I’m a regular reader of Bentley Christie’s redwormcomposting.com and he just posted recently about his new worm bin aging experiment…check it out:
http://www.redwormcomposting.com/worm-composting/plastic-worm-bin-07-12-12/
As he demonstrates, it’s really important to add your materials long before you get your worms so the insides are nice and damp (but no pooling on the bottom) and the contents are mixed up evenly.
I had my bin for a few months, but the upkeep on it got to be a little much for me, and that’s when I switched to the Worm Inn…no more moisture issues with that thing. Although I recently skipped town for a little over a week, and when I came back I thought my worms were all dead from a dried out system…luckily I still had time in this 100F+ weather to dump some water in there and add some fresh materials. Close call!
If I had a worm bin for that situation, I’d have no problem at all…it’s really hard to dry them out since plastic doesn’t breathe. One of the few benefits of these systems other than cost!
To clarify, I’m not hating on worm bins (any compost effort is commendable!), they’re just not the best option if you want to be worm composting for the long haul…a Worm Factory will get the job done better, and the Worm Inn will do it best.
Hi! How do you feel about repurposing a styrofoam ice chest for composting?
Thanks!
Karen (in Austin,Tx.)
wow, never thought of that one.
for vermicomposting, or just straight composting?
for vermicomposting, it might work although you’ll want to drill some small holes. Rubbermaid tubs are more common for this- shallow and long work best.
for regular composting, you’d want some air holes drilled plus you’re looking for a large capacity to bring the contents up to a nice cooking temperature. A full-size outdoor trash can with lid has become the minimum size for success, but bigger than that will work much better.