What’s the secret to successful composting through the winter? Building a worm bin, of course. Now don’t get afraid, just stay with me here. For some reason, people get scared by the thought of having worms in their kitchen. I promise it’s not bad, and you’ll learn to love it. New to worms? I’ll explain what you need to know so you can get started in no time.
Backyard composting is my favorite, I love to do it and spend time every day with my dirt. I’m not even much of a gardener, I just love the dirt. However, when winter arrives it can really slow down the composting process and I don’t really like going outside so much. The solution to this is creating your own worm bin.
Sure, you can buy a series of worm trays, which may cost you near $100 depending on how many trays you get, but I find that this design is a bit laborious to deal with. A much simpler method involves using a “shallow”, opaque tub with between 10 and 20 1/8″ holes drilled around the top. The worms need a good mix of moisture and oxygen to do their thing, and they don’t like light. Must be great to be a worm.
The main ingredient to worm bins is shredded paper and cardboard, this acts as their bedding. Like a compost pile, add your food scraps, but avoid the meat and dairy products. One exception is eggshells, which are high in calcium and promote worm reproduction. More worms equals more productivity, although I recommend starting small and let them reach their natural equilibrium.
Alternate layers of cardboard/paper and food scraps, ending with a layer of cardboard. Spray the bin down with water to get it moist, then let it sit for at least a week before adding any worms. You can order red wigglers online for between $20 and $40, or maybe you know someone that has some already. It reminds me of sharing tools with the neighbors, giving out kombucha babies, finished compost. If you don’t know anyone with them, then I guess you’ve volunteered as the starting point of giving out worms to future composters. Good for you.
Although I live in a tightly packed city, I’m lucky to have a backyard and be able to have an awesome compost tumbler. I realize it’s not as easy for others to do, so worm composting is definitely the way to go. It’s ideal for apartment dwellers to try out and see the results for themselves. You’ll nearly cut your garbage in half, and you’ll have some super-fertile compost to use in your garden, or give to someone else that does.
So there’s your project for this winter: Set up a worm bin, reap the benefits and try not to have too much fun with it. It’s addictive, and you can feel really good about it. Happy composting!