The Worm Factory Compost Bin

What is worm composting?

Composting with worms allows you to turn kitchen scraps, paper waste and cardboard into nutrient-rich soil for your plants. The Worm Factory® 360 composting system makes the entire process quick and easy.

How does The Worm Factory work?

With a thermo siphon air flow design, the Worm Factory® 360 increases the composting speed. Now you can produce compost much faster than traditional composting methods. Master Gardeners agree, worm castings are one of the richest forms of fertilizer that you can use.

The Worm Factory® 360 can be used indoors or outdoors allowing year round production. Now composting is no longer limited to backyards. The Worm Factory® 360 is odorless making it great for apartments, kitchens, garages, porches and more.

Simply add a handful of worms and your organic waste to the bottom tray. The worms will start processing the food. Once the bottom tray is filled add another tray. The worms migrate upward to the newest food source leaving the bottom tray full of nutrient-rich compost.

As waste is broken down, moisture filters through the system, taking nutrient-rich particles with it. This makes it possible to harvest organic liquid fertilizer right from the spigot.

Unique Features:

• New Thermo Siphon Design
• Air enters the base on all four sides
• Worms burrow through the compost creating air passages
• Rising heat and compost gases create a thermo siphon, pulling the air upwards through the trays
• Air exits under all four sides of the lid
• Allows 10 times more air circulation than similar composters.
• The Worm Factory® 360 has a standard 4-Tray size which is expandable up to 8 trays, giving it the largest volume of any home composter.
• Now only 1 step assembly out of the box.
• The redesigned lid converts to a handy stand for trays while harvesting the compost.
• Included instructional DVD with step-by-step guide for managing your Worm Factory® 360.
• The accessory kit provides basic tools to make managing the Worm Factory® 360 easier.
• 20 year warranty.

Features:

• Year-round production
• Odor free operation
• Small footprint at 18x18x14"
• Expandable up to 8 trays
• Easy to assemble and manage
• Built in "worm tea" collector tray and spigot for easy draining
• Includes a 16-page easy-to-use instructional booklet with photos and illustrations
• Comes with "Quick-Tips" lid for easy reference
• Houses eight to twelve thousand worms that consume 5-8 pounds of food per week
• 20 year warranty on parts and workmanship
• Made in the USA
• Made with post consumer recycled materials
• 30 year life expectancy

How The Worm Factory stands out from other competitors?

The Worm Factory has a unique design which makes us much different from other upward migrating worm composters and here is why:

The Smallest Footprint: The Worm Factory has the smallest footprint. It takes up 20% less floor space than larger units but there is no restriction on how many trays you can stack. The Worm Factory is capable of holding the largest capacity in the smallest area.

Expandable and Manageable: The Worm Factory is expandable allowing for multiple trays to be stack on top of each other. As the compost shrinks, the trays shrink along with it allowing effortless, upward migration for the worms. The Worm Factory is also more manageable than other composters. The Worm Factory’s trays hold about 12.5 pounds of compost which make them easy to lift and restack for people young and old.

Ventilation Lid with Tips: Some composters come with tight fitting lids. As compost processes, both gas and heat are given off which must be ventilated. If poorly ventilated, gas and heat build up and water is formed. With increased moisture in the bedding, the amount of oxygen is depleted. This fosters a chain reaction of anaerobic bacteria which creates more gas, giving off an obnoxious smell of rotten eggs.

To operate an odorless worm composter at its maximum efficiency, the bedding and food must have a controlled amount of moisture and the maximum amount of air. This combination fosters aerobic bacteria, the essential, most basic, single element which worms consume.

With The Worm Factory’s unrestricting lid, the loose fit provides maximum ventilation for air flow to get the good bacteria for your worms and to prevent that rotten egg smell. There are also composting tips printed on the lid for a quick reference.

Worm Bin Instruction Manual: One of the best features of The Worm Factory is the complete 16 page, illustrated instruction manual. Whether you are an expert or a beginner, the manual will assure you a successful outcome of recycling your kitchen waist and create the most nutrient rich soil for your house plants, containers and garden.

Included with your Worm Factory:

• 4 Stacking Trays - Each tray is 16x16x5 and is made from recycled #2 plastics. The Worm Factory 360 comes with 4 trays and can be expanded up to 8 trays. Four trays normally provide enough room for the kitchen waste of a family of 4. Each tray averages to be about 12 pounds when full of compost.
• Collection Base - The collection base holds the stacking trays and is strong enough to hold up to 200 pounds. Air is broughth into the system from all 4 sides of the base. It travels upwards with the heat and gasses produced by the compost. Moisture that travels down with gravity is held in the collection tray and can be trained out as liquid fertilizer.
• 16 Page Instruction Book - Detailed instructions are provided on the setup and management of the Worm Factory 360. Illustrated to show you the best techniques to use when vermi-composting. This manual is made from recycled paper and uses soy based ink.
• Ventilation "Quick Tips" Lid - Many people believe a lid is necessary to keep the worms from escaping from their Worm Factory 360. Having a tight lid actually works against your worm composted by restricting air flow. Worms are sensitive to light and will move away from it as quickly as possible. The mostimportant reason to have a lid is to protect the top layer from any light. The Worm Factory 360 lid provides both air flow and light protection. As an added benefit we have placed the basic instructions on the lid in case your manual becomes lost.
• Coir Brick - A great growing medium and worm bedding material, coir is a byproduct of harvesting coconuts. Coir holds moisture and then releases it slowly allowing worms to keep moist. Once the compost enters your plants or garden any coir that comes along with it is great for growing strong root systems.
• Worm Bedding - Created from a mixture of paper and cardboard, the worm bedding is crushed together and turned into a light fluffy substance that provides fiber for the worms and aerates the compost. The Worm Bedding comes in a brown paper bag that can also be put directly into your Worm Factory 360.
• Spigot - The spigot allows valuable “worm tea” to be easily drained from the collection base. Once you see the effect of “worm tea” on your plants you won’t be able to get enough.
• Accessory Kit - 1) Scraper makes it easy to scrape finished compost out of bins and makes rotating trays much cleaner and easier. 2) Handrake comes in handy when stirring your compost and transferring worms from try to tray. 3) Thermometer is a color coded temperature guide to make sure that your Worm Factory is working at an optimum temperature.
• Instructional DVD provides a step-by-step guide to setting up your Worm Factory 360 and managing it efficiently an without worry. The DVD contains four stages from start to finish and can be used as a reference guide along with the Quick Tips Lid to ensure a quick and easy start to vermi-composting.

