So, I’ve been thinking about building a worm composting bin for my basement this season. I was even looking up plans to do so. And then I got the latest Gardens Alive catalog with the $25 coupon, and they have a really swank 100% recycled plastic one in there for a hundred bucks. It even has a spigot for tapping off the wormy-licious tea for houseplant watering.
Last year I bought a couple bags of worm castings to amend my potting mix. This year, looking at the price and the cost of shipping, I only bought one. And all the while I’m thinking, why am I buying this when I could have a little factory to make it myself right in my basement?
Nevermind that it’d be a nice way to have active composting going on through the winter months, when outdoor compost tends to be more like frozen hunks of kitchen waste that makes the neighbors raise their eyebrows.
So, I’m considering making this purchase and setting up my new compost-making “pets” in their own little home in the basement. I wonder if readers would chime in here and let me know if they have a worm bin like this, and how they like it. I’d also like some advice on where to buy or get redworms–while the bin is a good price in Gardens Alive, the worms themselves are pretty spendy.
Flying Tomato Farms 
Posted by Lindsey on February 19, 2009 at 2:42 pm
When I was in grade school, we went on a field trip to a farm that did vermicomposting. They offered us cookies. Rumor quickly buzzed around that the cookies contained worms. None of the 25 3rd graders took the cookies.
That’s my vermicomposting experience.
Oh, and our regular compost has slowed down but I don’t think it’s completely halted. Well, it might have this year because we started over late in the fall but past winters we’ve composted through.
Posted by flyingtomato on February 19, 2009 at 3:08 pm
Yeah, my regular compost might not be completely inactive, but it’d sure be nice to have some rich, fine-grained finished stuff for when I start seeds in February. I am pretty lazy with my compost though–I don’t sweat it much–just let it rot. Maybe this year, with my garden helper, we’ll do a serious hot compost pile in the garden, if we can keep H from spreading it out. He can’t stand to see a mound in the garden.
The 3rd grade story is priceless. I’m totally giving tours and offering cookies.
Posted by Howard Heidenstrom on February 20, 2009 at 5:17 am
When you get ready to buy worms,buy them from a dealer that counts there worms.This way you know what you recieved,all you have to do is count them and see for yourselve. Also ask if they ship the worms in castings, not dry peat moss. Worms like it damp. Shipped in castings you will get less shipping shock.
Posted by peoplepoweredmachines on April 26, 2009 at 5:20 am
Definitely these wormeries work and in the end, save you time. Having levels help the worms move up as they are done with a lower level, and save you sorting time EACH time you are ready to harvest castings. I feel the worms can get thru the food scraps faster too. The most important thing about these levels with aeration at the bottom is they keep the moisture content correct. Hand made tubs tend to cause soggy bottoms and have fermentation issues which drives the PH down. Then you get mites and stressed worms. That said, even home made bins are fairly easy so if that is all you can afford…go for it!
Here are a couple articles to get you going. Good luck!
http://peoplepoweredmachines.wordpress.com/2009/04/22/worm-composter-spring-tips-troubleshooting-and-faqs/