Thank you so much for this! I'm wanting to expand my balcony composting and this has a larger capacity with remaining compact compare to the readymade systems. Amazing!
Red Rigglers, screen shot the diagram (thank you), and thank goodness you stated food grade bin as well as the prep of the feeding, I especially liked how you pointed out feeding after 2 weeks and watching from the get go how little to give in the start, so you know, plus the system ...oh and the "NOT worm tea"! Going to start gathering and finding the goods, thank you Phil!!!
I wonder if adding some old window screen material to the second bucket would keep the worms from falling into the first bucket but allow the excess water to drain? 🤔
The whole purpose is to allow the worms to travel in and out. If you add screen they would not be able to move into the next bucket. You could do it when you initially set it up but that’s about it
@@dawnpettiglio6930 you would only be able to put it in the first time you set up the bucket because once you put the new bucket on top and all the worms travel into that bucket it will become the new bottom bucket. and you cant put scrren in it otherwise the worms will not be able to move up into it. does that make sense>?
You explained the system well! Getting my worms today, but was encouraged to use a bin. I will try both, but seems to me system is easier and would keep the wigglers happy! Thank you for creating this video. Blessings!
Thank you for a great video! I'm going to make exact same worm bin to keep in my apartment year around. How is ot working for you? Do you still use it inside a year later?
This is a great follow up question. What I actually wanna doing was limiting the amount of material that I put in the bottom bin, which would keep a good seal when you put the top bin on top. Does that make sense? I never actually cut a hole in another lid I just made sure I was limiting the amount of material I was putting in to keep the composting process happening, but never added so much where the level in the bottom bin would be so high that it would prevent the top bucket from sealing with the bottom one.
Great video. I saw this system built by someone else with some differences. The one thing that was very helpful was to NOT use the liquid to make worm tea. One other thing that I learned that others might find useful is that there are restaurants that will GIVE YOU those food grade buckets for FREE!!! Just check in your neighborhood, that's what I did. Question: Do you out the 3rd bin on top right away OR AFTER the old bin has filled up???
Hi I’m looking into worm farming just to make a small amount of compost for my indoor plants. Do you think I could make the same system with buckets of half this size?
Nice video. Couple of questions, 1-Does burying the scraps prevent fruit flys, or is it best to wrap a paint straining mesh over the holes? 2-Will the 3rd bucket compress the castings too much creating an anearobic enviroment? Cheers
yes burying the scraps prevents fruit flies, so does the tiny holes at the top. and the third bin should really be full enough to weigh down the other castings, so no it should be okay
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed. I would not use coffee ground as the main base as it is high in nitrogen. Use a carbon material as the main base and you can add in the nitrogen sources
I've been doing worm composting for about a year. Yesterday I took the buckets apart to see how much tea there was and there were a ton of both dead and alive worms in the tea. Are they trying to leave because there's not enough green food?
I set up my bins exactly like shown in your video. I believe the coconut coir is not too wet or too dry. My worms keep escaping through the middle bin and piling up at the bottom bin. I contacted uncle Jim’s worm farm, and he said to feed them that they may be looking for food or trying to find their way around. I’ve only had them a few days and every day they keep escaping through the holes. I feel like I’m babysitting worms. Any suggestions for a screen like mash that I can put on temporarily to prevent them from constantly escaping? Also, do you add water occasionally to the “soil” to prevent it from drying or just the nitrogen ( green ) part of the compost is enough. Lastly, how often do you add the brown, carbon part to the mix ? Thanks for your help. I am hoping to better understand this system so I can teach a class at our farm school to some local homesteaders.
I haven’t filled the bucket yet, I would say probably around 6 months but it could be less if you are really in tune with your worms and feeding them as soon as they are ready
I have already started a compost bucket. It's 5 gallons about 2/3 brown material, old soil, coffee grounds and leaves and 1/3 food scrapes. Can I just add worms to it?
What was your intention with this at first? I wouldn’t add them to this. I would start a new bucket like I talked about in the video to make sure the environment is right.
