mbg Contributor
By Lauren David
mbg Contributor
Lauren David is a Chilean-American freelance author. She writes about gardening, meals, well being and wellness, and sustainability. She has been revealed in Allrecipes, Greatist, The Healthy, The Kitchn and extra.
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May 29, 2022
Ready to show your meals scraps into compost with out an excessive amount of effort? Consider vermicomposting, or worm composting—a system the place worms break down natural waste right into a nutrient-rich soil modification, sometimes called black gold.
If you are able to embark in your vermicomposting journey, these are the perfect worm composter bins to get you began.
What worm composting bins do.
“A worm composting bin provides a closed environment in which worms, usually red wigglers, eat your leftover food scraps and excrete waste known as castings,” explains Matt Eddleston, a gardener with over 20 years of expertise and founding father of Gardening Vibe. “The worm castings are nutrient-rich, making them an ideal organic fertilizer for growing plants.”
A worm bin could be so simple as a plastic container with a lid, or as sophisticated as a multi-layer bin with many various compartments and options.
While it can save you cash by constructing your individual bin, Chia-Ming Ro, a backyard guide and proprietor of Coastal Homestead explains that purchasing a pre-made one “takes the guesswork out.” Considering that an ill-fitted bin could leave too little room for air to get in—or not enough room for air to flow through—opting for a pre-made one will better set you up for success from the beginning.
Worm composting bins also come with many optional features, such as stackable trays or spigots, which can be harder to design yourself.
How to choose your bin.
When you’re deciding on what compost bin is best for you, the first step is thinking about how you’ll use it. “It’s a good idea to consider how much space you have to keep the bin, the volume of food scraps to process, and how discrete you want the appearance to be,” says Eddleston.
You’ll want to keep your bin in a cool spot that doesn’t get direct sun; either inside a basement or garage, or outside on a covered porch. Some bins are better suited to be indoors while others are designed to be outside.
When it comes to nature working its magic, the conditions are important, so you should also think about your familiarity with vermicomposting. “Some bins help to keep the conditions humid, well-drained, and well-aerated without much intervention needed from you, increasing the chances of faster compost production,” explains Eddleston.
Finally, consider the bin’s size. “Ideally, your worm bin has two bins that allow worms to move freely from one to the next,” says Ro.
“Stackable bins can course of a whole lot of meals scraps and have a small footprint,” explains Eddleston. “But if you’re living in an apartment, you might want a smaller model with fewer trays than some of the larger bins that are better suited for outdoors or a house with garage space.”
How we picked
Our listing comes vetted by vermicomposting consultants who’re aware of the method.
Whether you are trying to shell out or save, there is a bin to your price range on our listing.
Whether you need to proudly show your bin within the backyard or preserve it discreetly in your storage, there’s an possibility right here for you.
Since everybody has totally different area restrictions, we made certain to offer quite a lot of bin styles and sizes.
mbg’s picks for the perfect worm compost bins of 2022:
Pros
- Easy to make use of
- Comes collectively quick
Cons
- Better for out of doors use, as it could possibly leak
If you’re new to worm composting or just need a simple set-up, think about this worm bag. “This simple-to-use vermicomposting bin enables you to process a large volume of scraps without having to mess around with trays,” says Eddleston. “You just place bedding in the bottom and add food scraps to the top.”
Typically, castings are prepared in 4 to 6 months, and all you need to do is unzip the underside and allow them to fall right into a tray or bucket.
“This vermicomposting bin is small enough to fit in the corner of your kitchen or on a small balcony area,” says Eddleston. “The bin comes with detailed instructions, is easy to set up, and comes with everything you need to get started, including coco coir bedding (but not the worms).”
The good thing about this compact dimension is you may simply transfer it from one location to a different if it’s worthwhile to. And because of the smooth design, it isn’t apparent worms reside inside.
