Make a Worm Bin
Although you can buy or build elaborate multilevel worm composting systems, we’ve come to believe less is more when it comes to worms. A simple container is all you really need.Preparation: 1 hour
Supplies:
Power drill or a sharp nail and a hammer
Rectangular plastic storage bin with a lid, any size
Newspaper and cardboard
2 cups ordinary soil, any type
Red worms (Lubricous rubellas) or compost worms (Eugenia fetid)
Instructions:
Using the drill or the sharp nail and a hammer (the latter is much more difficult — use a drill if you can), create two rows of ventilation holes around the top edge of the bin, starting beneath the lid. Space the holes about 3 or 4 inches apart. The exact size of the holes doesn’t matter much, but they should be 1/4 inch or less in diameter. To make sure the bin doesn’t leak and can be kept anywhere, don’t put any holes in the bottom of the container. Lack of bottom drainage means you’ll have to be vigilant to make sure the contents don’t get too soggy, because there’s nowhere for water to go.
Shred newspaper into fine strips. Use plain newspaper, not shiny inserts, which may contain harmful dyes, and not office paper, which has been bleached. If you have a paper shredder, run the newspaper through that, because the finer the paper shreds, the better. Otherwise, rip the paper into strips. While you’re at it, rip up some plain corrugated cardboard, too, if you have it. It must be bare cardboard, not paper coated, because again, that paper may contain bleaches or inks. It’s easier to rip up cardboard that has been soaked in water first. Worms really like corrugated cardboard — they snuggle up in the channels, so tear it into worm-size chunks roughly 4 inches square.
Wet
the newspaper strips by placing them in a bowl or bucket and drizzling
water over them and stirring until they’re all equally damp. Add the
shreds to the worm bin by the handful, squeezing them first to make sure
they’re damp, not sodden. The ideal consistency is that of a wrung-out
sponge. You don’t ever want to have standing water in the worm bin.
After you’ve added about 4 to 6 inches of newspaper to the bin, add the cardboard pieces and about 2 cups of soil. The soil adds grit to the mix, which helps with the worm’s digestion. Toss it all together to mix it. Add the worms. Put a little paper over them right away, because they don’t like the light.
After you’ve added about 4 to 6 inches of newspaper to the bin, add the cardboard pieces and about 2 cups of soil. The soil adds grit to the mix, which helps with the worm’s digestion. Toss it all together to mix it. Add the worms. Put a little paper over them right away, because they don’t like the light.
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