Vermicompost farm

More and more people are taking care of the environment, recycling organic waste with earthworms and producing vermicompost. In a large garden, a compost heap is built for this purpose, while in a small apartment, specialized vermicomposters are used to produce vermicompost. Several types of such worm houses are commercially available, but it's easier and more cost-effective to make your own. Let's figure out how to make a small vermicomposter for your home.

What is a vermicomposter used for?

A vermicomposter is a device for producing vermicompost and recycling household waste using earthworms. During operation, a vermicomposter accomplishes three tasks:

1. Earthworm farming for feeding birds, for use in fishing or for sale.
2. Year-round production of large quantities of vermicompost.
3. Disposal of household organic waste.

Design and principle of vermicomposter

https://youtu.be/zFJu2w2AHto

All vermicomposters are similar in design and consist of a tower of boxes stacked on top of each other.

The bottom drawer is designed as a tray with a sealed bottom. Its purpose is to collect liquid flowing from the upper levels. A tap is installed at the bottom of the tray to drain the vermicompost. Some industrial designs have a vermicompost filter built into the bottom tray.

The middle drawer is considered the main one. It contains the bulk of the worms. Food is placed on top of the worm bin, where it is converted into vermicompost by the animals' stomachs and settles to the bottom of the drawer. Once the middle drawer is filled with vermicompost, the next drawer is placed on top of it.

The top drawer is installed after the main middle tray is filled with vermicompost. As food regularly flows into the top drawer, the worms gradually empty the middle tray, allowing the owner to remove the vermicompost.

Benefits of DIY

The industry produces several types of vermicomposters, but it is much more profitable punch make it yourself.

The benefits of making your own vermicomposter:

• Homemade worm bins can be made from any available materials, so their cost is several times lower than that of store-bought ones;
• homemade structures are made taking into account their future location and, therefore, fit optimally into the interior of any room;
• The number of animals in the worm farm is constantly increasing. Using homemade structures, the tower can be easily expanded to the required size if necessary.

Making a vermicomposter yourself

Making your own vermicomposter doesn't take much time and is entirely doable at home.

Necessary tools

To make a wormhole you will need a standard set of tools:

• to mark the material you will need a square, tape measure, and ruler;
• for drilling work - a drill-screwdriver, a set of drills;
• for woodworking - a jigsaw, saws.

Materials for assembling a home worm farm

The variety of materials used is limited only by the artist's imagination. The following can be successfully used as a base:

• wooden and chipboard boxes;
• buckets of salted fish, empty canisters;
• meat and curd cheese boxes;
• IKEA seedling boxes;
• large volume containers.

Worm bin vermicomposter

The simplest version of a worm house is made using the "worm bin" system. Translated from English, this simply means a bucket of worms.

To make such a structure you will need the following materials:

• a plastic or wooden container with a lid with a capacity of 20-40 liters or a large flower pot;
• a shallow tray the size of the container;
• two wooden blocks with a cross-section of 30 by 30 mm.

Assembly

1. In the bottom of the container, holes with a diameter of 1-1.5 mm are drilled every 5-7 cm.
2. In the side walls, holes with a diameter of 1 mm are drilled every 10-15 cm.
3. The bars are sawn to the width of the container and placed on a pallet.
4. The container is placed on the blocks.
5. The container is filled with a mixture of base substrate and food in a 2 to 1 ratio and watered with settled drinking water.
6. Worms of the "Prospector" or Californian Red worm breed are introduced into the worm bin and covered with a thick cloth or lid.

This vermicomposter requires virtually no maintenance. It's filled once per cycle, and then maintenance is limited to weekly moisture monitoring. After a few months, the worms have converted the entire contents of the container into vermicompost. After this, they are removed from the soil and relocated, the container is emptied, and the process is restarted.

If you don't want to create a two-tiered structure and place the box on a pallet, you don't need to drill holes in the bottom. In this case, place a layer of crushed stone or expanded clay on the bottom.

Tower type composter

The Tower composter is quite versatile and can be used both for producing commercial worm stock and for converting household waste into vermicompost. The following materials are required for construction:

• 4 plastic boxes that can be tightly stacked on top of each other;
• a lid for the top drawer or a piece of plywood;
• faucet with fittings for draining vermicelli;
• plywood, chipboard or furniture board for the stand;
• 50x50 bars for the legs of the stand.

Assembly

1. A 13 mm diameter hole is drilled in the bottom of the container. A tap is inserted into the hole and, using two washers, is screwed to the bottom of the tray with a nut.
2. Drill 5-6 mm diameter holes in the bottom of the three remaining boxes every 30-40 mm. For more precise drilling, mark the center of the holes with an awl. Drill 1 mm diameter holes in the sides of the boxes for ventilation.
3. Drill 1 mm diameter ventilation holes in the lid every 5 cm. If a plastic lid is not available, make one out of plywood.
4. Using a jigsaw, cut out the base of the stand from furniture board, plywood, or chipboard. Use a hole saw to cut a hole in the base for the drain valve.
5. For the legs, you can use 50 x 50 mm beams or offcuts of thick boards. The legs are cut to size and attached to the base with screws.

When initially loading the composter, the second tray from the bottom is filled with the base substrate and feed and thoroughly watered. Once the soil is evenly moistened, worms are added to the composter. During operation, the bins are used as follows:

• vermillion tea is collected in the bottom tray;
• in the second tray from the bottom it collects vermicompost and a small number of worms live there;
• the third tray is the permanent habitat of the animals and the mother compartment;
• The fourth tray is a feeder.

Once the second-from-bottom drawer is completely filled with vermicompost, it is removed, emptied, and placed on top of the tower. The worms gradually migrate to the upper levels, thereby refilling the second-from-bottom drawer with vermicompost.

Industrial composters

Worm bins of various designs and sizes can be purchased in specialized stores.

Worm Café

This Australian-made composter consists of a vermicompost collection tray and three spacious bins for processing waste. A filler for initial use is included. The tower's assembled height is 85 cm, and the bins measure 37 x 55 cm. The Worm Café costs 12,000 rubles.

Can-O-Worms

The Can-O-Worms worm bin has a unique round design. It consists of a coconut fiber tray and two round bins. The bin is 51 cm in diameter and 65 cm high. A starter litter is included. The Can-O-Worms retails for 5,500 rubles.

Conclusion

You can use any type of plastic bin or bucket to make your own vermicomposter. It requires minimal time and tools, and the results will last for years.