Does Adding Worms to Your Compost Bin Make a Difference?

[@imnotfromhere]

Wow, thanks! I had thought about adding worms to my trash can compost bins, but I was worried about the heat, too. It's good to know that you haven't had any problems :)

[@anecdotalgardener8057]

So cool!!! I just got some worms I’m about to add to my compost bin! Thanks

[@Natlatify]

I've got a 6 month old compost bin I started in winter which has been very slow to start breaking down (mostly due to the cold I expect) so I've decided now we are heading into spring i want to add worms to see if they will help the process. I have added onions and garlic and citrus to my bin - not in huge quantities but do you think this will be a problem? I also haven't set it up as a proper worm bin, with layers of bedding, food, ground up egg shells etc. Its just a standard mixed material compost bin (kitchen roll, cardboard, food scraps - only veg, egg shells and pasta/rice). Is it likely my worms will be likely to burrow away if it isnt to their liking? My bin is an opened bottom bin so they can escape if needed.

[@tylertalkstrash]

Hello Nooglies- it sounds like you've got it under control to me- composting is slower in the colder months and adding worms can't hurt. If the onions and garlic and citrus are an issue to the worms, they'll just go where they'd like. Since your bin is full of misc food scraps, I'm sure they'll have something to work on and will end up sticking around. Let me know how it goes, and thanks for watching/writing!

[@rudralife511]

Wow it's useful information 👍Today I have put some of the earthworms in my compost bin, I got them in my garden.I was wondering is it ok to add them ?so let's see how it works?

[@LondonWorms]

Great channel. Worms do an awesome job at composting down material but as you say at much lower temperatures. This makes them idea for processing smaller amounts of food scraps, yard clippings etc. You can also feed them the compost from the compost pile after it has passed the thermophilic stage so they can add their magic to the final product. Liked and subscribed :-)

[@cwang4ever]

When to add red wigglers into the new built compost bin? couple of days or weeks? and i am surprised that these worms duplicated themselves. Cool.

[@catherinetan1342]

Do you have to water the bins regularly to make sure the worms don't dry out?

[@tylerw2531]

Not really- keep in mind that the food scraps contain water as well. I add water to my trash can composter once a week to keep it productive. If the contents become unfavorable to the worms, they'll just leave through the holes and hang nearby for a bit... just like when the contents get hot, you'll find them on the outer edges.

[@catherinetan1342]

@@tylerw2531 thanks so much for your feedback, would give this a try as well.

[@tylerw2531]

I really back adding worms in any composting effort less than a cubic yard in size just to help compensate for their lower composting temps... they really help speed up the process. Let me know if you give it a shot and how it works out!

[@catherinetan1342]

@@tylerw2531 ​ @Tyler w I've already added a handful of worms into it yesterday, not composting worms but the ones I've caught from my garden LOL...my ANC are too precious at this point to be used as 'test specimens' .. would keep you posted. thanks so much.

[@tylerw2531]

regular earthworms never hurt either- for best results use red wiggler composting worms. if you know anyone that vermicomposts, they should be able to hook you up with a couple.

[@javedashraf6724]

I am new at composting but very eager to succeed. I have a plastic rectangular container with everything but worms. How many do I need. You only added 3. I am planning on making a larger compost area in my yard and am confused how many worms to purchase for both the bin and ground compost. I have three bags of grass, leaves and bark. Would a pound be too much? I just discovered your video and have subscribed...it's brief and to the point, just what I like! Thanks!

[@tylertalkstrash]

Hi Javed, thanks for subscribing and reaching out- much appreciated! The bigger the container, the better... and also the easier. A cubic yard compost bin is easier to manage than a trash can, which is easier than a countertop worm bin. A pound of worms is the standard starting amount, but it can be expensive, too... it wouldn't be "too much", but you'll have more than enough. If you split it up between a bin and "ground compost", you'll be totally fine. Sounds good! If you know anyone that composts with worms, maybe they can hook you up with a handful and you can experiment that way? Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks again! tyler

[@Threedog1963]

Did you just drop the worms on top and let them work in, or did you dig them in a bit?

