DIY Worm Farm Build

Well, here we go. My son w/ a little help;) put this together for me. Great way to compost or so I have read, but also great way to make your own bait! He is an avid fisherman. I like the idea of being able to feed all my biologicals, (trimmings, leaves, stems, etc...) to them and not worry about needing to dispose of it in any way that could pose a security threat. I actually have 3 trash bags full now, that I have had for a year! So these worms will eat like kings at our home lol! Not to mention the benefits of pure worm castings, and worm tea! (That's if I can figure out how to appropriately use them.):jointsmile:
So here we go!

A few supplies, this was extremely cheap! Considering the fact that ready made ones can cost upwards of $300! Yikes!

Rubbermaid Bins, 3. (I used 10 gallon bins, don't use clear. No light!) $10
That's it! That's all I had to buy.
Also:
Drill w/ 1/4 inch bit and 3/4 inch circle bit
Razor Blade
A Scissor
Screen
PVC valve
O rings
PVC threaded male adapter
Shredded Newspaper
A little dirt, about 1 gallon
Something to put inside the bins for support. I used mason jars, bricks work too. Whatever is handy.
Spray Bottle
Oh yeah, WORMS! About 1lb/sqfoot.
Nintendo DS (will explain later)

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On w/ it.
First you need to drill some holes in the bottom of 2 of the bins, and along the sides. This is not a perfect science folks. Drill enough. These holes serve 2 purposes. The bottom holes allow for upward migration into the "active bin", and allow for the castings to fall through to the catch bin. In the catch bin, they allow for the moisture/worm pee to fall to the bottom bin. The holes on the side allow for air flow.

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After you have your holes drilled, you are going to want to cover the side holes w/ some screen. I just happen to have some on a roll that I was using as a shade cloth in the bottom of some pots for er um...
house plant he he.:D

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Once that is done, rinse lather and repeat. Just skip the rinse and lather part. Get your second bin and do the exact same thing again. BUT BETTER THIS TIME YOU FOOL MUWHAHA!

Once you have your second bin done, set them both aside. You are now ready for the 3rd bin.
Get your 3/4 inch circle bit out, drill a damn hole in the bottom of the bin. Pick you spot carefully, this is where your drain will go. Don't fuck this up or you will be making another trip to Wally World to get a new bin!
Once you have done this, insert the threaded end of the male adapter into it from the inside, so the threads are on the outside. Put you O ring on the inside, and then another over the threads on the outside. Yes, just like that.

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Ok, now attach your valve to the threaded end like so. It may take a few tries to get it lined up the way you want it. Just do it until it's right. On mine, I also added an extra piece, O ring over the threads, and into the end of the valve, also added a hose for more ease of use. Totally optional of course, but handy.

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And here is a picture from inside the res. Simple eh?

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So now to collect your tea/pee, all you need to do is turn it on, and pour it off.
But wait! How will the water drain out? Ah, glad you asked.

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There! Happy now! Obviously I used some old PVC parts, you could just use bricks, or whatever the hell you want. You could put the drain on the bottom of the tub so it points down to, then you don't need to elevate and tilt. I just did it this way. Why? Just because.:jointsmile:

Now you will need to find something, I used mason jars, you can use whatever the hell you want.
NO NOT THAT!
Just kidding. Bricks, whatever. Doesn't matter, just use something so that when you nest the bins inside each other the don't cram down all the way. This helps w/ airflow. Worms need air, so do the other things in their. You are going to put your mason jars/bricks/whatever the fuck you use into the very bottom bin, and the second bin. It's really tricky, here's some pics.

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Now you are ready for the final steps.
You will want some bedding. I used shredded paper. Use whatever you want. Paper seemed to be the easiest thing. All ready had a shredder full of it that hadn't been emptied since....ever.

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After you lay in the first layer of bedding, spray it down just enough to get it moist, about as much moisture as you would want in a rapid rooter for cloning. Not dripping, just wet like a sponge that has been rung out. Then add some dirt. You don't need a ton, I used a gallon, just filled a pot, didn't pack it down or anything, just scooped it full, and dumped over the bedding. Then cover it up and mix it just a little. The worms need the dirt, apparently they don't have teeth, and the little rocks and shit are what they use to "chew" their food. So give your worms some teeth god damn it!:jointsmile:

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After you have worked in the dirt slightly and re-covered it with bedding, it's time to add some food. I used some plant matter that I just happened to have laying around. I may have put in too much, who knows, but I didn't think it was a whole lot. Just spread it out over the bedding and make a nice layer ontop of the bedding.

