Common kitchen waste—including papery onion and garlic skins, carrot tops, and coffee grounds—can be composted year-round in an indoor worm bin. A worm bin fits discreetly into a closet, garage, or pantry, making composting quick and convenient, especially for small-space gardeners and apartment-dwellers. Turning food scraps into compost, instead of sending them down the garbage disposal or to the curb, reduces the amount of organicmaterial that ends up in local wastewater treatment plants and landfills.
The process is known as vermicomposting, and it requires a specific type of worm. Unlike regular garden earthworms, which burrow in the soil, red wiggler worms (Eisenia foetida) act as nature’s recyclers, living on or near the surface, where they help decompose organic matter. This habit makes them ideal candidates for living in an enclosed worm bin.
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Ready-made worm bins are available, but it takes less than an hour to build a bin using common household supplies. Here’s how to do it:
1. A 14-gallon plastic storage container (approximately 24 inches x 16 inches x 12 inches) is usually adequate for a household of two to four people; larger or vegetarian families may need to build two bins to compost all their food waste. (If you prefer not to use plastic, a similar bin can be built from untreated lumber, perforated in the same way as the plastic container for ventilation and drainage.)
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5. Add some dry leaves, if you have them, and then sprinkle 1 cup of garden topsoil over the bedding. This small amount of grit helps the worms’ digestion and introduces microorganisms that speed the composting process.
6. Next, add worms. Garden centers often sell red wigglers, and they can also be purchased online. “One pound of red wigglers will eat approximately 31/2 pounds of food scraps per week,” Halligan says. “Households can use this as a guide if they produce more or less food waste.” (To judge how much food waste your family produces, use a kitchen scale to weigh one week’s worth.) Add worms to the bin by sprinkling them evenly over the bedding. Cover with the aerated lid.
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Article source: Rodale’s Organic Life
Image source: Worm Composting HQ