My compost bin turned into a worm farm

[Neko-Chan]

Yeah. I have a very cold bin. Granted, part of that is probably due to the fact it's shaded. I also realized that my FIL BLOCKED ALL THE VENTILATION HOLES.

I don't get that at all. Is there some form of composting that doesn't need air? All that blocking the ventialtion did was result in a cold, wet bin that worms loved. Granted, that's not a bad thing, but it's not the effect I was going for either.

I have a compost bin that looks like this:

Is this for a certian kind of composting? Should I build a different bin for "conventional" hot composting?

 

[vfem]

I'm a pile kinda girl, my bin failed me!

However, my pile got shaded this summer from trumpet vines over hanging a near by tree.... so, like you, I now have a super worm farm going on. Hubby isn't complaining as that's where I find him every weekend harvesting worms to go fishing.

I hope someone has some answers for ya!

 

[Neko-Chan]

Yeah, I've always had fantastic failure with compost bins. I never had enough of green and brown materials, and they were either too dry, or too wet. Maybe I just suck at it. But I hope to get it right this time.

 

[momofdrew]

I have only had my compost heat up only a few times since I started composting but boy do I have a geat worm farm...this spring the school next door had a field trip to my back yard spacificly to dig for worms... the kids loved it...and I got my pile turned for me...

 

[Neko-Chan]

Well, I've unblocked the vent openings, removed the bottom vent panels (I have no idea what they're for, they're too small for shovels and not high enough to allow for proper turning, they're just useless), and I've cleared a space next to the bin, which i'm going to turn into a lasagne-style self composting bed, with the dried leaves and compost already existing in the bin now. From there, I'll build a proper compost bin.

 

[Smiles Jr.]

Worm castings are very good for growing plants. I kind of wish I had more worms in my compost piles.