This mornings Sunday Funday project was making a new worm bin from dollar totes and dew worms (aka nightcrawlers) from the corner store, total cost was $20 (CAD) so it’ll be under $25 when I grab the bottom tote to finish it.
A simple two bin (plus a third to go underneath, which they were out of at the moment) system will be more then enough for my needs.
A couple 1/4" holes so the worms can easily move between the bins.
A bunch of 3/32" holes for good drainage (doesn’t need to be precise, anything under 1/8" is fine).
A putty knife is perfect for scrapping the plastic bits left from drilling off.
Some old soil with roots as a base to start
First box of worms, it cost $9.50 for the totes and around $11 for two boxes of worms although you could just use one if you’re on a budget and need to save a couple bucks.
The second box was filled with dead/rotted worms and needed to be replaced, so next was the last days worth of compost; mostly coffee grounds, banana peels and apple cores.
A layer of shredded newspaper as bedding for them to chill and rest in.
The 2nd box of worms added, the first group of wiggly dudes had warmed up enough they were starting to burrow, run and hide when I pulled back the bedding.
I’ll stop at the grocery store on my way to work and see what old fruit they have on sale for 75% off to chop up and toss in to make sure they have enough food. If there isn’t any good deals I’ll simply cook up a small pot of rice and lentils to feed them instead. I wouldn’t bother if I had only bought one box of worms as you need to balance the amount fed with the worm population, having bought extra I want to make sure there’s enough food for them. I’ll also add some kelp meal, alfalfa meal and rock powder once there’s some more castings built up to ensure it’s got lots of minerals in it; dolomite lime and oyster shells as well to buffer the pH and add calcium and magnesium.
I still need to add a tote underneath with a spigot to catch and drain any worm juice that leaches out. Then I’ll get my bokashi buckets set up so I can feed them all my food scraps including meat, bones, alliums (garlic, onions, etc), citrus peels, heavy/oily foods and all the other things that would normally disrupt the balance of a worm bin. Vermiculture and bokashi buckets are ideal for urban homesteaders who want to reduce their carbon footprint, reduce their cost of growing and increase their microbial activity as fresh castings are incredible in A.C.T.
