Download here the instructions for our different worm towers and worm bins: The English version is located after the Dutch section.

How does a worm tower work and how do you start a worm bin?

As a hobby, I once started composting with worms. My vegetable garden had poor soil, and I wanted to give it a boost. Now, some years later, I have a worm farm and export worms all over Europe. You never know where things will lead.

Composting with worms is easier than you think, as long as you know what you’re doing. This book contains information to help anyone get started with worm composting.

Not only for yourself but also for children, it’s an incredibly fun and educational process to see how worms turn everything into valuable worm compost in no time. Both nature and your plants benefit enormously.

That’s why composting in a worm tower is seen as a hobby by many. That’s also how it all started for me, 10 years ago. With a worm tower and compost worms, you have everything you need to begin your new hobby.

Enjoy your reading.

What are the benefits?

Have you ever had this happen? You come home around 6 p.m. and see the whole street lined with garbage bins—except yours. Damn, you forgot to put your bin out this morning. Now you’ll have to wait another three weeks until it’s emptied. Just when the organic waste bin is already rotting and stinking.

Part of this problem can be solved. Since we already have to separate all our waste, it’s only a small extra effort to set up a worm tower. Worm composting is becoming increasingly popular. This is also visible in the wide variety of worm towers, worm bins, and balcony barrels now available. More and more people are discovering that composting with worms is not only useful but also an enjoyable hobby with many interesting benefits.

Besides helping nature reduce waste, home composting with worms also gives you valuable worm compost in return. Worm castings, as worm compost is also called, are full of life and provide several important nutrients to the soil. This helps plants grow well and become more resistant to diseases.

“You are what you eat.”

You’ve probably heard that before. In this case, it’s also very relevant. What you feed the worms, you get back as valuable worm compost. If you give your worms only organic kitchen waste, then you also create organic worm compost. In this way, you control the quality of the end product.

The use of chemical fertilizers seems to have reached its limit and is not a sustainable solution. By producing worm compost, you’re helping nature and being rewarded with a beautiful garden, less waste, and free worm compost.

Which worms can I use for composting?

Not all worms are suitable. Some types in the Netherlands are not ideal for worm towers or bins. This is partly because some worms are deep diggers, meaning they prefer to go far down into the soil.

The Eisenia Hortensis and Eisenia Fetida are suitable for worm bins and towers. These worms live in the top layer of the soil and feel at home in a worm bin or tower.

Worms are hard workers and can eat quite a lot each day. How much they eat depends mainly on the temperature and moisture levels in the soil. The warmer it is, the more they eat.

Keep in mind that prolonged temperatures above 20°C combined with a moist worm bin can cause diseases and mass die-offs. If your worm tower is outside, place it in a shady spot and keep the bin drier during extreme heat.

Find more information about worms in summer here.

How does a worm tower work?

Once the worm tower is ready for use, the worms and the starter soil can go into the bin. It doesn’t matter much which tray you start with, but practically it’s easiest to begin in the top tray. This way, you can easily add kitchen scraps by simply removing the top lid.

When the top tray is full, place an empty tray on top. Continue this process until the first tray you started with ends up at the bottom. That tray will be the first you harvest. How quickly this happens depends on temperature, moisture, and the food supply.

Find more information about worm farming here.

What can I feed my worms?

Start slowly during the first two weeks. Thanks to the starter kit, you can begin adding kitchen scraps right away. Build up a small layer of about 5 cm of fresh scraps over the first 2–3 weeks. Then wait until you see the worms eating. Once the worms have spread through the food, you can continue feeding. If most of it is rotting or molding, stop feeding and add some paper or cardboard to absorb excess moisture.

Worms can process all organic material except meat and fats.

Experience helps when feeding a wider variety of materials. Today, there are even systems where worms process human waste into valuable soil. These are used in countries without sewage systems. Even in the Netherlands, we’ve supplied worms for similar projects.

But for beginners, it’s best to start with uncooked fruit and vegetables. This is by far the easiest and least problematic way.

So you can feed all fresh fruit and vegetables, including peppers and onions. Be aware that some produce is coated with wax or treated with pesticides. This won’t harm the worms, but it will end up in the worm compost.

People often ask whether lemons can be fed. The answer is yes, without problems. We have done various tests feeding worms only lemons, and to our surprise, they processed them very quickly. The same was true with chili peppers, garlic, onions, and bananas—all without issues.

Find more information here: What do worms eat?

Coffee grounds with the filter bag are also great for worms. The filter paper contains cellulose, which is important to add regularly. Occasionally tearing up and adding an egg carton is also very beneficial for worms and helps regulate moisture.

Tip: The useful bacteria in a worm bin first break down the food before worms eat it. The smaller the food, the faster bacteria can act, and the sooner the worms can enjoy it. Blending the food before adding it speeds up the process greatly—but alternate with coarse pieces to keep the bin airy. Otherwise, you risk creating a compact mass that fosters anaerobic bacteria, leading to bad smells and problems.

Too wet or too dry?

The right moisture level prevents most problems. How do you know if it’s right? Take a handful of soil from the worm bin, squeeze gently: if no water drips but you see a slight glisten, it’s perfect.

Too wet?
Add cardboard. It absorbs moisture, adds air, and is food for the worms because it contains cellulose.

Removing the lid during the day also helps moisture evaporate, but don’t forget to put it back at night—worms may crawl out otherwise.

Find more information on this subject here.

Start-up problems

The first two weeks are the most critical, as worms must adjust to their new environment after shipping. Usually, this goes smoothly, but sometimes worms appear restless and may crawl out. Often this is because people dig around in the bin daily out of curiosity. Tip: leave them alone as much as possible at first.

Common observations:

• Worms move to the bottom tray → not a problem, they move freely through the bin.

• Worms gather at the top or sides → also normal at the start, this stops over time.

• Worms crawl out → use the starter feed provided, and follow instructions. Keeping a light on at night helps too, as worms avoid light. Usually, after two weeks they settle down.

In our worm farm, the lights are on 24/7 to keep worms in the bins. Once during a power outage, thousands escaped. We now have an alarm system and generator to prevent this.

Find more information on this subject here.

Rock dust (lava meal)

Adding a spoonful of rock dust once a month helps prevent problems. A worm bin can attract pests like fruit flies or pot worms. This signals that adding rock dust may help. It raises the pH slightly and discourages fruit flies and pot worms. A hemp mat in the top tray also helps.

On the website WormenkwekerijWasse.nl you can find more information about:

• Summer heat plan

• Insects in the worm bin

• Sick worms and solutions

• Worms in winter