Why Compost?

With over 90 Million households, it is thought that as much as 20% of all landfill materials are composed of lawn and garden waste. It is much more environmentally sound and efficient to deal with the waste in the backyard before it gets hauled to a facility. In addition, it is estimated that there is 6.9 million tons of food waste that is dumped into the waste stream every year. It makes sense to deal with this garbage where it is produced, at the home, office or school.

Night Crawlers vs. Red Worms

Most books and other sources talk about using several species of red worms to do this worm composting. While Red worms are very good for converting waste into castings, they are not very good for fishing bait because they are so small. We have found that in a home composting environment, our Cultured Nightcrawler works just as well at turning waste into castings and has the added benefit of providing a source of GOOD bait worms for fishing! This worm will reach 6-8 inches in length and is much easier and more interesting to observe in your compost bin. They are very good breeders and will lay as many cocoons as these other varieties of worms. However, the growth rate and cocoon production for any worm will always depend upon maintaining the proper conditions.

How many do I need?

How many worms to start with? A non-vegetarian family of 4 will produce approximately 5 pounds of waste per week. Ideally, this means that you should have a bin that has 5 sq ft of surface space. However, that is just a rough guideline depending on what goes in the bin. Stay away from fat, dairy products and oil. It is best to work the scraps into to the first couple of inches of compost. Remember, key elements for a worm are oxygen and moisture. Don’t be afraid to work the bed and get to know your worms. You will know when they are happy. The Nightcrawlers are more heat tolerant than most worms, and the composting process creates heat.

It is good to start with 1 to 2 pounds of worms. They will grow and multiply until there are approximately 1 pound per square ft., although depending on the size, there could be more.

Instructions for Worm Bin

You will need:

2 – rubber tubs
1 – connection
1 – bolt, washer (2) and nut combination


Step 1: Attach the 2 tubs with the PVC attachment

Step 2: Attach bolt combination through designated hole

Step 3: Add worms and bedding to shredded paper and moisten until a totally saturated mix is obtained. No standing water.

Step 4: Add any green food waste, bread, pasta, etc. and mix thoroughly.

Step 5: Watch moisture level. If too moist or starts to smell add more fiber (i.e. more shredded newspaper, dry leaves, dry grass clippings, sawdust, etc.) Perfect moisture level: squeeze the compost in your hand and if you can, almost, get a drop or two of water, you have it.

Step 6: Feed one side for as long as you like. It will be sufficient with one tub. However, the hardest thing about a worm bin is getting the “good stuff” out without taking the worms, too. When you want to use the first tub for your plants, quit feeding on that side and start feeding on the other side. You can start your mix several days before you take off the cap. Once you take off the cap, allow several weeks to let the worms migrate to the new food source. You continue to repeat the process, as needed.

For questions or concerns, call The Worm Guy at (206) 817-0388 or email at mark@vashonwormguy.com