- Find a container, two nested plastic bins work well, the top will have drainage holes and will house the worms and their bedding and the bottom will collect the leachate (a dark liquid that is rich in beneficial microbes and nutrients – mix with water and feed to your plants)
- Fill the top bin with 4 to 6 inches of damp bedding, shredded paper or newspaper (nothing glossy), cardboard, coconut coir, leaves, or dried grass or plant material. Soak or dampen the bedding before adding to the bin.
- Worms don’t have teeth so they need grit to help grind the food, add a handful of garden soil or ground egg shells to the bin (I like to mix a shovelful of native soil with the bedding).
- Add your worms! Place them on top of the bedding and they will burrow down to escape the light.
- Red wigglers are most active in a temperature range of 55-77°, they will eat less if temperatures are hotter or cooler than this. Place in a garage or somewhere protected during extreme cold or heat.
- Maintain moisture level, if too wet add more bedding, if too dry add water but don’t water too often to avoid anaerobic conditions.
- Feed your worms fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds and filters, tea bags, and crushed eggshells. For faster decomposition you can chop scraps into smaller pieces if you want.
- Do not add meat, dairy products, oily foods, pet waste, acidic items such as citrus, or onion or garlic (onion and garlic skin is fine to add).
- For a new bin feed slowly at first, adding food about once a week and only adding what the worms can eat within that week.
- Bury the food in a new location in the bin each week (if possible), bury under the top layer of bedding, covering food to help prevent fruit flies and odors.
