How to Create a Worm Farm | Ask This Old House

In this video, This Old House landscape contractor Jenn Nawada shows host Kevin O’Connor how to start his own worm farm to create nutrient-rich compost for his garden.
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Jenn Nawada shares how earthworms can contribute to both a compost pile and the overall health of a garden. She shares steps to build a worm composter using three 5-gallon plastic buckets. Worm farming or vermicomposting is the process of using worms to transform organic kitchen waste into an organic fertilizer.
Difficulty: ⅕
Time: 1 hour to start the farm
Cost: Under $30
Where to find it?
Start by drilling [homedepot.sjv.io/R50Wna] 3/16-inch [homedepot.sjv.io/21JPeA] holes in the bottom of two of the 5-gallon plastic buckets [homedepot.sjv.io/q4v3aN], roughly an inch apart. The third bucket will act as a catch basin to collect excess moisture. In both buckets that have bottom holes, drill 1/8-inch holes through the top of the buckets around the circumference.
Drill 1/8-inch holes through the bucket lid. These holes provide proper airflow needed to help break down the food scraps. Assemble the vermicompost bin by stacking one bucket with holes inside the bucket without holes.
Build the bedding by adding 3 inches of damp shredded newspaper and/or cardboard. Shredding or ripping the bedding into small pieces makes the digestion process easier for the worms. The bedding material should be soaked in water. Squeeze out excess water until the bedding is damp like a rung-out sponge.
Once the bedding is in, add in the vermicomposting worms [homedepot.sjv.io/zNv3oW] and put the lid on the bucket. Red wigglers or red worms are a popular choice because they digest half of their weight in a single day and thrive in a compost environment.
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Materials
Newspaper
Cardboard
Organic food waste
Red wiggler worms [homedepot.sjv.io/zNv3oW]
Three 5-gallon buckets [homedepot.sjv.io/q4v3aN]
Tools
Drill [homedepot.sjv.io/R50Wna]
Drill bits [homedepot.sjv.io/21JPeA]
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From the makers of This Old House, America’s first and most trusted home improvement show, Ask This Old House answers the steady stream of home improvement questions asked by viewers across the United States. Covering topics from landscaping to electrical to HVAC and plumbing to painting and more. Ask This Old House features the experts from This Old House, including general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, landscape contractor Jenn Nawada, master carpenter Norm Abram, and host Kevin O’Connor. ASK This Old House helps you protect and preserve your greatest investment-your home.
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How to Create a Worm Farm | Ask This Old House
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[@TR-sk8hf]

I love Jen,shes the best !

[@umaumalei14]

Worms can't break down cracked eggshells. Would need to grind to fine powder.

[@peterrebhahn1113]

I do a lot of composting outside and have, now and then, thought about doing the indoor-worm thing but haven't and probably won't. As far as getting the worms goes, I'm surprised they didn't advise viewers to support their local bait shop!

[@dtchap59]

Whats keeping the worms from crawling into the bottom bucket?

[@Charlesb88]

It’s the small size of the drain holes and the fact that the worms prefer to stay in the worm compost dirt that keeps the worms from dropping into the “tea” at the bottom.

[@greencello599]

Be careful, or the worms will stampede.

[@kbh95207]

Nice Night Court reference 😂

[@captjc]

I see you were taken in by the glamour of it all, too.
It was like all the spaghetti you ever ate in your life coming back to get you.

[@kbh95207]

@@captjc STAMPEDE !

[@iguesi]

As we know from WKRP in Cincinnati, Red Wigglers are the Cadillac of Worms... th-cam.com/video/ExNHv1zv8qs/w-d-xo.html
😀

[@rockys7726]

I tried this once and failed miserably. I thought it was low maintenance and left it alone. Then the whole thing dried out. All the worms died because I didn't keep it moist enough.

[@eklectiktoni]

Mist it with a spray bottle every time you add food or every other day.

[@rockys7726]

@@eklectiktoni Yes, I should have but I was told it was no maintenance and left it alone. So it's really not low maintenance.

[@Confoil]

@@rockys7726 You seem to be confusing "set-it-and-forget-it" for low maintenance.

[@BradSchmidtPlus]

holes you DRILLED not Pre-Drilled. EVERYTHING is Pre-Drilled

[@larrynovak7042]

WKRP advertisor. Red Wigglers, Caddilac of Worms