Location, Location, Location (and Other Options)

Where to Keep Your Worms

Your worm composting bin can be kept just about anywhere that suits you. Many people prefer to keep a bin in the garage, wood shop or basement. Some keep their bin outdoors, within a short distance from the house. Others keep worms in a plastic bin somewhere in their living space, like in the pantry, under the sink, even under a bed! This last choice is for folks who like to be really close to their worms, though!

Again, where you keep your worms is your choice. Think about your own preferences. Here are some questions to help guide you in your choice:

• How close do you want the worm bin? Place it close enough that it's convenient to feed the worms and you don't forget to feed them.
• Are you the kind of person who will enjoy visiting the bin frequently to check on the worms, or take pleasure in showing them off? If so, keep them where they're really easy to get to.
• Will your household separate organics from other waste only if a container for them is right at hand? You can either keep a dedicated food waste container in the kitchen, or place the worm bin right near there. (Many vermicomposters do keep a food waste container in the kitchen, using it to transport food to the worm bin.)
• Do you prefer a "healthy distance" between the species? If worms cannot be counted among your friends as yet, you may want to arrange a comfortable bed outdoors for them.

Before you make your choice of worm bin location, you will want to take into account two important considerations.

Important Consideration #1: Temperature & Weather

Redworms will remain active above roughly 40°F (5°C), yet will consume the most waste at between 60-80°F (15-26°C). This temperature preference really applies to the entire ecosystem. It processes organic material fastest within this warmer temperature range. If you want your worm bin to work its best, try to place it so that the bedding in your bin remains within this temperature range.

In a cold environment, this will mean insulating an outdoor bin well. One method is to surround the bin with straw bales, adding loose straw on top of the decomposing matterial, and on top of the lid. (Be sure that air can get in around the insulation.)

Important Consideration #2: Moisture

Redworms need moist conditions in order to breathe. They absorb oxygen through the mucus layer on their skin. If conditions in their environment dry out, they are stressed and may die. If you're setting up a bedding for them, try to keep it at around a 75% moisture content, which is about as moist as a wrung-out sponge.

(Redworms actually like it even more moist than that, but at higher than 75% moisture, a bin's contents tend to get waterlogged, which tends to stop airflow to parts of the bin, causing a stink! We'll cover temperature and moisture problems in class # on troubleshooting.)

Choosing The Right Worm For The Job

At this point, it's time to arrange to get some worms. What worms, you ask? Well, it's very useful to place earthworms into three distinct categories, according to their habitats in nature:

• Deep burrowers, like nightcrawlers. These are NOT good for vermicomposting, because they need to spend most of their time in their deep and cool underground burrows.
• Soil mixers, that live in the root zone of plants, where they eat decaying organic matter and mix soil layers. These are also NOT good for vermicomposting.
• Surface dwellers, like redworms, that eat organic matter that falls onto the soil surface, such as leaves, fruit, manure, etc. These worms have adapted perfectly to the job of cleaning up waste.

When ordering worms, ask for "Eisenia fetida", also known as redworms.

Worms ordered by mail will take a week or so to arrive (depending on the worm farm.) A pound of "Pit-run" (all sizes) earthworms will cost somewhere between $15 and $22, plus shipping. If you don't know where to get worms, here are some suggestions:

• Contact your local State University Extension Service's Master Gardeners
• Ask at a local large garden store or grange
• Look in the yellow pages under "worms" or "worm farm"
• Search the Internet using terms like "redworms" and "vermicomposting".

How many worms?

For a small household bin, you'll want to start with at least a pound of worms. Now 1000 "pit-run" redworms, meaning worms of all ages and sizes, weigh about a pound.

The worm bin can accommodate many more worms, and your little reds will increase in number if you've made their home comfortable (temperature wise) and if food is available. Indeed, next to eating, reproducing is one of their favorite activities!

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What is Vermicomposting | Worm Bin Location
Building your Worm Bin | Set up | Feeding
Basic Worm Bin Care | Troubleshooting
Harvesting Worms and Castings | Food and Organic Compost Tea
Advanced Topics | Earthworm Biology and Production