[@chewee2k]

Do you ever mix the materials in your composter? Would African Night Crawlers go down deeper to aid in the process - maybe a combo of red wigglers and night crawlers? Nice video. Thanks.

[@tylerw2531]

Hi Chewee2k, I use a pitchfork to try turning the material once every other week, but I'm not strict about it. I'm not familiar with african night crawlers- I only have working experience with the red wigglers. Sounds like a cool experiment, though! Let me know what happens, and if you have any other questions! -tyler / crazyaboutcompost

[@Heather_Morgan]

Your videos are great!

[@Thegabrielanatera]

OMG ADDING TO MY BIN THANKS TO YOUR INFO!

[@padude131]

That's some crazy multiplying!

[@crazyaboutcompost]

Yep- was surprised. They're extending the life on my trash can compost bins by several months for sure!

[@nappynew]

Question Tyler, I do have one of these cold composter trash cans and I never understood why it didn't get hot -- now I do -- my question is this, I plan on buying the big bins that you have to do my own composting (you shared in another video) -- how do you turn it? How do you collect the compost after it's done doing what it is suppose to do? I am a big gardener and would like to put this in my garden -- but I didn't know how to do it with such a system. Do I break apart the wire -- I know the best compost would be on the bottom. Thanks.

[@crazyaboutcompost]

Are you referring to the Geobin? I never turn the contents. :) Fill one for a year, fill a second one for a year. By the end of year 2, year 1 bin is ready to empty... open the clamps on the side and shovel out the contents. In my video, I'm pretty sure they're the old style plastic bolt and nuts... these are way trickier than the new and improved twist clamps.

[@Dabigez829]

I have a question for ya, why is it that trash bin compost doesn't get hot? I've tried adding carbon to the bin by using leaves, and hay of course my table scraps. I turn it about once a week.

[@crazyaboutcompost]

Hi Rick, Trash can compost systems are restricted due to their limited volume... leaves and food are all you need, so you're in good shape. A bin that's 1 cubic yard in size is ideal if you're looking for hot composting temperatures.

[@thomaskn1012]

Should we be adding some water to the compost bins? Can they survive if it's dry compost?

[@crazyaboutcompost]

i add half a watering can to my trash can composter roughly twice a week in the summer time... it's nearly 100F here and when compost is dry as a bone, it will screech to a halt. however, it doesn't need to be watered daily like a plant, either. food in and of itself is comprised of mostly water...

[@venessamarquis2247]

i use earthworms that i find in my yard. Do you aerate your compost in the trash can? Can you mix it up abit without injuring the worms?

[@crazyaboutcompost]

I don't make an effort to aerate my trash can compost (using an aerator tool, turning the pile, etc). Each time I add a cover material layer, I use my trowel to go down the sides a bit and pull up some of the dryer material, too. That's about it!

[@mjsblo80]

U put like 3 worms in bin and after a month u have this? No way man, this colony isnt from your 3 worms starter for sure ;)

[@joeychancey9192]

thanks for the advice

[@carot2003]

You said you added 2 or 3 worms. Really ?

[@crazyaboutcompost]

Yep- that's it. What that indicates is that the conditions were just right for the worms to do their thing.

[@svetlanikolova7673]

Composting worms come after the heat if the compost pile is on the ground

[@colleentaylor2996]

Are the red wiggler worms tiger worms

[@PharmSilver]

Where can you get the red worms from ?

[@crazyaboutcompost]

I recommend buying them online.

[@svetlanikolova7673]

Go to a horse farm! They are in the poo pile that has been sitting g a while

[@Pigearvet]

I did this one year, but the Canadian winter killed them..

