Gardeners, farmers, and growers know that soil teeming with worms is perfect for healthy, productive plants. Even if you don’t have a garden, you should still consider a worm bin.
Why? Because of food waste.
The USDA estimates that 30-40% of the food supply is wasted, much of which ends up in landfills. According to the EPA, this waste represents 170 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gas emissions. Vermicomposting, or using a worm bin, is a simple step you can take to help reduce this waste and be kinder to the environment.
Worm Bin 101
Your worm bin can be as simple or as elaborate as you like. You can use a six-dollar storage bin with holes drilled in it, or opt for a more complex tiered system from grower supply sites. Almost any container that keeps worms in and provides drainage and adequate oxygen will work. A basic worm box is typically one foot high, two feet deep, and three feet wide, with air holes in the bottom. However, various containers can be used. Once you have your bin, you can get started with our
, some bedding, and your kitchen scraps!
Our red wiggler worms are specially raised to outperform others! One of our secrets is
, a food additive that promotes fast growth and encourages reproduction. As red worms travel through soil, they consume organic matter and create air passages that help aerate and amend the soil. They eat biodegradable matter like fruits, veggies, coffee grounds, eggshells, and tea bags, but avoid adding meat, fish, or dairy. A 12-14 gallon worm bin will hold about 6 lbs of organic waste per week, but we recommend starting slowly. Finely chopping material before adding it to the bin can encourage faster decomposition. Red wiggler worms can eat their weight in organic matter every 24 hours, producing worm castings that make excellent fertilizer for gardens and houseplants.
For bedding, we recommend shredded newspapers dried leaves and compost or good garden soil. Tear regular newsprint (no colored pages) into strips about 1.5” wide. Moisten the bedding to the “firm ball” stage: when squeezed, water droplets (not streams) should fall, and the bedding should form a ball when released. You’ll need to either put a tight-fitting, vented lid on your bin or keep a bright light above it to prevent the worms from escaping. It’s normal to find worms crawling up the sides and under the lid of a plastic bin, as they are attracted to the condensation.
Pro Tips:
When cooking, keep a bowl, bag, or container with a lid nearby for food scraps, which you can deposit into your worm bin when full. You can also find kitchen compost containers with charcoal filters to prevent odors, or store scraps in the freezer until ready to use.
Never use water from water softening systems, as the salt will kill the worms.
Try vermicomposting with our Live Red Wiggler Worms and tag us on social media to show how you’re helping reduce food waste!
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