How to Make a Nightcrawler Compost Bed

Overview

Vericomposting, or a worm compost bed, is a convenient and natural way to create fertilizer for the garden. Instead of requiring constant rotation, vericomposted piles simply require a routine addition of specific nutrients that encourage the health and reproduction of night crawlers. For best results, consider using either European or African nightcrawlers.

Step 1

Drill 10 to 15 holes in the bottom of the plastic bins to encourage airflow.

Step 2

Line the bins with old newsprint paper. Avoid using colored or glossy paper, as it is not as easily biodegradable and the worms will avoid it.

Step 3

Cover the newspaper in soil, filling the bins to roughly two-thirds full.

Step 4

Place the worms on top of the soil. To optimize worm response and survival rate, consider placing the pile in a mild location so the worms will burrow into the soil before drying out.

Step 5

Add organic matter such as fruit skins, vegetable skins, coffee grounds, tea bags and egg shells to the top of the pile.