Making a stackable worm bin.
Published by Jollean Smith in Garden · 22 March 2022
Tags: Worm, Composting, Worm, Bin, Stackable, Worm, Bin
Tags: Worm, Composting, Worm, Bin, Stackable, Worm, Bin
A stackable worm bin is a fun project to help you make outstanding soil and fertilizer. These worms become pets though and do require some care. But overall very minimal care is required. Here is how we made our worm bin.
How your stackable worm bin works.
Your worm bin will consist of 3 sections.
- Section 1 - The base. The base is where the other two bins sit within. The base has no air holes but does have 1 drain. This is where the worm juice collects.
- Section 2 - Level one of the worm bin. In this bin the worm will live and create their compost. This bin will have air holes all along the top of the bin and drainage holes at the bottom of the worm bin.
- Section 3 - The last level of the work bin. This is built the same as section two with air holes along the top and drainage holes at the bottom. Worms will travel up and down through drainage holes.
The worms will eat through the materials in levels 1 and 2 making you garden gold. You may need to filter worms in order to extract the compost materials as we find that the worms live on both levels of the bin.
Supplies needed to make your stackable worm bin.
The Supplies you will need:
- Drill (You will need a bit for small air holes and one larger bit to make a hole for the drain.
- Rubbermaid containers x3 (you only need 1 lid)
- 3.5 PVC Pipe
- PVC Drain Switch
- Sealant
- Worms
Where to buy your worms from?
We purchased our worms from Brothers Worm Farm in Austin Texas.
How to build your worm bin.
Base
- Step 1 - Place a large enough hole in the bottom of the bin to fit your PVC drain.
- Step 2 - Add a drain. You do not have to use a PVC drain, use whatever you want for a drain system. We just found PVC easiest.
- Step 3 - Seal your drain.
Level 1 & 2
- Step 1 - Drill small air holes along the entire rim of the Rubbermaid. Place one every 5-8 inches or so. You don't want so many that you compromise the structure but enough that it allows air in.
- Step 2 - Place small air holes through the bottom of the Rubbermaid. You don't want the holes so big the worms fall through. They will make their way through very small holes.
See the video for the best example.
How to fill the worm bin.
You only need to fill levels 1 & 2. Do not add anything to your base.
To fill your bins for the worms, place the following into your containers.
Layer 1 - Leaves/ Cardoard.
Layer 2 - Thin layer of dirt.
Layer 3 - Shredded newspaper.
Layer 4 - Water - Moisten the mixture.
Place your worms into the bin on layer 2. Add handfuls of compost to the bin to feed your worms every couple of days. Smaller bits of compost are better. No need to overfeed them.
What to feed your worms.
- Vegetable scraps.
- Grass clippings. Newspaper.
- Cardoard.
- Weeds.
What not to feed your worms.
- Citrus peels
- Onions
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Dairy
- Meat
- Hot peppers (Jalapenos etc.)
Some bonus tips!
Along the way we had some good learning about our stackable worm bin.1. When you add your worms in, make sure your worm base is underneath. Your worms can escape.
2. Within the first 24 hours make sure to check your worm bin base. A few worms will travel below while exploring their space and fall into the water that is collected below.
3. Temperature matters. They cannot handle the heat of the south or the cold. My worms have become an indoor pet.
4. Get a high quality Rubbermaid container. They can crack when you are putting holes in them.
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