Worm Composting
© Deborah Turton
The Container First, you'll have to find a container. I just use a rectangular plastic container. Any container at least 6" deep should work fine. Some people drill holes in the sides and bottom to allow liquid to drain off. I didn't, because it was one more thing for me to do. If you do decide to drill holes in the container, you'll need a tray to put underneath to catch any liquid.
The Worms Next you'll need some worms. I've listed some places you can buy worms on the Net. There are a lot more, but these should give you a start. Some of these worms are expensive, so for a cheaper alternative you could check out your county extension office. My county offers them to the public for a small donation. You could ask a friend for a handful to start you off. Some people have had good luck digging them out of the manure pile. My father uses worms that he dug from the guano under his bird feeders. I haven't had any luck with worms taken from the outside. They die in my bin.
The Bedding Once you have your worms, you'll need bedding for them. The purpose of bedding is to keep an even moisture level as well as to allow air to reach the worms. Therefore, you don't want something that's going to pack down. Newspaper is one type of easily available bedding. However, I found that it formed lumps in my worm bin and the worms didn't seem to eat it. I have had the best luck with shredded damp leaves. Whole, fresh leaves are very tough and don't absorb water well. This makes it a lot harder to control the moisture level. I use leaves that have been laying around outside for a while. If the leaves easily crumble in your hands, then they are great for worms. Right now I'm using a mixture of leaves and straw. It's a good idea to use different types of bedding so your worms have a varied diet. They will eat the bedding. You can also use sawdust, dried corn leaves, partially finished compost or any other organic matter that holds moisture well and fluffs up to allow air to reach the worms.
