It wasn’t until late July that we finally got around to properly checking up on the system (we set up for the blog post), but we were pleasantly surprised by what we found!
Before we tell you about that - and the steps taken to get things really rolling again - let’s quickly review some of the key perks of DIY in-ground worm composters:
- Small-scale, effective way to vermicompost outdoors.
- Inexpensive and simple to make.
- Fast and easy to install.
- Lightweight (even when full) and durable.
- Protective against the elements, and bigger pests/predators.
- Accessible to nearby plant roots (with additional help provided by the worms)
- Space-saving and easily hidden.
These in-ground buckets are extremely low-maintenance!
As touched on above, we basically neglected ours for well over two months, yet the results have been most impressive.
Below you can see how things looked in the garden area near the system on the day of the original set-up (May 9th)...
…and then how things looked when we checked on the system (July 21st).
Judging by the vigorous plant growth, it seems highly likely that the system (and activity of the worms) is having a positive impact on that section of the garden.
What about inside the bucket?
Once the lid was off, we could see there was some obvious volume reduction (as expected), with the overall level of material having dropped down about 6-8” from the upper rim. Everything inside looked darker, and more homogeneous (no sign of the food materials we added), and had a rich, earthy smell.
Digging around a bit (but not too much), we found lots of healthy Red Wigglers. It was pretty obvious that they weren’t suffering too much from their “neglect”.
Still, we wanted to take advantage of all that empty space, and give the worms more material to convert into black gold! 🙂
REMEMBER: you should always have a lot more safe habitat material than food in a vermicomposting system, especially when working with water-rich foods like the fruit/veggie pulp you see below. Additional amendments (eg rock dusts, biochar etc) are always optional, but can help to enhance the process - and end products - if you happen to have some on hand.
We started by spreading the food over the surface of the bin contents. If you want to err on the side of caution - and provide a bit of separation between the food and the worm zone down below - adding a mini “false bottom” of bedding would be a great first step.
In this case, we knew the worms had more than enough safe, living habitat material to hang out in (and they could even move out of the bucket), if the food heated up too much, or caused any other issues.
Next, we sprinkled some pH Buffer Grit…
…and some biochar over the surface of the food. Again, just a friendly reminder that these amendments are completely optional.
The main bedding used was our 40/40/20 shredded cardboard/coco coir/hemp tow mix (you can learn more about that in: “Bedding - The Most Important Material in Your Worm Bin?”). Once added, this brought the level up to within a few inches of the bucket lip.
Lastly, we added a cover layer of just hemp tow. Straw, hay, or even something like grass clippings (assuming there is a thick layer of bedding down below it) would also work well as a cover layer.
NOTE: although we left some space at the top, it’s worth mentioning that there’s no harm in filling the bucket right up to the rim if you have enough material to do so.
Since most of the materials added were pretty dry, it was important to give everything a good soak with a watering can before closing up the bucket. All those holes in the sides and bottom will prevent a system like this from flooding (assuming the surrounding soil has decent drainage).
The system is once again good to go for a while, but we’ll be sure to provide you with another update in the fall!
Stay tuned!
Helpful Related Resources
DIY In-Ground Worm Composter
The Plastia In-Ground Worm Composter
Can I Add Red Wigglers to My Garden?
Outdoor Vermicomposting 101
What Is “Living Material”?
Bedding - The Most Important Material in Your Worm Bin?
Recommended Products
Red Wigglers
Urbalive In-Ground Worm Composter
GeoBin
pH Buffer Grit
EM Concentrate