Video:How to Make a Worm Compost Bin

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Transcript:How to Make a Worm Compost Bin

Hi, I’m Laura Mashard for About.com. Today we are going to learn how to make a worm compost bin, by taking ordinary garbage from your kitchen and creating wonderful compost for your garden.

What You'll Need

You’re going to need a plastic container with a lid that will keep out light, a tray to place underneath your bin, a piece of cardboard, a supply of newspaper cut into 1 inch strips, a drill with very small drill bit, to create vent holes that are smaller than your worms, around 100 red wiggler worms, water, and some soil or sand.

Drill Holes in Bin

You want to use your drill to put multiple holes in the lid and down about one inch from the top of your bin. Also, put holes in the bottom of the bin for drainage. The liquid that drains can be used as an organic fertilizer in your garden.

Fill Bin With Bedding

Next, place a piece of cardboard at the bottom of your bin. The bedding will go on top of this. Newspaper is really good for this because the worms love it and it’s readily available. Fill the bin ¾ full with the one inch strips, keeping it fluffy, and not smashed.

Once your bedding is in, moisten the paper with water. You don’t want it to be dripping wet, just damp, which is the best atmosphere for your worms. Sprinkle in two handfuls of sand or soil which will give your worms the grit their digestive system needs.

Add Worms to Bin

The best worms to use for compost are red wigglers. They reproduce the fastest and also eat the fastest, so they are the best ones to use. But if they are not available in your area, any worms will do. Remove as much of the bedding the worms come in, as you can. You want just the worms going into your bin. They will go where they want, so there is no need to spread them out.

Compost Material

A good start for your bin is to put in a banana peel and some coffee grounds. Please keep in mind that you don’t want to use certain things in your kitchen, such as dariy products, meat products, and oily products. The worms prefer more natural and organic things such as fruits, coffee grounds, egg shells, different things in your kitchen like that. Also tea bags, you can put in there. And it’s also a great way to use yard waste. You can put leaves and different things into the compost bin. You need to dig down and place the scraps into the bedding gently, then cover them again. This will keep it from attracting fruit flies or causing odor.

Storing Your Worm Bin

Put your bin in a convenient location, away from direct sunlight. You will want to check your bin daily for the first two weeks to evaluate how quickly your scraps are composted, that way you will know how much waste you can put in your bin. Also be sure there is enough moisture in the bedding for your worms. That’s all there is to it!

Thanks for watching. To learn more, visit us on the web at About.com.