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How to Set Up Your Worm Composting Bin

Prepare the Bed
The Vermicomposting bin comes complete with everything necessary to prepare a good environment for the worms. Take the shredded paper and the pressed coconut fibers (coir) and moisten them thoroughly. Squeeze out most of the excess water. Fluff the shredded paper and coir and pull apart any large clumps. The bedding should be around four inches thick. If necessary add more shredded paper.

Add the Worms
The worms are packaged with coir which is also food for the worms. Carefully place the worms and the contents of the bag onto the top of the prepared bedding. Cover the bin with the lid. Worms are sensitive to light and vibrations and they are not too happy with the handling process. They will take a couple of days to settle. Sometimes they express their discomfort by crawling up the sides of the bin. Should this happen, take the lid off and expose them to light. This will cause them to bury into the bedding where they will be much more comfortable. Replace the lid before nightfall.

Where to Place the Bin
The bin can be placed inside or outside. The optimum temperature is between 40 – 80 degrees. Avoid placing the bin in the sun. If managed according to instructions, the bin will have no unpleasant odors, so placement in a utility room or even a kitchen should not pose a problem.

Feed the Worms
Give the worms a day or two to settle in before feeding them and then refer to the list below for acceptable and unacceptable food scraps for your worms. Place the food under the top layer of bedding and cover. Change the location of the food placement during the next feeding. From time to time, place additional wet shredded paper or moist shredded leaves in the bin.

Maintenance
Worms like a very moist environment but the bin contents should never be dripping wet. If the bedding gets too wet, add dry shredded paper to absorb the excess. Fluff the contents of the bin on occasion to avoid compaction of the contents. Worms cannot live in an anaerobic environment.

Harvesting the Compost
The best method, by far, to collect the compost is to physically separate the worms from the compost. When the bin is about 2/3 full of dark, earthy matter, it is time to harvest the compost. Stop feeding the worms 5 days prior to this process. Spread out a large piece of plastic outside in the sun or in bright light. Carefully dump the contents of the worm bin on the plastic. Clean out the bin and prepare new bedding using shredded paper and cardboard, shredded leaves, coir (if available), a handful of sand or soil, or any combination of these ingredients. In the meantime, the worms are going for cover and digging into the deep, dark center of the pile. Remove the top layer of the compost until worms are again exposed. They will dig deeper. Repeat this process until most of the compost is removed. Place the worms and the remainder of the compost on the prepared bedding. Let the compost sit for a day or two to finish the composting process and then place it in the garden or in plant containers.

Worms reproduce rapidly and eventually the worms will outgrow the bin which is not a healthy or happy environment for the worms. After a few compost harvests consider starting another bin, give some worms away, or release them into your garden.

What to Feed the Worms   Kitchen Scraps		Other Materials		Foods to Avoid
Bread Cereals Rice Pasta Crushed egg shells All vegetables Potatoes Salad greens Fruits (avoid citrus) Coffee grounds Tea bags		Brown grass and leaves Dead flowers Shredded paper Shredded newspaper Shredded cardboard Cardboard egg cartons		Meats Dairy Fats Citrus Molding food Diseased plants Pet Wastes

The worms break down food matter more quickly if the scraps are cut into small pieces of 1 -2 inches. It is not essential to chop the food; it just speeds up the process.

Frequently Asked Questions

My worm bin has an unpleasant odor, what is the problem?
This is usually caused by excessive moisture or lack of air. Fluff up the bin contents and add some dry material such as shredded newspaper or cardboard. If the bin is overfull causing compaction, it is likely time to go through the harvesting process.

My bin is attracting fruit flies. How can I avoid them?
Be certain to cover the food with bedding and compost when feeding. Reduce or eliminate the amount of fruit placed in the bin.

My worms do not seem happy. They are constantly crawling up the sides or the bin. Their numbers are dwindling.
Worms are usually very happy munching on food in the bedding of a worm bin. If they are dying or always trying to escape, there is likely a problem with the bin contents or the environment.
Consider the bedding: Is it too wet or too dry? Add either dry or wet shredded newspaper to get the right moisture balance.
Consider the condition of the contents: Are the worms getting enough air? Compacted bin contents push air, necessary for worm life, out of the bottom of the bin. Fluff the contents, and if the bin is too full, harvest the compost.
Consider the diet: Sometimes the food given to worms tends to be a little too acidic. Reduce acidic foods like fruits and tomatoes for a while. Add a sprinkling of crushed garden limestone to get the bin back to neutral pH.
Consider the environment: Worms are most happy in the shade with a temperature range from 40 – 80 degrees. Avoid extreme fluctuations in temperatures.