Compost #2

Our second compost bin I was most excited about! I have done a vermi-compost bin previously, but Scott hasn't. This time I did it as a homemade bin instead of buying one.  (The cost is in red)

Materials:
two rubbermaid totes from big brother wal-mart. $0 from around the house after our big move
some found wood $0 we are renovating after all
worm bedding and food--more on that later $0 actually I'd count this as a positive since we'd normally just throw this away
Red Wigglers (The WORMS) $20 for 1/2 lb. we opted to buy local instead of online so it was more expensive

Tools:
cordless drill with 1/8" and 1/4" bits

Step One--Drilling:
Basically you take one tote (well call it tote A), and drill air holes in the lid and top few inches it using the 1/8" bit. (I did this on the grass so it was easier to hold and drill right into the ground and out)
Then, in the same tote (tote A), you drill 1/4" holes in the bottom for drainage.
Volia!

Step Two--Assembly:
Place the found wood in the bottom of Tote B so when you place Tote A inside of it, it sits on the wood and is slightly raised from the bottom of Tote B.

Now your worm bin is complete!

Step Three--Create your wormy environment!
Worms love dark, moist places (insert joke here). The three things that are the most important for you worms are bedding, food, and moisture. I have done lots of research and also from my own experience, have come up with a decent list of the must-haves and don't you even think about its!

Must haves:
    Bedding: dried leaves, shredded newspapers-soaked in water and wrung out, dryer lint, sawdust, cardboard-soaked and dripped out a bit, etc.
     Food: veggie/fruit peelings/cores/etc, egg shells, stale bread/crackers/grain cereals/etc, coffee grounds and filters.
     Moisture: keep your bin out of the sun if you can, if you notice your bin is getting dry, dig deep and see how the bottom looks, but seriously, think like a worm! If you need to water your bin a bit, do it! Especially when you are first starting out, and when its really hot and sunny out!

Don't you even think about it!
No meat or dairy in your worm bin...just imagine smelly old milk and old chicken fat! (i think i just threw up a little)...
also stay away from citrus fruits, I have noticed it is harsh on the little guys and takes longer for them to break it down.

well there you have it! the skeleton of a worm bin!--just add your worms! (Red worms are the best)

Words of Caution:
If your worm bin is getting a little smelly, hold off on the food scraps for awhile. Let your little wrigglers catch up. 

Worms will multiply so feel free to start off small. They especially love egg shells to help that along! ;) 

Collection:
To collect your "Black Gold" as they say, you can harvest your wormy castings in a few different ways. Ive only done it by dumping and sifting, Although I'm anxious to try the ingenious sunlight method (duh!) open the bin on a sunny day and expose the bin to direct sun light (You can also use lamp if you wish) the worms will migrate to the bottom of the bin and you can scrape all the delicious ew... all the awesome compost!

Not a bad way to use up your food scraps and get one of the best composts/fertilizers around!!! All for 20 bucks!!