Demi, I start my bins with shredded newspaper, shredded cardboard, a handful of clean sand (for grit - worms have a craw similar to birds) and a few scoops of old worm castings or aged compost. Coco Coir isn't a must, but a neutral base is. The finished compost or castings innoculate the the bin with bacteria & microbes that help break down the food scraps so the worms can eat them. Also, freezing your scraps before introducing them helps eliminate fruit flies, accelerates decomposition so they are readily available for the worms to eat. They are a little wetter, so add some shredded paper or shredded cardboard @ the same time.
i chose making a bucket tower because of the seasonal extremes we have here in the heartland. winters are brutal & summers can be worse. too extreme for worms, that's for sure. also, you do what you have room for and a vermihut or bag was pretty much out of the question too. now, i am keeping my worms in my bedroom closet. of course, if it smelled they would definitely be somewhere else. for a top though, i am using a t-shirt with a bungee cord. i would never hear the end of it from my family if some of those little guys got loose and ended up somewhere they shouldn't be. drilling holes for ventilation seems like a good idea but baby worms are very tiny and i am afraid no matter how small the holes are they are still large enough for babies to get through. i think even screen or mesh may be large enough for the worms to get out. maybe i am just being overly cautious. i add a bucket, i'm up to 5 now, when the castings depth get just high enough for the worms to migrate but not high enough to cause the gap that you use your lid for and the little guys to escape. i also have added copper foil tape just below the rims of the buckets. i just add some castings to the new bucket and most of the worms naturally migrate towards their new food souce. i am using 5 buckets because i want to be sure that all the material is composted before moving the fresh material out. when i'm sure all the material is composted then i move it outside to my garden shed, out of the heat, in a tote with a secure lid for storage until some castings are needed. i seem be getting enough castings for a bucket 5-10# each month now. what's nice about the buckets is you're only limited in the number of buckets as you are limited to as far as space and are very modular. not so true with bags or all vermihut type setup's too.
Awesome insight! This is such a great explanation as to why the bucket system works so well. I think you using a shirt certainly could work. To your point in the hole. I have lost a few baby worms who have made their way out of the bucket but overall successful. I chose to use a lid and make the holes so I can still put the bucket outside when to weather is right and it keeps the rain out of the system and keeps it from getting water logged. Great to hear someone getting great results with this system and the way you have modulated it for your needs 👍🏼
I tried making this bucket system, however, the bucket walls from inside get moisture, and the worms started coming out of the soil and going all around the inner walls of the bucket all the way to the lid, how to avoid this?! I did lot of holes on the lid for aeration, but still the walls get moist from inside.
@@earthnailsandtailscan you give us the exact size measurement for the holes you drilled on the sides near the top as well as the other two on their bottoms?
I have had really great success using fishing worms, labeled "BIG RED WORMS" - 30 Eisenia Hortensis, that come in the red cartons from DMF Bait Co. Bought 2 cartons(60 worms) added them to my tumbling composter 2 years ago, and now have at least 1500 worms in 5 stacking compost bins. I was amazed at how well they work. I'm looking to convert to this stacking 5 gallon bin system, instead of 10 gallon stacked totes, so they are easier to move inside during freeze events & summer +100°F days. Great video @EarthNailsandTails
I'm not really sure if your comment about E. coli really makes sense. I mean, if it's in your spinach, then it's going to be in the water, sure, but it will also be in the worm castings. Otherwise, great system and I like some of your tips compared to other videos.
The issue is people spray the liquid on the plants and they get on the leaves and then you eat it. Vs worm castings your applying them directly to soil and unlikely to get it. Also as the worms eat the castings they do get rid of some of the bad pathogens (as per studies)
I pour tea on ground around plants. Don’t know why anyone would spray it on the leaves. But it takes all kinds to make the world go round. Lol. But in all seriousness… what is worm tea exactly if this liquid isn’t?
@@tamiharris8144it’s leachate. You don’t want to use it. Worm tea is where you take finished worm castings, add water and air/bubbles. It will aerate the castings activating all of the microorganisms in the castings. Super great stuff to use for plants!