Does NOT include worms.

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Frequently Asked Questions about the Worm Factory Compost Bin

1. How much time does it take to manage a Worm Factory® 360? -- The Worm Factory® 360 requires very little maintenance. Worms will be happy as long they are fed, have enough moisture, and are at a temperature between 40 and 80 degrees. We recommend checking up on your worms once a week. Gently dig into your worm bedding and see how your worms are doing. Your worms should have a moist body and be actively moving around your food scraps. Checking once a week will help address with any problems that may arise (moisture level, fruit flies, worm health).
2. How often do you have to feed your worms? -- Don't worry about feeding your worms every day; it will take awhile for them to break down the food in the bin. Some people feed them a handful a week; some people feed them a handful a day. If there is too much food, you can simply add another tray. Worms can survive up to two weeks without any additional food.
3. How do I add more trays? --- When your first tray is filled to the top, it is time to add a second tray. All you have to do to set up the second tray is add shredded paper and/or leaves to use as bedding for the worms. Then, add a handful of food to a corner of the tray to entice the worms to migrate to the next level. It may take a full week for the full population to make it to the next level. The worms will move in between both trays to finish working on the food scraps in the first level.
4. What if my worms aren't migrating up? -- Sometimes the worms are not too excited about leaving their home tray and traveling upwards. First, give them some time to migrate up. If you have just set up your second tray, give them at least two weeks to migrate and acclimate to their new "home tray". If after two weeks your worms haven't made the move, you need to take a look at the second tray. There could be a food product that you have added that they don't like. Dairy products, meats or citrus products are products you should avoid. The bedding could also be too wet or too dry. If the bedding is too dry, add some water or green food scraps (fruit, vegetables etc). If the bedding is too wet, add some shredded paper or other carbon-based food scraps (corn cobs, coffee grounds etc.) to soak up excess moisture. A careful balance of food, moisture and temperature is important to keep your worms happy and healthy.
5. How much food can my worms process? -- The general rule of thumb is: worms can eat half their weight in food per day! This means that if you start with one pound of worms, they can eat a half pound of food per day. As your worm population grows, they will be able to process more food at a faster rate.
6. Do the worms reproduce inside the unit? -- Yes, worms will reproduce inside the unit according to their space limitations. The worms will regulate their population so you don't have to worry about overpopulation in your bin. Your worm population will double every three months. Their reproduction is also an indicator of the environment they are living in. If the worms aren't happy with their environment, they will not reproduce. If they are happy, moist, and have access to food, they will reproduce, allowing them to process your food and paper scraps faster.
7. How long does each tray take to finish? -- Your first tray will take 1-3 months to finish processing. It could be faster or slower depending on how many worms you start with and how often you feed them. After the first tray is processed, the process will become faster.
8. What do I feed my worms? -- We recommend feeding your worms a diet of 50% food scraps and 50% fiber and paper scraps. This will give your finished compost balanced nutrient levels. But worms will eat virtually anything, so don't worry too much about what you feed them. If you have more food scraps than fiber, they will be fine. You do not have to follow an exact recipe. Give them what you have on hand but, do not give them meat or dairy, these items may kill you worms. The goal is to recycle what you would usually throw away. You don't have to buy food for your worms.
9. Does the Worm Factory® 360 smell? -- No, if maintained properly, your worm bin will not smell. The keys to maintaining an odorless composter is moisture control and ventilation. Anaerobic bacteria is the main cause of odor. If you don't allow proper ventilation these bacteria will grow inside your unit, bringing odor with them.
10. I think my bin is too wet, what should I do? -- Moisture control is a big part of managing your worm bin. We recommend taking a handful of bedding and compost in your hand and squeezing it tightly in your fist. In doing this, if you find that more than a couple drops of water comes out, you have too much moisture. Ideally, your bedding should be as moist as a wrung-out sponge. But don't worry, there is an easy fix. If you find your unit is too moist, stir in some dry shredded paper or cardboard. This will soak up some of that moisture and return it to ideal conditions.
11. What does the Worm Factory® 360 do for me? -- The Worm Factory® allows you to recycle your food and paper scraps, saving them from the landfill. Landfills produce gases during the decomposition process that is harmful to our environment and the ozone layer. By doing your part to recycle, you will be saving our environment and saving money at the same time. Recycling will reduce the amount of garbage you throw away which reduces your garbage bill. Since you are turning trash into nutrient rich compost for your garden, you save on the cost of fertilizers and soil amendments. Adding compost to your soil also increases its water holding capacity, saving water as well. The Worm Factory® 360 is an investment that will pay for itself many times over.