Compost worms in a Garbage can!?

by Tina Machia
(St. Albans, VT USA)

Dog poop added to a worm bin

Dog poop added to a worm bin

I am starting a worm farm for the disposal of dog poop. I have a large plastic garbage can that I have drilled holes in, around the middle and the bottom. To this, I intend to add some rocks to hold it down outside, I then plan to add about 8 inches of good dirt, then the worms, then a bunch of leaves.
I intend to add dog poop and kitchen scraps, is this going to work for me?

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Apr 16, 2020
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starstarstarstarstar 		Re: Compost worms in a Garbage can!?
by: Stephan

Hello Tina,

congratulations to your plans to recycle your dog poop and kitchen scraps in a home made worm farm.

Your plan sounds generally good but I would suggest just a few things to consider.

1. I would make aeration holes rather higher up on your bin as close as possible you can make them to the top of the sides of your bin. This way you can utilize your whole worm bin before you will have to harvest your produced worm castings.

2. I am not quite sure what you refer to as good dirt but I believe you could start with only 4 inches / 10 cm of that and than add a good layer of shredded old newspapers and or corrugated cardboard on top of that. Both are liked by compost worms and are creating pockets of air in the initial state of your worm composting process.

Adding leaves could be ok but you have to consider the kind of leaves you have available as some kinds of leaves are actually acidic and could be harmful to your worms in your bin.

For more information about starting a worm bin have a look at my article "How to start a worm farm" You can find it at the following URL:

https://www.worm-composting-help.com/worm-farm.html

I wish you lots of success with your worm composting project and would love to hear about your progress.

Take good care of yourself and your family.

Blessings from

Stephan Kloppert

Author of "How to start a profitable worm business on a shoestring budget"

Editor of www.worm-composting-help.com

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From a 25-year worm farmer
Turn your worms into a profitable business
How to Start a Profitable Worm Business on a Shoestring Budget by Stephan Kloppert
On Special
“How to Start a Profitable Worm Business on a Shoestring Budget”
by Stephan Kloppert
Paperback$12.99
Kindle$4.99
Order on Amazon Get Kindle Edition →
★ Special prices valid till 31.07.2026
Verified Amazon Customer Reviews
★★★★★
“Everything about building a worm farm is described step by step. Highly recommended!”
— Hubertus, Germany ✓ Verified Purchase
★★★★★
“Well written, informative and oftentimes humorous. A very cost efficient and simple business.”
— Adam J. McKee, United States ✓ Verified Purchase
★★★★★
“No crazy tricks — just straight forward, useable information.”
— Kimberly, United States ✓ Verified Purchase

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