Terminology: We normally call corrugated paper, CARDBOARD. Is that what you mean by cardboard? That contains glues to hold it together. Or do you mean real CARDBOARD, as in cardboard cereal boxes? That has ink on it. I wouldn't think glue or ink is good for the worms. Same for newspaper. INK ! Can you clarify these terms, please. Also, I thought I knew coconuts pretty well, but what is coconut coyer (spelling?) ?
He never claimed to have created this system. He’s going over how to use the system effectively. This tutorial is a great example on how to use the three 5 gallon bucket worm bin. DONT be a dick.
thanks!! My orchard (SW FL, USA) is busting this Summer, and the scraps REALLY smell-up fast. Think worms would eat through Papaya & Guava fruit scraps?? great video!!! Ohhh...how would shredded newspaper do as part-compost medium? Maybe 50/50?? Of course it doesn't "smell", everyone knows worms don't f_rt !ua-cam.com/users/sgaming/emoji/7ff574f2/emoji_u1f642.png
Be careful with papaya. The fruit is fine, but the seeds have been shown to sterilize the adult worms, so you don't get cocoons and babies! You need the full life cycle happening in the bin because the older worms do eventually die off.
You can definitely use newspaper as the scraps I would put the newspaper in and let the worm settle for a couple weeks and see how they do and then I would slowly add in food only as much as they can eat within a week
Fantastic ! Thank you
Glad you liked it!
Thank you for explaining the process I was about to spend hundreds of dollars and I have all these items in my backyard for free.
Amazing! Love that you can recycle what you have and your food scraps! Working on a part 2 as well 😁
Very good idea. Thanks for sharing
Most welcome 😊
Great explanation
Glad you think so!
I lovvvvvve this!!!!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Just got done making mine can’t wait to get my worms!!
Nice! I’d love to hear how it goes
Such an awesome idea and wonderful video
Thank you so much!
Such a great video. I think out of all the vids about vermicomposting that I've watched this was the most clear and informative. Thank you so much.
Thank you so much! I’m glad it was helpful 😁
This is so helpful, I have been looking for a system like this and had all these questions about it! Thanks
Awesome! I’m happy it was useful for you
This was super helpful! Thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you so much for this! I'm wanting to expand my balcony composting and this has a larger capacity with remaining compact compare to the readymade systems. Amazing!
You are welcome! Glad you found what you are looking for 👌🏼🪱
Red Rigglers, screen shot the diagram (thank you), and thank goodness you stated food grade bin as well as the prep of the feeding, I especially liked how you pointed out feeding after 2 weeks and watching from the get go how little to give in the start, so you know, plus the system ...oh and the "NOT worm tea"! Going to start gathering and finding the goods, thank you Phil!!!
Haha lots of good stuff! Glad you enjoyed :)
Great detailed video! Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Very good video
Appreciate that! Glad you enjoyed it
I wonder if adding some old window screen material to the second bucket would keep the worms from falling into the first bucket but allow the excess water to drain? 🤔
The whole purpose is to allow the worms to travel in and out. If you add screen they would not be able to move into the next bucket. You could do it when you initially set it up but that’s about it
Wigglers don't really dig down. You'll see almost none of them will go down into the lower bucket. I put dry shredded cardboard in the bottom.
My thought too!
@@dawnpettiglio6930 you would only be able to put it in the first time you set up the bucket because once you put the new bucket on top and all the worms travel into that bucket it will become the new bottom bucket. and you cant put scrren in it otherwise the worms will not be able to move up into it. does that make sense>?
Best explanation ever! thanks for sharing
Glad you enjoyed it!
I love my worms! Those wormies sure love the food scraps a lot, let’s cherish the environment!
You explained the system well! Getting my worms today, but was encouraged to use a bin. I will try both, but seems to me system is easier and would keep the wigglers happy! Thank you for creating this video. Blessings!
Glad you enjoyed the video! Whatever system you choose you know how to keep the worms happy :)
thanks, great stuff my friend! i question; is it ok to put bread products in there? i've heard mixed views on this... thanks again.
I’ll tell you all of the don’ts:
Dairy, meat, bones, bread, citrus, onion, garlic, and anything moldy.
Thank you for a great video! I'm going to make exact same worm bin to keep in my apartment year around. How is ot working for you? Do you still use it inside a year later?
