I'm going to do it!

I have been thinking about vermicomposting for some time now. I have done much online research and forum lurking. ; ) I would love to have a nice pre made bin setup, but its a bit pricey for me right now. I have read many article on home made Rubbermaid type bins set ups.

I guess for my first (and surely not last) question: What is the best way to allow for the "tea" to drain off? Some instructions say to simply drill holes in the bottom....I would really like some sort of collection system other than an open try underneath. Would it be possible to install a spigot? Or better yet-if I could find an old picnic cooler with one, could it be modified into a satisfactory worm bin? I would be setting this up in my basement, where it stays around 60-70 degrees all the time.

Lilmac, congratulations on entering the world of worms. There's a bit of a learning curve, but no doubt DG wormers give you more advice/opinions than you can possibly take in!

In my experience, spigots get clogged up with worm poop, worms, and all manner of crap in no time flat. If you don't want an open tray... Hmm. that's a tough one. Worms need a lot of air to be healthy. Most single-layer bins are additionally elevated on bricks (or the like) to ensure good airflow. Since basements are pretty controlled environments, it's quite possible that you won't get much leakage. Pre-soaked top-bedding holds a lot of moisture, and holds it near the surface, which is where worms like to be anyway. Directly watering a bin is not recommended except in very dry environments, and that is usually the only time a bin will actively leak. If you start with a base bedding like coir, it will hold moisture in pretty well. Once the bin is established, (about 6 months) it shouldn't leak much at all. You might start with a tray, just to protect your floor, but as you go on, you will probably find you don't need it. Or if you do, there will be a very nominal amount of leakage once the bin is up and humming.

Tthe run-off isn't really "tea"; tea is what you get when you "brew" worm poop.

You can't have too many holes in the bottom of your container (well, I guess you could, in theory...). You need holes in the lid, too. A cooler might be tricky because they are usually double-walled and worms love nothing more than to crawl into tight spaces. You could have more worms inside the walls of the cooler than in the composting space in no time flat.

For most indoor bins, think: shallow, dark, well-aerated, covered, and wide. Composting worms are surface worms. If the bin is too deep, the bedding can easily compact and worms may not get enough air. Aim for a max depth of about 10 inches in the bedding, including the top-bedding. You can't have too much pre-soaked, fluffed-up top-bedding in the container. It keeps the worms very happy.

ilexwhite,

Thanks for the pointers! I will, on my next trip to town look for a wide shallow bin. You know, its so obvious now that you mention it, that a cooler would be a bad idea! Duh. That would be my luck, to have to use the Jaws OF Life to extricate wayward worms,lol.