How to Create a Worm Farm

Jenn Nawada shares how earthworms can contribute to both a compost pile and the overall health of a garden. She shares steps to build a worm composter using three 5-gallon plastic buckets. Worm farming or vermicomposting is the process of using worms to transform organic kitchen waste into an organic fertilizer.

How to Create a DIY Worm Farm

1. Start by preparing the bedding materials. Create a layer of bedding 3 to 4 inches in volume out of shredded paper and cardboard. This layer should be moist but not dripping, so get the material wet and squeeze it out until it’s similar in moisture level to a damp sponge.
2. Next, prepare the scrap food layer. This layer will contain items like banana peels, egg shells, coffee grounds, avocado skins, and other organic, non-fatty foods. Foods high in fat like meat will rot and get smelly.
3. Drill several holes in the bottom, up the sides, and around the top of one of the buckets. Use a 3/16-inch drill bit to ensure the holes are big enough. Repeat this so there are two buckets with holes in them. These holes allow for airflow and drainage and also allow the worms to move between buckets.
4. Place the drilled bucket inside of a new bucket. Fill the bottom of the hole-riddled bucket with 3 to 4 inches of bedding material. Place the food products on top of the bedding, and then dump the red wiggler worms into the bucket. Lightly place the second hole-riddled bucket on top.
5. As the worms break down the compost, water will drip to the bottom of the bucket. Use this “compost tea” in your garden.
6. When the worms start to run out of food, fill the next bucket with bedding, food scraps, and soil. Allow the worms to work their way up from the bottom bucket until they’re in the top bucket (they do this naturally). Remove the lower bucket and use the compost to feed the garden. Keep repeating the process every few months to create a productive worm farm.

Jenn Nawada shares how earthworms can contribute to both a compost pile and the overall health of a garden. She shares steps to build a worm composter using three 5-gallon plastic buckets. Worm farming or vermicomposting is the process of using worms to transform organic kitchen waste into an organic fertilizer.

Resources

Start by drilling 3/16-inch holes in the bottom of two of the 5-gallon plastic buckets, roughly an inch apart. The third bucket will act as a catch basin to collect excess moisture. In both buckets that have bottom holes, drill 1/8-inch holes through the top of the buckets around the circumference.

Drill 1/8-inch holes through the bucket lid. These holes provide proper airflow needed to help break down the food scraps. Assemble the vermicompost bin by stacking one bucket with holes inside the bucket without holes.

Build the bedding by adding 3 inches of damp shredded newspaper and/or cardboard. Shredding or ripping the bedding into small pieces makes the digestion process easier for the worms. The bedding material should be soaked in water. Squeeze out excess water until the bedding is damp like a rung-out sponge.

Once the bedding is in, add in the vermicomposting worms and put the lid on the bucket. Red wigglers or red worms are a popular choice because they digest half of their weight in a single day and thrive in a compost environment.

Materials

• Newspaper
• Cardboard
• Organic food waste
• Red wiggler worms
• Three 5-gallon buckets

Tools