Perfect! and yes i still use it, working great. working on an update to post soon :)
I got 3 buckets ready to start this!! Thanks for all the tips
Glad I could help!
What do you for a top lid for the 3rd bin since you cut a circle in that lid
This is a great follow up question. What I actually wanna doing was limiting the amount of material that I put in the bottom bin, which would keep a good seal when you put the top bin on top. Does that make sense? I never actually cut a hole in another lid I just made sure I was limiting the amount of material I was putting in to keep the composting process happening, but never added so much where the level in the bottom bin would be so high that it would prevent the top bucket from sealing with the bottom one.
Did you add any paper or cardboard at the bottom or just that coconut choral
Great video. I saw this system built by someone else with some differences. The one thing that was very helpful was to NOT use the liquid to make worm tea. One other thing that I learned that others might find useful is that there are restaurants that will GIVE YOU those food grade buckets for FREE!!! Just check in your neighborhood, that's what I did.
Question: Do you out the 3rd bin on top right away OR AFTER the old bin has filled up???
You want to put it on after the worms create the compost in the 2nd bin. Once is full of castings you add the 3rd bin. I plan on doing a part 2 soon!
Would I want to use the same type of worms for moving/tilling/healing bad soil to prepare for a garden?
No, these are specifically composting worms
Hey what size are the holes at the top
The smallest drill bit you’ve got
Well maybe not the smallest but pretty small. You want air to flow but bugs to stay out and worms to stay in
Could I substitute the coconut with Pete moss?
yep!
Hi I’m looking into worm farming just to make a small amount of compost for my indoor plants. Do you think I could make the same system with buckets of half this size?
I personally would not go any smaller than this the bigger the system the easier it is to maintain, and the system is relatively small
@@earthnailsandtails oh thank you okay! That’s great to know. Amazing tutorial by the way, I can’t wait to make one of these
How do you get Worm tea?
Does adding the third bucket smash the worms?
nope, the worms like to live in the soil so they arent really affected by adding the new bin on top
You put coconut coir on the third bin when the worms are migrating? If so for the first two weeks do you not feed them?
Good question! You can add a mix of scraps and coir to the new bin immediately
How long does it take for the worms to go up to the third bucket? And when do i start implementing the third bucket?
Made a follow up video that answers all these questions!
Nice video.
Couple of questions,
1-Does burying the scraps prevent fruit flys, or is it best to wrap a paint straining mesh over the holes?
2-Will the 3rd bucket compress the castings too much creating an anearobic enviroment?
Cheers
yes burying the scraps prevents fruit flies, so does the tiny holes at the top. and the third bin should really be full enough to weigh down the other castings, so no it should be okay
Good easy to follow video. Can I use used coffee grounds instead of coco coir? Thanks
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed. I would not use coffee ground as the main base as it is high in nitrogen. Use a carbon material as the main base and you can add in the nitrogen sources
@@earthnailsandtails Thanks for your response. I am new to this and starting my first one :)
I will use a carbon base material.
How long is it gonna take until I can use the worm casting? Thanks.
About 6 months, if you start with less coco coir it will happen faster
How do you get the worms out of the finished compost? Just did through and pull them out??
They crawl up into the new bin. If you find any when your using it just take them out and put them back in the new bin
@@earthnailsandtails I apologize, you did say that in the video, thank you!! When should I start putting new scraps in the top bucket?
what food scaps can i add? whats good, whats a no no?
coffee grounds ? egg shells?
I explain all this in the video
I have a question how do you keep gnats and flies out of the outdoor composter?
if you maintain the conditions as i mentioned in the video it wont attract bugs I have had mine for over a year never had a problem with bugs
Can you suggest where to get the food grade buckets?
I got them from homedepot $7 each
Ask restaurant, cafe or bakery
@@kathynix6552 found them at Home Depot food grade
I have never heard of Red Rigglers.
😂😂
I've been doing worm composting for about a year. Yesterday I took the buckets apart to see how much tea there was and there were a ton of both dead and alive worms in the tea. Are they trying to leave because there's not enough green food?
Probably yes! I would check the bins at least twice a week.
