Starting your own worm bin (stackable + homemade):

If you're here you know the benefits of worm composting and want to get started making your own castings. Here you'll find a video on putting together a stackable worm bin and some steps for building your own simple home worm bin.

Here's a quick video on putting together a stackable worm bin

---

And here are the steps for building your own bin at home

Step 1: The Bin

The first thing you need is your bin

• We recommend a 10 gallon tote or similar bin. Cut out the lid and cover the opening with 'weed control fabric.'
• Other personal worm composters are available, such as the stackable bin on the right.

---

Step 2: The Bedding

The next thing you need is bedding for the worms to live in

• Start with soil from under an old growth tree which forms a nice base and adds some good fungi.
• Add shredded paper, shredded leaves, and small bits of cardboard.
• You can also add some thermophilic compost or normal topsoil to increase your bedding level.
  • The bedding should fill around half your bin.
• Mix your bedding around and add dry soil or wetted cardboard bits to get the overall moisture level of your bin to around 70%.

---

Step 3: The worms

We recommend using Red Wiggler (Eisenia Fetida) composting worms. They are the most efficient at breaking down food scraps and work great in home composting bins.

• You will need around 1000 worms (1 lb.) to start your 10 gallon worm bin.
• Red Wiggler worms can be purchased online.
• Wiggle Room sells worms when supplies allow. We are careful to maintain a consistent population for best production and a healthy balance in our bins.

---

Step 4: The Food

We recommend adding a mixture of inputs every 5-7 days. This will cause worms to go through the existing food more thoroughly, producing purer castings.

• Red wiggler (Eisenia Fetida) worms eat the bacteria formed from decomposing food and other organic matter.
• Add small pieces or ground up bits of vegetable scraps, eggshells, coffee grounds, etc.
  • Larger pieces can take a long to time break down and attract insects such as fruit flies.
• Feeding is also a good way to balance your bin's moisture content. (70% moisture is recommended; material will clump together when squeezed, but easily crumble apart again.)
  • Too dry:  Add wetter foods or feed more often
  • Too wet:  Add drier foods or feed less often 
    • You can also add shredded paper or cardboard scraps to absorb excess  moisture.
• If worms are trying to escape you may need to add more food.
• If you see food left over from an earlier feeding you may need to feed less or remove larger food scraps.

---

Step 5: Harvesting

Simple 10 gallon tote:  
After 3-4 months you will be ready to start harvesting your worm castings.

• Start by feeding one side of your worm bin for 2-3 weeks.
  • This will cause most of the worms to migrate to that side.
• Harvest finished castings from the opposite side.
• Repeat this process, feeding only on the other side for 2-3 weeks.
• Harvest from the second side.

​Stackable worm system:

• When the first level of your worm bin is full, add a second tray and put new food in this tray.  Worms will migrate up to the next level, leaving 'finished' worm castings ready for harvesting.