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Next, add the top layer of bedding over the food. Spray moist.

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This is probably the most critical step. At some point, if your foreman is a 4 year old, you may want to have something handy if the occasion arises at some point during the build that he decides he is bored watching you smooth out the drilled holes w/ the razor prior to adding the screen, or whatever. I used a Nintendo DS.

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That is just about it. We are letting our bin, fester in the garage for a week or two before adding the worms. For one, to order them online they are about $30 per lb. I will be looking for them locally, and will update as to where you may be able to find them generally. All set up, your farm should look like this. Note, (although it's hard to tell, my bins are angled forward to aide in water drainage, I used taller PVC pieces on the back.)

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And a diagram kind of showing the idea of how this is "supposed" to work.

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This is a live action work in progress folks. I will update down the road when we add worms, and then later w/ some results. Oh and you don't need a 4 year old as one of the supplies, but it helps alot, and yours probably won't turn out nearly as good unless you have one!:D

Also, anyone out there that has used homemade worm compost, and worm tea, please drop some pennies here and let me know what I should and should not do with them. From what I have read online, worm compost is some of the best fertilizer that you can use, as well as the worm tea. But that aside, as I said earlier, it's at the very least a great way to get rid of leaves and plant waste, while also providing a perpetual supply of bait for fishing!
Helping your son build it too is pretty damn fun!:thumbsup:

Now that's what you call a des res lucky worms, maybe you should throw in a couple of starlings just to make them feel at home :)Anyhow an excellent project.
Our outdoor compost heap hasn't got any worms as the hedgehogs who live in it have a tendency to eat them.
Keep up the good work.

NCM

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Nightcrewman

Now that's what you call a des res lucky worms, maybe you should throw in a couple of starlings just to make them feel at home :)Anyhow an excellent project.
Our outdoor compost heap hasn't got any worms as the hedgehogs who live in it have a tendency to eat them.
Keep up the good work.

NCM

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Hey thanks for the positive feedback! Wow! Hedgehogs eh? That's nutty! Sounds cool though, you gotta trap them and eat them and let me know if they are yummy! Don't act like you haven't already thought about it LOL!:D

My neighbor has some really nice compost. Can I soak that in water for a few hours and then screen out the solids, to make a compost tea. Is that kinda the same thing. I know it would be one time use only.

Thanks

Hey all, just got back from the worm ranch. Yes, as luck would have it, one of the best places imaginable happens to be within a 15 mile drive from my house! Can you believe that!
Anyway, I picked up 2 lbs. of red wigglers, plus some exta beneficials from the actual worm farm itself.
The rancher was awesome. I wish that I could provide more specific details, but I don't want to. I am sure you understand.:jointsmile:

Got some great info from the man himself, and will be making some changes to my bins. Just a few simple ones.
1. I am going to put in a second set of holes around the sides, just lower on the bins, to allow for more air flow, the advice that I got was that you don't need to use bins that are as deep as the ones that I have. They will work, but it's easy to "overfeed" them, and cause the bins to become compost bins as opposed to worm bins. So just be careful not to put too much in. If you notice that the internal temps are getting very warm, then chances are you are using too much, as well as if the bins start to stink.
2. It is not necessary to use the middle bin. Some more fancy schmancy ones have manual or automated sifters built in that "work" the castings out. But from what I was told, despite what the internet says, they likely will not just drop through as planned.
It looks good though LOL!:D I will probably keep mine set up as a 3 set, simply because it's already done, and just rotate them whenever.
3. Also a good idea I was told to go ahead and put some holes in the lid if I plan on using the lid. Another option would be to cut a piece of cardboard and lay it on top, helps better air flow.
4. Once the worms are in, it will likely take them about a month to get settled. Just an FYI.
5. Red wigglers migrate up, and may try to escape, this can be stopped with the use of a very tiny light, they hate light and will not continue upward migration in the presence of light.

He told me alot of stuff, but this was the jist of the important stuff that I could remember and wanted to mention here for you all. Good luck with your worms!