I set up my bins exactly like shown in your video. I believe the coconut coir is not too wet or too dry. My worms keep escaping through the middle bin and piling up at the bottom bin. I contacted uncle Jim’s worm farm, and he said to feed them that they may be looking for food or trying to find their way around. I’ve only had them a few days and every day they keep escaping through the holes. I feel like I’m babysitting worms. Any suggestions for a screen like mash that I can put on temporarily to prevent them from constantly escaping? Also, do you add water occasionally to the “soil” to prevent it from drying or just the nitrogen ( green ) part of the compost is enough. Lastly, how often do you add the brown, carbon part to the mix ?
Thanks for your help. I am hoping to better understand this system so I can teach a class at our farm school to some local homesteaders.
Also the temp is 65° so it seems ideal
I agree with uncle Jim they are probably looking for food, put in a handful of scraps and one they are done eating it immediately add some more
It wouldn’t hurt to Check pH
@@kathynix6552 what is a good ph ?
Would adding a fourth buckeye to the system with a mesh (screen door stuff) help keep this from happening?
If we are doing it inside our house, how bad the smell will be?
If you do it right it doesn’t smell at all
Anyone else distracted by his animals? Cats and chickens sounds like heaven
How long does it take you to get a full bucket. I was just trying to figure out how many of these bucket systems to start with.
I haven’t filled the bucket yet, I would say probably around 6 months but it could be less if you are really in tune with your worms and feeding them as soon as they are ready
I have already started a compost bucket. It's 5 gallons about 2/3 brown material, old soil, coffee grounds and leaves and 1/3 food scrapes. Can I just add worms to it?
What was your intention with this at first? I wouldn’t add them to this. I would start a new bucket like I talked about in the video to make sure the environment is right.
@@earthnailsandtails okay thanks. Is coconut coir a must? Trying to think of a way to start it without buying new materials.
Demi, I start my bins with shredded newspaper, shredded cardboard, a handful of clean sand (for grit - worms have a craw similar to birds) and a few scoops of old worm castings or aged compost. Coco Coir isn't a must, but a neutral base is. The finished compost or castings innoculate the the bin with bacteria & microbes that help break down the food scraps so the worms can eat them. Also, freezing your scraps before introducing them helps eliminate fruit flies, accelerates decomposition so they are readily available for the worms to eat. They are a little wetter, so add some shredded paper or shredded cardboard @ the same time.
i chose making a bucket tower because of the seasonal extremes we have here in the heartland. winters are brutal & summers can be worse. too extreme for worms, that's for sure. also, you do what you have room for and a vermihut or bag was pretty much out of the question too. now, i am keeping my worms in my bedroom closet. of course, if it smelled they would definitely be somewhere else. for a top though, i am using a t-shirt with a bungee cord. i would never hear the end of it from my family if some of those little guys got loose and ended up somewhere they shouldn't be. drilling holes for ventilation seems like a good idea but baby worms are very tiny and i am afraid no matter how small the holes are they are still large enough for babies to get through. i think even screen or mesh may be large enough for the worms to get out. maybe i am just being overly cautious. i add a bucket, i'm up to 5 now, when the castings depth get just high enough for the worms to migrate but not high enough to cause the gap that you use your lid for and the little guys to escape. i also have added copper foil tape just below the rims of the buckets. i just add some castings to the new bucket and most of the worms naturally migrate towards their new food souce. i am using 5 buckets because i want to be sure that all the material is composted before moving the fresh material out. when i'm sure all the material is composted then i move it outside to my garden shed, out of the heat, in a tote with a secure lid for storage until some castings are needed. i seem be getting enough castings for a bucket 5-10# each month now. what's nice about the buckets is you're only limited in the number of buckets as you are limited to as far as space and are very modular. not so true with bags or all vermihut type setup's too.
