In my last video on vermicomposting, I went through a simple setup of a single-tote worm bin from Uncle Jim’s Worm Farm. Pretty soon, that bin was full and it was time to redesign the system to be more scalable and easier to work with.
A 3-tote stackable system has a few advantages:
– Bottom tote can be used for drainage of worm juice
– Middle and top bins can be swapped out infinitely
– Worms will self-separate from castings, making harvesting castings easy
– Can hold way more food scraps and worms
Overall, a stackable system is simply better than a single-tote system. This video goes through exactly how to build one, with a few modifications that I made note of in the video. There are probably more ways to improve upon this design as well, so let me know in the comments. So far, it’s working wonderfully though!
Making a DIY worm bin adds a ton of extra fertility to your garden and is a great way to make use of food scraps 🙂
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My compost worms just arrived, but next morning they were up at the lid trying to escape.
Now I added the food scraps but they are not doing their work…..not one is busy with eating and composting….some still trying to escape.
Why? Is it too hot (18-23 degrees celsius) or not enough air (I drilled wholes around the edge under the lid)…or the soil may be too wet or too dry ?
Is the smell very strong after a while?
Or you could by 2 totes, and use the extra lid for the reservoir/drainage. Pick up the totes and pour it to a new container or straight to your plants. Save money, and it makes it easy to see when the reservoir is close to full/overflowing.
Worm abuse!
Your videos are THE BEST! This was exactly the information I was seeking. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and expertise.
I've found good plans on Wood Prix site
Please dont drill….. just heat up an iron rod and your holes will be PERFECT!
Id use 1 bucket with small holes at the bottom. Put it outside ur house. no need for 3 buckets. Not hygenic and it'll really start to SMELL and you'll have ALOT of cleaning to do.
https://youtu.be/XUuo_TfXUTA
Try putting the drain in the corner of the tub, even with the raised edge you'll be able to get a lot more worm juice out.
I have had this system for a year now and i really like it, my worms seem to be doing alright but its not even half full is this normal?
Where do you get worms?
Cut of the bottom and put a large rimmed tray with a cooler drainer on it so you can remove the tray of worm juice easily
Can I just throw my worm compost into my indoor plant soil? Or do I need to do anything to it?
The way the vid was shown the transition part isn't very clear.
He dumped the worms into the top, but they would need to go into the middle, (with some fine cloth across the bottom, or they would drop into the liquid level)
Some food and say coffee grinds dropped into the top, and then they make their way up, but the top 2 would sit quite high for that to work?
Where do you get your worms from?
Do the containers need to be food grade in order to avoid leeching?
finally I have my vermicomposte
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYqBizxw8g4
I used a flush mount PVC faucet that I used silicone to attach and seal. Once the silicone set a drilled three holes equidistance around the flange and bolted it, 1/4"dx3/4"l roundhead brass bolts work fine.
Fabulous. I am going to make one for my middle school classes.
Attention Mr Epic garden man – If worm bedding is so wet that it is draining off liquid – then it is too wet, attracts undesirable insects like Springtails, Potworms and even Black Soldier Fly! Wet bedding and the liquid is actually unhealthy leachate – rotten, it stinks and is anaerobic. You do a disservice to people telling them to do things that are wrong, not necessary and unhealthy. That liquid is rotten. The best thing to do with this is pour it back over the worms to reinocculate. NO drainage – use all three bins with 60-70% brown material – shredded cardboard is the best; the right kind of green vegetables and a little fruit. Fruit attracts fruit flies and ants. If you're going to teach, do it right.
Hello! Do you know if it is alright to keep the worm cocoons in the worm castings when using the castings for indoor houseplants? I'm looking to start a farm of my own since castings are expensive and wrapped in plastic, but am not sure if the cocoons will be an issue. Thanks!
i made a bin like this once, it did work. however, the way the totes nest together does not allow much space in the bottom and middle. the bottom wasn't such a big deal as long as i kept it fairly drained. but the middle bin was an issue. if 'too full' which does not take much, the top bin rests upon the medium in the middle bin, potentially compacting it, and it allowed a gap between the middle and top bins and other bugs easily got inside. this can be ok in an indoor bug-free and rodent-free area. outdoors it was a messy disaster. if possible, try to get bins of different depths that still stack. and keep in mind that the material in the middle bin needs to be deep enough to reach the bottom of the top bin so the worms can migrate up. the worm juice i made kept my orchids blooming year round in sothern california.
Dump the worm juice out. Oh ok. You mean the stuff people pay for
Would paper bags work for bedding instead of newspaper?
One thing to add is some small wood blocks on the inside of the bottom two totes. Place them an inch or two above where the other tote naturally rests inside. This will save you a hell of a wrestling match later trying to detach them to switch them out.
Can anyone tell me how long it takes to get a full bin of castings?