[@SudeeshSubramanian]

Hey where had you been man?? I thought you fell into the worm bin and the worms composted you ;P Today I just met a vermicomposting guy who told me that the 'earthworms" is detrimental to the population of the "red wigglers". Is it correct?? Does they harm the red worms in any way??

[@crazyaboutcompost]

hmmm i've never heard that one- beats me! the worm guru is bentley christie at redwormcomposting.com .... i bet he'd have something to say about it.

[@LondonWorms]

Hiya SuDz they work at two different levels. The composting worms and epigeic earth worms live in the top few inches of the earth/soil or the surface and feed on leaf litter and scraps. Endogeic and anecic earth worms live and feed in the soil itself. Earthworms and composting worms won't interbreed and don't really even compete for the same food sources unless in the wild so in a normal domestic setup your red wrigglers and burrowing earthworms will live very happily side by side.

[@SudeeshSubramanian]

London Worms I too thought the same thing. How can a defenceless organism harm each other. The only thing which can affect them is the competitive inhibition. BTW I have not yet done vermicomposting. I just collect my earthworm castings, which are plenty (I get like 50Kg of earthworm castings weekly). But no idea about their nutritive value compared to the actual Vermicompost. Thanks for the info :)

[@joeychancey9192]

I put worms in my compost pile and they moved out I guess cause they not there now can ya tell me why

[@whateverz-876]

usually it means you added too much food all at one time (which releases initial compost gasses they are sensitive to) and they had nowhere un-gassy to which to flee while that new stuff off-gassed for a week or so. And they moved or died, in which case it is strange but normal to not see any worm bodies. Worm food no-no's are onions, garlic, shallots or anything super fatty, like a large volume of steak gristle, for example. Also if u suddenly add tons of CITRUS they get annoyed.

[@whateverz-876]

oh yeah they also hate any medium that is totally devoid of moisture. It has to be at least a little soggy, if not they'll die or go away. The surroundings basically have to be as most as their insides, or perhaps just a little less so. Also the moist stuff cannot be smooshed down super densely or they can't slither through it.

[@crazyaboutcompost]

what's the pile like? how big? what's in it?

[@whateverz-876]

I have 3 but my biggest has the volume of...about 2.5 common streetside, homefront garbage cans. It contains sawdust (local furniture company THANKS me for taking it away for free) mixed with thrown away food I easily picked up for free from local produce store garbage cans, for free, as before. Some say don't use bananas, as the peels are alleged to be coated with pesticides, however my worms loved them and the peels, especially. But I often added soggy torn up pieces of cardboard from boxes, shredded newspaper, and sometimes i do stir in some sugar to baby them a little. I started with 1,000 worms of four different worm varieties, I guess I now have....100,000 worms..? Or more. The only huge no-no's are garlic, chiles, shallots, onions, papaya seeds, and super fatty stuff. Oh, and worms vastly prefer stuff that's ROTTING. If at first you put it in there and they don't go for it, don't worry bout it --they'll love it in a week. There is no huge smell, and if there ever is, it goes away in a couple days. I often put my ungloved hand in there, no prob, and in fact after they munch on it a good while it even smells really good. I don't understand that but it's true.

[@whateverz-876]

I think a standard city garbage can is...70 or so gallons, so 2.5 x 70 = 170 gallons? That's a guess. And that's my big one. I have two other smaller ones.

[@TheTataBrada]

If you added 2-3 worms 3 months ago, you would have 10 worms three months later. Worms usually double every three months....you cannot have as many as you showed if you started with 2-3 worms...

[@veronicawilliams2612]

I know it's been a few months why I don't have worms

[@svetlanikolova7673]

YPUR COMPOST BIN SHOULD BE BOTTOMLESS. THE WORMS YOU NEED WILL MOVE IN. THEY KNOW WHERE THE FOOD IS. No need to spend money on worms

[@tylerw2531]

That's correct- earthworms will naturally make their way into the compost pile and contribute... the worms that I added are red wiggler worms- much bigger appetite and they work more dilligently towards the center as well.