Awesome insight! This is such a great explanation as to why the bucket system works so well. I think you using a shirt certainly could work. To your point in the hole. I have lost a few baby worms who have made their way out of the bucket but overall successful. I chose to use a lid and make the holes so I can still put the bucket outside when to weather is right and it keeps the rain out of the system and keeps it from getting water logged. Great to hear someone getting great results with this system and the way you have modulated it for your needs 👍🏼
How many words for that system?
start with 500-1000
I tried making this bucket system, however, the bucket walls from inside get moisture, and the worms started coming out of the soil and going all around the inner walls of the bucket all the way to the lid, how to avoid this?! I did lot of holes on the lid for aeration, but still the walls get moist from inside.
Your base/starting material may have too much moisture in it. It should be moist but not wet. The moisture should go into the bottom bucket
@@earthnailsandtailscan you give us the exact size measurement for the holes you drilled on the sides near the top as well as the other two on their bottoms?
Red Wigglers is the correct name ( not Red Rigglers)😅
Do bass fishing worms count as the right type of worms?
I have had really great success using fishing worms, labeled "BIG RED WORMS" - 30 Eisenia Hortensis, that come in the red cartons from DMF Bait Co. Bought 2 cartons(60 worms) added them to my tumbling composter 2 years ago, and now have at least 1500 worms in 5 stacking compost bins. I was amazed at how well they work. I'm looking to convert to this stacking 5 gallon bin system, instead of 10 gallon stacked totes, so they are easier to move inside during freeze events & summer +100°F days. Great video @EarthNailsandTails
Use the ones I recommend for the most success! They are made to live in a composting environment
I'm not really sure if your comment about E. coli really makes sense. I mean, if it's in your spinach, then it's going to be in the water, sure, but it will also be in the worm castings. Otherwise, great system and I like some of your tips compared to other videos.
The issue is people spray the liquid on the plants and they get on the leaves and then you eat it. Vs worm castings your applying them directly to soil and unlikely to get it. Also as the worms eat the castings they do get rid of some of the bad pathogens (as per studies)
I pour tea on ground around plants. Don’t know why anyone would spray it on the leaves. But
it takes all kinds to make the world go round. Lol. But in all seriousness… what is worm tea exactly if this liquid isn’t?
@@tamiharris8144it’s leachate. You don’t want to use it. Worm tea is where you take finished worm castings, add water and air/bubbles. It will aerate the castings activating all of the microorganisms in the castings. Super great stuff to use for plants!
Spreading ecoli from a lettuce leaf🙈🙈
How many worms do you put in each bucket?
Your answer lies within! I started with 500. All the details are in the video
Terminology: We normally call corrugated paper, CARDBOARD. Is that what you mean by cardboard? That contains glues to hold it together. Or do you mean real CARDBOARD, as in cardboard cereal boxes? That has ink on it. I wouldn't think glue or ink is good for the worms. Same for newspaper. INK ! Can you clarify these terms, please. Also, I thought I knew coconuts pretty well, but what is coconut coyer (spelling?) ?
Just stay safe and use natural products like leaves, coconut coir or Pete Moss
Tip: don’t use chlorinated water
ITS WIGGLERS NOT RIGGLERS😂😂😂😂
😮burn!!!😂😂🥴
Do you really believe you created this system?
nope just showing you how to do it
He never claimed to have created this system. He’s going over how to use the system effectively. This tutorial is a great example on how to use the three 5 gallon bucket worm bin. DONT be a dick.
yes he made it and its a good solution
whot coconut coir blyat? where am i suppouzd to get it? i live in rusland blyat, we dont have coconuts here gad demmat.
You can start with shredded leaves
thanks!! My orchard (SW FL, USA) is busting this Summer, and the scraps REALLY smell-up fast. Think worms would eat through Papaya & Guava fruit scraps?? great video!!! Ohhh...how would shredded newspaper do as part-compost medium? Maybe 50/50?? Of course it doesn't "smell", everyone knows worms don't f_rt !ua-cam.com/users/sgaming/emoji/7ff574f2/emoji_u1f642.png
Be careful with papaya. The fruit is fine, but the seeds have been shown to sterilize the adult worms, so you don't get cocoons and babies! You need the full life cycle happening in the bin because the older worms do eventually die off.
You can definitely use newspaper as the scraps I would put the newspaper in and let the worm settle for a couple weeks and see how they do and then I would slowly add in food only as much as they can eat within a week