Pros
- Expandable
- Fits a number of scraps
If you’re trying to course of a whole lot of meals scraps, “this stackable vermicomposting bin has one of the largest capacities on the market,” says Eddleston. It additionally has the benefit that you could add a further two trays to the preliminary 4, so you could have ample room for all of your meals scraps.
Pros
- Expandable
- Fits a number of scraps
Cons
- Not appropriate for indoor use
This stackable worm compost bin comes with 5 trays and the choice so as to add much more, as effectively a built-in spigot to empty extra liquid. There’s additionally a particular bonus characteristic: “The ‘shoes’ that fit around the feet of the product are particularly useful for using this bin in your backyard,” says Eddleston. “When filled with water they prevent ants from getting inside and killing your worms.”
Best for individuals who do not love worms: SUBPOD Composting System & Worm Farm
SUBPOD Composting System & Worm Farm
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Pros
- Fits a number of scraps
- Easy to make use of
Cons
- Not appropriate for indoor use
If you’re squeamish round worms or will not be certain you’re able to work together with them, that is the composter for you. It’s a two-chamber bin that may be positioned inside your soil or a raised backyard mattress. “Worms can come and go as they like and [it] does not require turning the compost,” says Ro.
Eddleston provides that it is “a very hands-off solution, as you don’t need to empty the container to collect castings.” Plus, it doubles as a small bench within the backyard, holding as much as 150 kilos because of a newly bolstered latch design.
Want to start out vermicomposting however don’t need it to be apparent that you’ve got pet worms? “The Urbalive vermicomposter has the most stylish design on the market, making it a good choice for people with limited space,” says Eddleston.
The light-weight bin is straightforward to maneuver and has a smooth and stylish design that you will be keen to indicate off, indoors or out. Although small, there’s an choice to develop from two trays to 4, relying in your wants.
How do you begin your bin?
Once you could have your bin and order your worms, you will get the method began by filling the worm’s bin with a mixture of meals scraps (inexperienced and brown) and “bedding” resembling shredded paper, cardboard, straw, hay, dry leaves, filth, or wooden chips.
Worms can eat quite a lot of meals scraps together with fruit and vegetable scraps and occasional grounds, however keep away from giving them citrus fruits, animal, and dairy merchandise. The key to sustaining your mattress is ensuring it has the correct quantity of meals (and subsequently, moisture) always. When the system is out of steadiness, it would begin to scent. Here’s an entire primer on getting began feeding your bin.
Mix your bin periodically to loosen up its supplies and stop odors and hopefully, you may have black gold in your fingers very quickly.
How lengthy does it take to compost with worms?
One of the primary variations between worm composting and conventional composting has to do with pace. “Vermicomposting is faster than traditional composting and you also get the added benefit of worm castings (ie. poop),” says Ro.
Typically, you’ll have to dedicate solely half-hour every week and may have castings inside 3- 6 months. And how a lot can worms eat on common per day? “One pound of worms can eat about 1/2 pound of food a day,” says Ro.
Tips & methods to attempt.
Here, Eddleston and Ro share their finest suggestions for anybody who desires to offer it a go along with a worm bin:
- “To increase the speed at which the worms produce vermicompost, you should keep the bin between 15-25 °C,” says Eddleston.
- “Keep your food scraps in a sealed container before adding them to the vermicompost bin,” says Eddleston. “This prevents flies from laying eggs in the food and keeps them out of your bin.”
- Ro explains to keep away from including “too much citrus or onions all at once.”
- “If your worms are slow at eating the food scraps you give them, try cutting them up into smaller chunks. This usually helps them process the scraps quicker,” explains Eddleston.
- The worm bin shouldn’t scent. If it does, it’s an indicator that one thing is amiss. “A well-balanced compost should have no foul odors,” says Ro.
The takeaway.
Worm composting sounds intimidating, however with the best bin, it may be fairly painless. Choose a bin from this listing that matches your wants and prepare to dwell extra sustainably by changing your meals waste into gold.