Easy to Make Compost Bin
In attempts to reduce our impact on landfill waste and we decided to create vermicompost with a red worm compost bin. This is an incredibly easy way to compost in a small environment (i.e. apartment or condo) and fun to maintain! Plus we have found we make less trips to the trash room since we started it. Below you’ll find instructions on how turn your kitchen scraps into black gold for your garden and herbs!
Supplies:
2 dark rubbermaid plastic containers with lids(~20 x 14)
drill (1/4 inch bitt)
Red Wriggler (Leaf Cutter) Worms
cardboard milk container
cardboard, newspaper, and vegetable and fruit scraps and egg shells. (Avoid dairy, meats, and oils)
Instructions:
- Collect tea bags, coffee grounds, egg shells, vegetable and fruit scraps for about 1 week in milk carton.
- Drill ~20 holes in top lid(1).
- Drill ~20 holes on the bottom of one rubbermaid container (1).
- Drill ~10-15 holes on the lower half of each side of the same rubbermaid container(1).
- Place enough moistened cardboard and newspaper to fill 3/4 of the same container(1).
- Bury your collections from the milk carton in one corner of the container(1).
- Throw in a handful or two of soil.
- Add ~ 100 Red Wriggler Worms (Often known as leaf cutter worms at the bait shop)
- Place plastic containers the worms came into the container(2) to aid in airflow and provide space between the two containers.
- Place plastic container(1) into container(2).
- Place lid(1) on top.
- Every week place scraps in bin rotating sites in a clockwise direction, lifting up the cardboard and newspaper filler and placing your scraps underneath it. When you reach your starting corner extract your vermicompost!
FYI:
1. Some worms will find their way out of the bin and dry up.
2. Worms will procreate to fulfill the needs of your bin.
3. The size of the bin needed will be determined by the amount of scraps and vegetable waste you use per week.
4. Extra worms can be thrown to baby robins that visit your balcony garden.
5. Avoid onions, shallots, garlic and other potent aromatics if you are keeping your bin in your condo!
6. For any type of information you could ever need, or to solve any worm dilemmas you find yourself in check out Red Worm Composting.
Other Composting Links:
