Vermicomposting step-by-step

This is what I learned using a multi-level/stackable vermicomposter by "Urbalive" (worm bin) for a year inside an apartment. I’m explaining the set-up, working with multiple bins and how to remove the worm castings.
US Links:
Urbalive Vermicomposter - amzn.to/3TRXID7
Live Worms - amzn.to/3Nz4jhV
UK/Europe Links:
Urbalive Vermicomposter - amzn.to/3Ggijuu
Live Worms - amzn.to/3sWOTfC
Chopping board with drawer - amzn.to/39UwOYL
0:00 Intro
2:57 Setting up the bin
7:23 Day-to-day instructions
11:50 Adding another level
13:42 Worm tea
16:24 Harvesting worm castings
25:14 Outro
All music in video is by Quincas Moreira

[@kikimusicau]

This was the best educational video on a worm farm. Thanks!

[@WDWormsnGarden]

There are a lot of beginner worm farmers out there who can benefit from more how to videos. Thanks for sharing.

[@annaedwards7747]

Great video !!! Highly recommended for people who just got a worm farm.

[@sherrywebster1675]

Also for sorting the castings....if you place a favourite food like a banana or watermelon on one end of the bin level, they will all gather there after a day or 2, and the rest of the castings will be free of worms , to harvest it easily .

[@nokubongavundla8725]

Thanks. Thats a brilliant idea. Ill give it a try

[@cynthiashearer-ec6gl]

That was very informative and interesting. I'm eager to start vermiculture and I'm much more confident now. Thanks!

[@paulallen3511]

Thanks for putting this together. I've been trying to get a feel for what it's like to use one of these in daily life. This is the most helpful video I've found. Most just tell you how to set it up, or way overcomplicate the process. This is a simple method and something I think we can manage without too much trouble.

[@sherrywebster1675]

Someone I watched also makes vege smoothie in blender and freezes it in iceblock trays, and in summer adds a few to bins to cool and feed the worms... so that coyuld cool the heat from composting also, and apparently the worms like the coldness of the small blocks too.

[@jennhoff03]

Thank you so much! I keep watching videos where people explain the concept, but actually seeing it in action was immensely helpful to me. I appreciate that that means you spent months putting this together. Thank you for doing that!

[@MarekVacek]

Thanks. I did the whole video in like an hour. The "months have passed" thing is only video editing ;-)

[@michaelfoster8530]

You might consider putting a one inch deep layer of peat moss or Coco coir, as a bedding for the worms. Also, if you puree your food scraps, the worms can process it in a few days. This will help avoid the mould and food rot. Consider a worm to be like a baby. You wouldn't give a baby a large chunk of carrot or celery. You would puree it to make it easier to eat.

[@knittingggg326]

do you have to put a bit of coco coir in every new bin you add? or just in the bottom one?

[@bmiles4131]

@@knittingggg326add something dry when you add something wet

[@bedhead1981]

This is so helpful! Thank you for your time and effort. I received the exact same worm composter today and was feeling a little insecure on how to actually start. Now I have confidence in starting it myself.

[@Dadderall]

Hello, I just got one. Is one pound of red wrigglers too much to start with do you think?

[@momzillapearson9637]

Your video is AMAZING!! Thank you so much for making it and sharing your experience. Companies that make these kinds of bins should be PAYING you!

[@MarekVacek]

Thank you for your kind words.

[@laurenbenson7780]

Thank you so much! This is the first video that I have come across that really explained the process 👍🏾

[@pambarnes6042]

Thankyou for your video, I to have watched lots of different ones trying to learn how to do things properly so my worms and I are happy! Your video is by far the best and I thank you for going slowly and explaining each step. Well done.

[@75littledeer]

Thanks for sharing. I just purchased an Urbalive bin and this video is more helpful than the instructions that came with it.

[@barbara1060]

Thank You sooo much for your video . I watched many other videos before and I still had questions and I was confused . Your video explains THE BEST . Thank You . Now I feel ready to try my btw exactly the same composter .

[@milikoshki]

Děkuji!! To je extrémně jasné a dobře vysvětleno 🪱

[@CherryDiMilo]

Perfect video... you explain everything, I have no questions. Thank you 👍

[@magicalbooknerd]

Thank you for this!!! Ordered a similar bin and I was really confused about what the workflow looked like to maintain it. This was very clear and concise! 💜

[@lamiche89]

Thanks for the content. I have the same bin at home for last 6 months. I will try to do the same kind of video for French speakers. One comment though. Water you have at the bottom is not worm tea but leachate. It’s good to remove it from time to time and check if it smells or not. I am not as picky as some others in the worm community are but what I do is when it doesn’t smell it can go to my indoor plants and if it does it goes to plants outside. Also your compost looks very very wet ! Maybe you should put more carbon in the process ? It will help you harvest compost more easily. My first harvest was like yours. My second was much better and faster :)

[@lorinewell-lahti6852]

This was great!! I’ll watch it again once my worm hotel arrives! Well done!

[@valquirsouza1329]

Thanks a lot man! Finally some good info on worm towers indoors

[@sybilleseifah9973]

Very helpful, thank you. I‘ve just bought one of these worm boxes and didn‘t know how to start. But now I know! Thanks

[@juno7266]

I've been meaning to buy one for a long time but I was worried about how to use it over time. This is the most helpful and detailed video I found. Thanks for this!

[@LindaCorman-ze5yp]

3:15 AM Thank you SO much for this video including all the steps. I recently purchased one in the US and the only info provided was how to set it up. Reading the comments was helpful too.

[@mixedhairless]

I feel confident now thanks to your video to start my worm farm during winter

[@pamelarichardson9553]

Thank you for this, I was looking for something more then a ‘how to set up’ video. Also I didn’t know what sort of size to get or if it was easy to handle / deal with as I’m disabled. This has definitely helped me make a decision. Thank you 😊

[@raquelajala5680]

Excellent video so detailed. Best one I have watched. Thanks for all the info!

[@sUnsetswitheU]

Thank you for sharing your experience with this product. It solidified my decision to go for this one. 😊

[@elizabethdavis4089]

Thank you, thank you! This is a perfect and practical explanation.

[@carotint]

Hi Marek, Thanks for your clear explanation! I have been 'binging' worm information videos for two days and your clear video helped me te make my final decisions: 1 I will actually start and start now! :-) 2. I will get this composter, 3 I will keep it in the house and not outside.

[@cheerubebayonettaholopaine2638]

im new too, just ordered my wormies, they should arrive tomorrow 😃😃 looking so forward 😍

[@jamesgilmartin8485]

Same, this video is great in just worried about them escaping and also fruit flies.

[@beccasbythebay]

Great video, we just bought a stacking one that's similar. I liked the 8nfo on collecting the castings where the worms went back into the other container. Thank you for this video

[@AJsGreenTopics]

You did a great job sharing this. 👏

[@shirleyporter7107]

Thank you very much. You are a great teacher. I love how you explain everything Very well and in detail we can all understand. 😊

[@PreppingInSuburbia]

Thank you so much for this video. It was exactly what I was looking for!

[@mmerrymod]

Ahoj Marek, thank you for such detailed video!

[@tingwang6879]

Thank you so much for the informative video! I'm a beginner and this really helps! And your kitchen is beautiful and super clean!

[@MarekVacek]

I really only cleaned it for the shooting of the video, it actually never looks that way :-D But thank you!

[@Stephanie-nh5wf]

Thank you so much for this! Exactly what I needed.

[@asrtemps]

Thank you for the steps and the tips. Especially about not putting citrus fruits and onions

[@upandaway5844]

Great video, thank you! I got my Urbalife composter today and I think your manual how to start it was much better than the written manual that came with the composter ;) THANKS ! The tips are also really useful.

[@lukasholecek5911]

Great info, thank you for the video and for sharing your experience!

[@sallygiles132]

Absolutely fabulous review, thank you very much 🤗🤗🤗🤗. So helpful

[@tonydinero4194]

this is awesome I can't wait to start thanks for the video :)

[@middleburyastrology]

Great video, best I've seen with this product.. thanks for the great content.

[@tabomdani]

Thanks a lot for this video! I'm about to buy one of these bins and it really helped me to understand the whole process. And I just want to mention your kitchen is super pretty :)

[@MarekVacek]

Well thank you very much.

[@redbirdwobble]

very detailed explanation. Thank you.

[@anaortiz6595]

I really want this to be sold in Mexico, such a beautiful design. Thank for the video, very helpful!

[@shivtandav7269]

Detailed description Liked it Complete guide

[@juliettem1744]

Your video is absolutely adorable...LOVED it. I don't like the idea of worms in the house, I know they're amazing for composting and producing the most nutrient rich soil. I really enjoyed your thorough explanation.

[@dannyjanolo4601]

Thanks for making it simple for us begineers😊😊😊

[@hauyik6259]

Nice video , Very Clear 👍

[@avera206]

Thank you ! this helps me a lot. I want to buy one and had a lot of questions.

[@anavizu291]

Very useful, thank you!

[@babypamcottage935]

Excellent video Thank You

[@vincenzaperriano876]

Great video, thank you from usa!

[@joeyjames4935]

Great video, thanks for making it! Ideal for apartment dwellers like myself. About the flies you might encounter; For me it helped to feed my worms max 1x a week(instead of daily) during the period where the flies lay their eggs. Also everytime I fed them I added a layer of sawdust and/or cardboard on top of the food. It didn't stop the flies completely, but definitely helped to discourage them.

[@MarekVacek]

Good tips, will try it out. Season after I made this video we had the flies so bad it made me questioning the vermicomposter all together!

[@bmiles4131]

I learned to cover the top of the food layer with cardboard or a screen like he had on the bottom. No flies.

[@andreasm8989]

Try neem (nimb) oil! It got me rid of this apocalypse with flies, doesn’t hurt the worms and works against the flies *nimbovy olej

[@_to_dream_or_not_to_dream]

Finally somebody with brains!

[@Xxx-ss6pl]

Thank you for the video, your clip convinced of investing into this beehive composter so fingers crossed it will work out.

[@ThePresentMoment23]

I started a bout a month ago. Excited to have them lay eggs and grow!

[@ktee-ts9wf]

Update us...how are you progressing?

[@ThePresentMoment23]

Great. I think. The lid was full of baby worms. I’m guessing they were drinking the condensation. It’s completely filled with worm castings now. I’m sure population doubled. I’m scared to mix it up. I don’t want to ruin the newspaper that covers the bottom holes.

[@annae9257]

I love your chopping board😍

[@MarekVacek]

Cool, right? It's this one if you're interested www.amazon.co.uk/Continenta-Chopping-Drawer-Stainless-Dimensions/dp/B00DY04V6M

[@tonypowell6669]

I was just going to ask the same question!!

[@lesliearellano958]

Very informative thank you very much!

[@vincenzomessina3349]

The best end to end video I've found so far. Thanks for taking the time to share it

[@shelleycornell7282]

Thank you, for this video.

[@sptmhk3r]

thanks for the video!

[@pampollock1064]

Very helpful, I am a beginner with worms.

[@katherinemaddox74]

Thank you for this super informative video. I have a very similar stacking bin made in Canada and am picking up my first worms tomorrow; seeing you walk through the steps really answered a lot of my questions. Hope I can avoid those fruit flies!

[@spratticus6297]

In from Canada and just getting into this, what kind of bin do you have ?

[@kathille6622]

If you do get fruit flies, put a Venus Fly Trap plant right by your vermicomposter. It’ll eat the flies!

[@markstevens6887]

great video

[@AnnBertholf]

Thank you for taking the time to make this video. I was thinking about getting a worm composting bin, but after watching your video, there are some things I need to take into consideration. Like where to store it and if I really am ready to have this much contact with worms. 😮

[@gunthermartinhampel2628]

Thank you for showing how to handle it! There are tons of videos of people drilling holes in plastic bins…

[@LAZBY]

GREAT INFO

[@JohnSmithh644]

Thanks! Im in the same situation!

[@sherrywebster1675]

Thank you.

[@mariabelinska2797]

Ďakujem pekne za super a prehľadne video 😊 dúfam že to u nás dazdovky prežijú 😀

[@MegaPlastelina]

Super videjko, nedávno som kúpil presne taky istý, verím že to pôjde dobre a nebude žiadny problém. Ale naozaj veľmi veľmi užitočné videjko ktoré obsahuje úplne všetko.

[@peteroldroyd7531]

THANKS

[@DeadDancers]

Thank you for this video. I've been trying to find a way to waste less cutoffs and help my balcony garden so this is a perfect video to help me decide. Re: Fruit flies - ive read that their eggs tend to be on the fresh food scraps we bring into the house so if we want to compost scraps we should freeze them first to kill the eggs. Of course that then means you need to thaw them again. Very interesting that a family of 4 took 3 months to fill one bin. I would have assumed it would fill way faster, especially when you're accompanying food with carbon. One thing I hadn't thought about, that your video highlighted, was that I probably wouldn't need as many worm castings as it produced. I'd want it once or twice a year at most. Probably less. Hmm. But maybe if I'm filling it as a single person, it might take me 6 months to fill one bin and maybe it would be okay... hmm.

[@trudy4055]

Great video, thank you! Quick question, where do I purchase the filter for the worm tea tray? I recently bought a similar product and it didn’t come with one. I am located in the United States

[@jaconbran2367]

You can use springtails to deal with the mould and will help break it down before it creates gasses

[@pinkcharms]

I wouldn’t be concerned about the white mold at all, worms don’t mind them and they help to break down food for the worms. Next time you have a fruit fly problem, try mosquito bits. Worked really well for me.

