gardenvespers777]

I just built a worm bin and I used hardware cloth for the bottom layers. :-) I don't have my worms yet they should be here by the end of the week.. Soo excited. lol

I also used the cover cutout and put it on top of the bottom bin, set the upper bins on top so the drainage can go into the bottom bin.

It was an idea I saw on another youtube site.

I think between your helpful videos and the others on Youtube I came up with a pretty decent bin!

Thanks so much for helping us! :-)

[Nandini Gupta]

this is the best video and very precise unlike other videos that have a lot of unwanted talk. thanks.

[lise mayrand]

Excellent video...thank you so much. I've been preparing and researching and your video is by far up the best I've seen. Thanks again.