Make A Worm Bin

Wriggling To Recycle

April 18, 2000|By Rose Boccio. Special to the Tribune.

Don't toss your uneaten fruits and veggies -- feed them to worms! The squirmy guys will help speed the breakdown of food (decomposition) and turn it into fertile soil you can use for your plants and gardens. This wormy process, called vermicomposting, is easy to set up. I started a worm bin for about $17. I got great tips from the DuPage County Solid Waste Education Center ( and 4th graders at White Eagle Elementary School in Naperville, who maintain their own bin. Here's how you can make your own:

-Get an 18- by 24-inch bin that's at least 12 inches deep. Ready-made worm bins run $50-$200, so scrap 'em and grab a plastic storage container at the hardware store for about $5. (Avoid clear ones; worms don't like the light.)

-With an adult's help, drill or use a screwdriver to punch small air holes in the container lid. If you make larger holes, put an old window screen between the top of the bin and the lid.

-Cut a small drain hole in the bottom and cover it with a square of screen, taped in place with duct tape. Then, put the bin over another container or tray to catch moisture. (It's full of nutrients, so you can water your plants and trees with it.)

-In the bin, put light, fluffy bedding 3-8 inches deep. I used finely shredded newspaper, bits of paper egg cartons and cardboard. You can use wood shavings, sawdust, leaves, peat moss or hard-to-find stuff called coir, which is shredded, compressed coconut husk fibers. Add water until the bedding is as moist as a wrung-out sponge. (Be careful not to overmoisten!)

-Mix in some potting soil and handfuls of sandy dirt from your yard to help the worms digest. Add finely crushed shells from boiled eggs to give them calcium.

-Stir in finely chopped food scraps. The smaller the scraps, the faster they decompose.

-Time for the bin's new residents. I got 100 Red Wigglers (the best worms for the job) for $5 at Midwest Rod & Reel in Downers Grove. After introducing the worms to their new digs, snap the lid shut and leave them in the dark.

-Stash the bin someplace 60-80 degrees. Mine is in the basement bathroom.

-Be ready to wait. The food will decompose and run through the worms' systems. Then they'll poop it out, and that becomes a rich, dark soil. It'll take at least three months before you have enough to scoop out and use for your plants. (The worms will have worked their way to the bottom of the bin, and you can scoop out some soil from the top with your hands or a small plastic shovel.)


-DO use scraps from fruit, vegetables or grains (peels, stems, rinds, cores, seeds and pits), coffee grounds and filters, tea bags, bread crusts, corn cobs, pasta and soggy cereal.

-DON'T use meat, fish, cheese, bones, gravies, salad dressings, oils, butter or heavily salted foods like chips.


-The rich soil worms produce is great for your plants.

-The bin doesn't smell bad (well, not hardly).

-The worms shouldn't get loose; they'll nestle down in the moist, dark bin.

-If they do get out, they'll dry up, get crunchy and die in a day or two.



In her book "Grow It Again" ($6, Kids Can Press), Elizabeth McLeod shows kids how to turn seeds, vegetable tops and fruit pits into houseplants. Use her step-by-step instructions to grow everything from avocado plants to watermelon plants. (Some root tops, like carrots and yams, don't even require dirt; they'll bud on top of layered stones!)

Several plant-growing projects include recipes (such as guacamole with avocados and fruit salad with mangos). Also, McLeod's tips on how to decorate clay pots can help you turn your projects into room decorations or gifts!