[@PabloBananoo]

Thanks for the explanations. It would be interesting how your wet product and also dry an sifted product look like. how much of dry sifted product do you get in a year?

[@MarekVacek]

That will depend on the amount of material that goes in, but we (2 adults, 2 small kids) produce about 2 buckets (each 10L/2,5US gal) of sifted castings.

[@Eddie_-_]

This video made me decide not to do worm composting. So much easier with my current Bokashi method.

[@nataschalibbert8345]

hi this is a really comprehensive video thanks a lot. I find a lot of worms nestle on the screen. Lots and lots. Is this normal? Any suggestions? And 3 months into this, I still don't have any liquid yet....

[@MarekVacek]

I wouldn't worry about it too much, I think as you get more "food" above them, they're gonna move up into it.

[@SaraSir249]

Thanks for great video! Got some questions: 1) How often do you have to harvest the worm castings, how long it takes to fully compost one full floor? 2) I've read that somebody experiences worms escaping this exact worm composter from holes between the floors, does it happen to you? 3) If some worm dies (old age or whatever :D) do you have to pick it out or you can leave it to rot even it's not plant material?

[@MarekVacek]

1) about every 3-4 months (depends how much scraps you have) 2) never happened to me, not a single worm tried to escape, I think it happens only when the compost is too wet or something. 3) you don't find any in there, I think they decompose, or get eaten. There's no visible dead worms inside the castings.

[@che7001]

Great Video! Where can you buy the filters in the United States? Thank you!

[@oscarjavierornelaschavez4864]

Hi thanks. Some other systems use minerals , pmise and other organic substrates, do you recommend any? Also , amazing. Chopping table with , including tray!

[@MarekVacek]

I don't have any experience with those substrates, frankly I don't even see the need to buy any. Chopping block is this one www.amazon.co.uk/Continenta-Chopping-Drawer-Stainless-Dimensions/dp/B00DY04V6M

[@oscarjavierornelaschavez4864]

@@MarekVacek nice, thank you sir , I am totally getting one bin set and a chopping board too !

[@samanthaquant7411]

My understanding is that if you degas the onion scraps for 24 hours in the sun then you can give them to them

[@sherrywebster1675]

I have heard that the worms like to eat mold also...and that it is good for them, so not a problem . :)

[@NanasWorms]

My worms love moldy food! I sometimes take a container of food scraps out of the freezer a few days before I feed it to them to allow it to get moldy. I have no problems feeding moldy food to my worm bins in my kitchen, but I totally understand why some people would not want that. ~ Sandra

[@Ryan92230]

I had one of these and within a week it was full of brown mites crawling all over. Not something I want inside my house. How can I control mites?

[@DC9848]

I gotta say, bokashi composting is waaaaaaaaaaay easier and you get ready ready composted earth (that is not wet) with minimum work. No odors (max an apple like aroma when you open the lid)

[@destitute8493]

Harvesting: 1. Add water to worm castings. 2. Agitate. 3. Strain out worms and plastic tape etc. 4. Evaporate / dehydrate. Don't use a high temperature, which would kill the beneficial microbes. As an alternative, just use the worm casting slurry as a liquid fertilizer.

[@MarekVacek]

Great tip, will try out!

[@doboykid262]

Could I put 1000 Red works to 100 meals worms for better results or is it better to keep them separate?

[@tucaravan]

Hi, thanks for the video! I have the same composter and I am asking me whether other people who have this composter have the problem of worm occasionally running away (and therefore die)? It's not a mass fleeing, only 1 or 2 every 4-5 days.. From other composters I have not heard that problem.. (also I already set a light during night and even some vinegar/salt at the outside of the composter). 😃

[@MarekVacek]

Hello, Nope, haven't had a single worm trying to escape. It may be, that the worms dislike something in the bin. Check that: - you don't have excessive moisture. Try completely emptying the "Worm-tea" from the lowest bin. That should reduce moisture quite a lot. - are not overfeeding them - isn't there something that irritates them? Citrus, white office paper (bleached), spicy stuff etc.

[@ceciliabadaracco2040]

Hi, we ordered it since 2 weeks and we already had the problem of worms running away... Do you @tucaravan had the problem again (after following the suggestions?)

[@diamondharrell3667]

I was scrolling through to see if anyone asked this so sorry if it's a repeat but how do you keep from overfeeding? How much food do they need?

[@MarekVacek]

I don't have an exact answer, you'll get a feel for it after a while. They can consume a lot as they'll mutliply to scale to your output. If we're leaving for a week or two, they are fine too.

[@ThePresentMoment23]

How many worms did you start off with. Ive got about 450 worms.

