Outside Worm Bin

I've been composting with red worms for almost a year now with good results. Until now, I've had inside worm bins.  A couple of weeks ago I set-up an outside worm bin. The picture at the left was taken on the first night after the worms were placed in the bin. Three pounds of red worms are in the process of composting fifty pounds of rabbit manure for my garden.

Vermicomposting: Getting Started 101

Last night my wife and I harvested vermicompost from an inside bin that we started a few months ago with 1 lb of redworms. Besides generating a lot of nutrient rich soil additives, we've also doubled our quantity of worms in the bin to approximately 2 lbs (maybe a little more). I've always thought of vermicomposting as primarily an outside acitivity, but the inside worm bin has been very effective.

In the beginning it all seems so complicated. There are questions about what kind of worms, what kind of worm bins, how much water, what kind of food, is it too hot, is it too cold, etc. Here are some resources that might help answer those questions and many more.

Chicago Home Composting provides a lot of nice pictures and articles to help you understand some of the basic vermicomposting concepts.

Garden Web is anothe helpful website that has an active community of vermicomposters.

And finally for the ultimate in home composting information, visit Vermicompsters on Ning.

The Worm Guy

Counter Top Composting

The Stoneware Compost Crock provides a one gallon capacity kitchen counter composting alternative. The charcoal filters eliminate odor. I might have to get one of these for my worm bin. Right now I'm storing my "worm food" in the freezer and thawing and feeding the worms twice a week.

Sources of Gardening Information

There are many blogs about Florida gardening. Some blogs even provide step-by-step examples for constructing 4 feet x 4 feet above ground beds like those made popular by Mel Bartholomew on his popular PBS television program. Mr. Bartholomew recommends using a mixture of vermiculite, peat moss, and compost. You mix the three main ingredients for the growing medium in equal parts. This entire process is documented on Central Florida Green Guide and looks pretty easy to duplicate.

Vermiculite is sold by nursery suppliers in larger sizes for reasonable prices. Everything else is available at local home stores. The home stores also sell vermiculite in smaller quantities, but purchasing enough for an entire 4 x 4 bed could quickly get very expensive.