Worm Farm - Vermicomposting in my Kitchen

I ordered the red wigglers (yes that is what they are called) last week and was thrilled to see them arrive in the mail today! I was shocked that the box was so very small since I had orderd 2000 of the creepy crawlers, I just assumed it would be a rather large box - not so!

Let the composting begin!

So, this is my plan: create 4 separate layers in different stages of decomposition (yep, we are decomposing in my kitchen) and add organic material to them one week at a time.



I picked these bins because they stack and have a recessed area where the "compost tea" can drain through (my kids were freaked out when I called it "tea" because they thought I would make them drink it! ) This liquid is like gold for a gardener - full of great nutrition and plants love it! I drilled holes in this recessed area so it would drain.



Next, I put a layer of shredded paper and then some peat/potting mix which I purchased for starting seeds. Worms love peat and dead/decaying stuff, so I put in some rotting leaves too - yum.



Then I put in the bucket of organic material that I had been collecting for several days and added it to the mix.



Time for the worms - seriously, these 2000 worms would fit in a large cereal bowl! I ended up dividing the scraps between two bins and dividing the worms in half (not the worms themselves, just the big bunch, speaking as a whole)



They were alive and wiggling and yes they are red - hence the name, Red Wigglers! I added some leaves, made everything even steven and made sure the whole mass of rotting food, wiggly worms and shredded paper and mulch were good and wet and that I could see the liquid would move from layer to layer and finally end up as a concentrated fertilizer in the bottom bin (the clear one) ready to make my plants sing happily and grow!!



This is the finished product, with holes for ventilation and all components in place. Now eat, little worms, grow big, multiply and don't make me a liar (I told my husband and kids that this would not stink and would not be gross!)



Now, I used a very tiny tool to drill the holes, a Dremel and this really was a simple project to do. If I mess this up, I will be totally humiliated! I will have a tiny funeral for all of my dead worms and they will become compost for my garden, may they rest in peace. HOWEVER, if it works, I will make my first ever you-tube video and share it with the world! This is WAY cheaper than buying the worm farms, just don't tell the worms that!