[@hanahozakova471]

Dobrý den Marku. Děkuji za video. Mám stejný vermikompostér ale v hnědé barvě. Koupila jsem ho začátkem dubna. Jelikož je hnědý tak je při otevření viditelně obsypán na bocí těmi bílými broučky. Mně se jejich množství ale zdá dost velké, je to v pořádku? Také mám pocit, že žížaly skoro nejí. Všude čtu jak je krmí 1x za týden, ale mně přijde, že mají stále stejné množství nezpracovaných zbytků. Kontrolovala jsem zda žijí a jsou ok. Vaše video mě teď překvapilo tím kolik zbytků jste neustále přidával. Jsem tedy teď nalomená zda prostě zbytky pravidelně přidávat bez ohledu zda vidím zda ty předchozí byly zpracovány. Nějak se mi to vermikompostování nedaří. Mimochodem - také jsem začínala s tím, že jsem ho měla venku, ale žížaly utíkaly. Teď jak je v interiéru je klid. Díky za rady.

[@MarekVacek]

Co se týče rychlosti zpracování, tak to bude asi především počtem žížal. Ta žížala žije překvapivě dlouho, až několik let, takže u vás teď ze začátku bude jejich množství pořád přibývat a s tím i jejich spotřeba "jídla". Já to tam sypu i když to minulé ještě není zpracováno. Občas je tam třeba i nějaká plíseň, ale naučil jsem se to moc neřešit a ty žížaly si s tím vždy nějak poradily. Ti bílí broučci se objevují a pak zase mizí, je to prostě jakási sezónní "havěť".

[@veroniquefavia9609]

Hello, I finally bought the same composter. But can't find worms. I'm living in Prague can you tell me where or how i can get some?

[@MarekVacek]

Very easy, order them online :-D www.vermikompostuj.cz/produkt/kalifornske-zizaly/ I think you can also pick it up at Hošťálkova 37/677, Praha 6 Břevnov, just give them a call. Another dude in Prague is this one: www.borsky.cz/

[@KayKay-rd7dw]

It is not worm tea it is leachate. Leachate is anaerobic and is mostly bad. Real compost tea aerobic is made with finished compost and most require an air pump or some method to get constant air in like mixing with a stick. Compost tea must be used immediately after air flow stops.

Found this: "Worm tea is a light amber liquid that comes from the worm farm, it is aerobic and has been through the gut of healthy worms. Leachate is a dark, sometimes foul smelling liquid that has not been through the gut of healthy worms and so contains bacteria that is not safe." So I guess it would depend of the balance in the worm farm, so it's not rotting food scraps that are causing the liquid?

[@bartosz1936]

looking at the amount of worms left in secend bin i think u should buy a third one so the process is longer. i mean its just not done yet. give them some more time to eat an go up a lvl.

[@sadhu7191]

I heard u don't need the drainage liquid at bottom of bin? And that its a myth that the liquid is good or bad for plants? Anyone let me know

[@LorneWellington]

The “juice” is great for plants!

[@maliamyers3851]

Correct, this liquid is not worm tea, it’s leachate. You can throw it in your yard and it won’t harm anything. Don’t put it back in the bin as it’s acidic. You want as little leachate as humanly possible. Worm tea is actually the product of taking worm castings, putting them in a bag, and brewing it in bubbling water like tea.

[@EmergencyButtons]

What is the bin made of? Is it post consumer plastic?

[@MarekVacek]

It's made of plastic. It is very high grade plastic though. We have it for 4 years and it looks still good.

[@mariafilip6731]

When it just sits in the corner it looks like an ottoman chair. Question : Can you sit on it?

[@michalhrbek3541]

No

[@konstantinrandom1513]

How often do you have to swap levels ?

[@MarekVacek]

DEpends on amount of stuff you're composting. But expect about a couple months or more.

[@konstantinrandom1513]

@@MarekVacek and what about the flies ? Did they come back :) ?

[@MarekVacek]

@@konstantinrandom1513 yep, they are a seasonal recuring thing.

[@konstantinrandom1513]

@MarekVacek I saw the new model has special cover for upper layer of the compost. May be if you add it, could help. Anyway, thank you for the video, I'm really infected with this idea to have same thing 😁

[@carlacampbell2230]

hmm interesting...thanks for the video. I am concerned about how much leachate you have. I was told not to feed it to your plants.

[@MarekVacek]

The discussion about the leachate is little more complex. See this article that goes a litle more in-depth www.gardenmyths.com/vermicompost-leachate-will-it-harm-plants/ TL;DR leachate for plants is beneficial, but dillute it 50:50