A little quickie today on the topic of ventilation of a worm bin. Starting with vermicomposting does not need to be expensive and a lot of people are being really creative with what they use as container for their compost worms, here is a small list of what I saw people use:
- Rubbermaid tubs
- Styrofoam (broccoli) boxes
- Wooden crates
- Bathtubs
- Old fridges and freezers
- Old chests of drawers
- Grow bags / root pouches
Well, almost any container can do really, but one thing these DIYers often forget is aeration. Worms and other composting critters are aerobic creatures, they need oxygen to thrive. Plastic is so practical and cheap, but unfortunately plastic is also waterproof and airproof, which is its main quality, but for breeding worms, it can be an issue. Plastic containers don't breathe and retain water way too well.
Have you ever noticed your worm compost has a muddy texture? It might still be too wet even though you are adding cardboard and newspaper? Well this is because the system is not well aerated and ventilated. Water is retained and a high level of water in the compost will also reduce the amount of oxygen it can store and provide to all the organisms in the bin.
Most people will then use a drill and make many holes in the lid of their homemade worm bin. This is not bad, air can come in, gazes generated by the composting process can escape. However, you need many many holes in order to allow a good airflow into the bin and accelerate the process.
You could use a larger drill bit and make bigger holes or, like what I usually do, with a utility knife, cut a square/rectangle opening and cover it with an insect screen held in place with hot glue. If your bin is outdoor, instead of cutting the openings on the lid which will allow rainwater to enter, cut the openings on the sides of the bin near the top. Additionally, you could also cut some openings near the bottom, this will help a lot with muddy worm compost, but don't cut them too large as to not dry the compost out too quickly.
Here are some photos of what I did with my styrofoam worm bins.
Rectangle opening on the lid
Smaller opening on the side near the bottom
I use a fly screen to cover the openings
Another box with a square opening and geo-fabric to cover the bottom openings
And actually, why bother with a lid? Cover the bin with a screen held with bungee cords
Those boxes can be collected for free at your local fruit & veg or seafood shop then all you need is find a local worm farmer to buy your compost worms from.
Credits
- The image at the top has been generated with the Canva app using my own photo.
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