thanks a lot for a nice informative video

Great video. More please!

when you pull the soil out, don't you end up removing the worms and putting them into the garden / plant container instead? or do you have to sort through and put the worms back into the bin first?

Can I add red wiggler worms directly to my compost pile outside in the garden? Is a bin necessary? Would they die off over the winter (zone 4)? My pile is quite large and I would like it to decompose faster.

Yes, you have to sort the worms out. My worm "farm" started 26 years ago, have used three different types of containers over the years (Rubbermaid home version similar to this one, a stacking model, through to the 'hungry bin' I have today). All require hands on to separate the rich castings from the worms. As far as critters, if you leave outside, and unlocked....well let's just say I've had raccoons and bears come and knock the bins over, so even though there's not a noticeable smell to us, animals find it attractive. After the last bear clawed though my (bungy cord locked) stacker, I moved the worms into the garage. You do have to protect from extreme cold/heat, so this batch seems happy in their new domicile. My bin is so large that not feeding them for three weeks, is ok, but wouldn't leave it much longer.

Does it have to be raw food after the first application or can you use cooked veggies?

I've used both with my established bin, but make sure your cooked ones don't contain salt, oils, butter or other sauce.

A good source for both worms and "bedding" for the worms is horse manure. We have horses on a farm we run and the manure pile is full of red wigglers, which are supposed to be awesome composters. The manure is favorable for them as bedding. Can't say that I understand why, but they are drawn to it.

IKEA TROFAST storage boxes with lids! Great idea...but can I convince my husband?

I assume that you wouldn't want to add anything that is already moldy or spoiled to the mix, but I don't know that for sure. Also, I've read that too much citrus isn't good for general (non-worm) composting. Is that also true for worm composting?

We tried vermicomposting at least 20 years ago. We ordered red wigglers and kept a bin in our basement. We made some really nice compost but just couldn't keep the fruit fly problem in check. We gave up after a couple of seasons.

Question, when adding the plant matter, can it be from the yard as well. Like leaves and grass or just from the garden type stuff???

My experience with grass was similar to coffee grounds, a little is good, but too much causes significant heat in the bin.

Do not use meat/food scraps in your "organic" compost! Natural stuff only! Your compost should smell like great rich dirt. If your compost stinks/smells rotten, you've done something wrong!

I kept a worm bin going in my garage through heat and cold for about 3 years. The trick was to learn the right moisture level. It was surprising to me that there were no odors involved.

Might have to try this as we don't generate a ton of compost and this is a more manageable size. Currently we have an outdoor compost pile where we basically dump just about all of our kitchen waste except meats/fats/oils. (Vegetable oil I keep for fuel, but that's another story.) When it rains, we often have tons of worms all over our street and driveway and gutter - I just go out and rescue as many of them as I have time to capture and toss them on our compost pile. They seem to know what to do without a lot of input from us. Also, since the worms are free to maneuver under the fence around our compost pile, many of them find their way into our lawn, which is great for the lawn soil, too.

I keep mine outdoors, year round. Zone 5. I have 3 containers that I use.

I buy new red wigglers each spring. I have holes bored thru the Rubbermaid containers so they can overwinter in the dirt, but I add to the population just in case!

I add my compost thru the winter, add dirt as needed and more worms in the spring. I use the compost as I need in my gardens thru the growing seasons.

My bins are 10 feet from the back door, by the trash containers, but hidden by a Carolina Silverbell and yarrow and hostas and other plants. Those plants look amazing!!

I tried indoors, but the fruit flies were terrible and my husband boycotted!!

I used to do this in Scotland Uk with a v large bin and lots of waste material and worms. Works a treat! Great video.

Thank you all for the comments! Here are some answers to above questions:

Worm bins transform food scraps, even if it is moldy, very fast into amazing nutrient rich organic compost. 1 pound of worms can go through 1/2 pound of food to 1 pound of food in one day. The smaller the food pieces the better and faster. The bin does not attract flies or other critters if it has a good lid. The worm tea can be diluted as much as one wants, at least 50/50. Worms from the bin put in well established "hot-piles" will survive winter. The point of the bin is to save space and create compost fast.

Has anyone that did not have a worm bin before started one since seeing this video?

much appreciated info d

A wormery is the best way to compost kitchen waste in my experience. I will now try the under skin method - mine is outside.

Will be trying again with my worm bin since watching this video. It became a soggy mess before. Adding the newspaper and layering the materials is something I didn't do last time. I have thousands of worms in my rat proof outdoor compost bin which I move to different areas of the vegetable garden each year. This is huge and set on the ground so I can't harvest any worm tea from it for my other plants. Thanks guys

We have a hamster... could you put his used bedding materials (sawdust) into a vermicomposter?