Grow some Worms! ~ PreppDay Wednesday
That's right. I said "Grow some Worms!" Sounds gross, sounds slimey, I know. But for any kind of Prepper, Homesteader, Survivalist or Gardner whether beginner or pro, worms are the way to go.
So technically, worm growing is called vermicomposting ~ a process that uses Red Worms to turn your kitchen scraps & organic materials into black gold aka nutrient-filled dirt aka work castings aka worm poop. Also worm tea aka the liquid that drains out, will make your plants grow better than any other fertilizer out there. And BONUS ~ it won't burn your plants or flowers!
After learning all this I decided to try my hand at it. But I wanted something cheap, fast and easy. Kinda my motto. When I came across this DIY Worm Composter on Pinterest entitled 'Cheap and Easy Worm Bin' I knew it was meant to be!
Notice the upside down lid acting as a tray to catch the worm tea? Yeah, I opted for 3 bin's instead of 2. My third bottom bin acts as the reserve for the worm tea so I can't slosh it all over me trying to pour it into a container, like just a lid would. Don't get me wrong I was excited to grow some worms. But not get their pee, I mean tea, all over me.
So I set about gathering any old bins I could find lying around. I found 3 different ones but I figured worms wouldn't care if they matched or not. My wonderful hubbie aka SuperDad took his handy dandy drill and followed the simple directions.
Really it's just drilling 1/4" holes in the bottoms of the top 2 bins (not the worm tea reservoir!) to allow for drainage and to let the worms crawl into the upper bins to eat. Plus putting some 1/16" holes around the tops of the bins for air flow. I also added a couple bricks into the bottom bin to give it a little extra space to catch the liquid.
Like I said cheap, fast & easy! (If you'd like a step-by-step picture tutorial, click on the 'Cheap and Easy Worm Bin' link above)
Not the prettiest thing in the world, but it's a worm bin for goodness sake! The hardest part was waiting for the Red Wiggler Worms I ordered online to arrive. That only put me back about $20 for 1 pound of worms aka 1000 worms which are the perfect size for a set up like this. So I guess it really takes longer than 20 minutes if you count delivery time *wink wink. Once my worms came, I added some kitchen scraps, old cardboard and leaves, a little dirt for good measure, sprinkled on some water and my new worms felt right at home!
So there you have it. Grow some worms. Get rid of potato peels and old newspapers. Receive some black gold. Your garden will love you this year. DO NOT drink the worm tea! BONUS ~ Put your kiddo's to work this summer. They will love feeding the worms!
Leave a comment & let me know what you think!
Wormalicious or Gag-me-with-a-Spoon?
Just a quick note from the SuperDad(yey me). You will get lots of "tea" since we didn't have anyplace to store "tea" so I have had to dump the "Pee" on the ground since there isn't a garden growing..
ReplyDeleteLove your site, keep up the great information, might try the worm idea!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by!
DeleteHopefully you dumped it in a good place like a flower bed!!
ReplyDeletethanks for the post - worms gross me out but they make the soil so much better. We always had a compost in our backyard growing up and i miss the rich soil we used to get from that.
ReplyDeleteThey pretty much gross me out too...hahaha! Especially when there is so many ~ thankfully I don't have to touch them =)
ReplyDeleteI have been doing worm compost for a about a year I am to the point now I will some compost in my garden and potted plant just remember NO tomatoes or citrus and no meat they don't stink
ReplyDeleteYou weren't kidding when you said any old bins. I have several. I am so glad you linked this up because I had planned on creating a composter. Now I want to do it like yours. I'd prefer to keep it outside (possibly move to garage in the winter). I guess I need to keep it out of the rain? I never knew about the worm tea!
ReplyDeleteI love it! I have been wanting to worm farm too but still haven't gotten around to it. It's too hot here (AZ) in the summer for them in an above ground bin so they either have to be buried in ground or stay in the house. Hmm...need to figure it out cause my grand kids would love this. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reminders Judy =) And Diana ~ you are AWESOME! Thanks for featuring me!!! Connie, some people do bring their bins inside but I sure couldn't do it! And kids do love them ~ they are a great learning tool too.
ReplyDeleteawesomeness! Will do this when I get my garden up and running next year!
ReplyDeleteLol pin'd it to my gonna do board!
ReplyDeleteAwesome! Thanks for the Pin =)
ReplyDeleteHi, thank you for your post. I really want to try this. Where did you get your worms from?
ReplyDelete