VermiFlow Continuous Flow Composting System - 14 Cubic Feet

With a large, 14 cubic foot capacity, the VermiFlow is an excellent composter for the home gardener, or for large applications like schools, hobby/market farms, nurseries and community gardens. 

When the VermiFlow is working at capacity under optimal conditions, expect to harvest up to 20-30lbs of vermicompost a week!

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Overview

The VermiFlow worm composter is a compact, continuous flow through vermicomposting system featuring a 14 gallon capacity. Compostable material is loaded from the top, and finished vermicompost is harvested into collecting pans underneath by running a blade across the aluminum grate.

Taking up a small, 2' x 4' footprint, you can place your VermiFlow in a garage, shed, or under a covered area outside. This vermicomposting system is ideal for small to mid-size market farms, homesteads, schools, community gardens and composting sites.  

Worms are able to digest a wide range of both organic and inorganic materials, aggregate the soil, and inoculate the soil with beneficial microbes that produce plant-promoting compounds. Those benefits are all replicated and concentrated in a vermicomposting system, which can produce a high volume of worm castings on a weekly basis. Harvested castings can be used when making potting soils, as a soil amendment, turned into a compost tea, or used to inoculate biochar. 

Composting worms can be purchased here!

Features & Benefits:

• Made of light-weight, strong and cleanable aluminum composite
• Continuous flow through (CFT) system allows non-stop operation and harvesting without disturbing worms
• Large, 14 gallon capacity with two collection trays
• At full capacity with optimum conditions, harvest 20-30lbs of vermicompost a week
• Finished compost is cut off by a harvesting blade and falls through the grate into collecting pans
• Harvest quickly and easily using a cordless drill to work the harvesting blade
• Reach full production in as little as 10-12 weeks
• Inside dimensions: L 40" x W 25.5" x H 25.5"
• Outside dimensions: L 43.5" x W 26" x H 46.5"
• Adjustable legs to level on uneven ground
• Made in the U.S.A 

Please note the VermiFlow does not include bedding material or worms. Composting worms can be purchased here, or from a variety of local and online sources. 

Using Your VermiFlow

Feeding your worms a pre-composted material and maintaining optimal conditions will allow the VermiFlow to reach full production in 10-12 weeks from starting up. Once operating at maximum capacity, you can expect to harvest 20-30lbs of Vermicompost a week. With Vermicompost valued anywhere from $3 to $4 per pound, your investment in the VermiFlow could pay off months!

Getting Started:

• Line the bottom of the bin with the biodegradable paper
• Add roughly 8 inches of compost to the bin, avoiding large wood chips and sticks which can cause problems for harvesting
• Add around 7 lbs of worms to reach full production quicker, but if you start with fewer, they will multiply under good conditions
• Leave the light on and the lid off for the first few days to keep them in place until they are adjusted to their new home
• Add about 3 inches of compost to the bin every week
• Start harvesting when the bin is around half full by running the knife back and forth twice
• Put the first couple harvests back in the top of the bin

For higher and more frequent harvests, we recommend feeding your worms pre-composted feedstocks. This allows for more homogenized material with reduced volume / particle size. 

What to Feed your Worms:

Pre-composted feedstocks
Most fruit and vegetable scraps, pulps from juicer
Cooked food
Tea leaves/bags and coffee grounds
Crushed/ground eggshells
Hair, vacuum cleaner dust, soiled paper, tissue, paper towels, shredded egg cartons
Shredded newspaper, cardboard, sawdust (untreated), wood ash
Lawn clippings in small quantities, weeds, clippings, prunings, dirt and leaves

What to Avoid or Limit:

Limit citrus and acidic fruit skin
Limit bread, pasta and other wheat based products
Avoid hard fruit pits
Avoid spicy foods, onions, garlic and leeks
Avoid animal products such as meat, dairy, or fats
Avoid shiny paper
Do not feed rotten food to your worms

You can use the finished compost from your vermicomposter in your gardens and the liquid that drains down through the bin, passing through a filter, is also an ideal fertilizer. It is best to dilute the "worm tea" with a ratio of 1 part worm liquid to 10 parts water.

Taking Care of Your Worms

Worms are low maintenance and will be happy as long as they are fed, have enough moisture, and are kept between 55° and 80° F. Worms should be protected from extreme temperatures, direct sunlight, and direct rain.

Aim for a 50-70% humidity in your VermiFlow. Hydrate the VermiFlow by misting the surface of the compost with a pump sprayer. If you squeeze a handful of compost, a drop or two of water should come out. Hard water can be detrimental to microbes. Off-gassing chlorinated water or using rainwater is recommended. If the bin is too wet, liquid will pool in the collecting pans

You don't need to feed your worms every day – just add scraps as you have them. Worms can survive up to 2 weeks without any new food. Worms reproduce inside the bin according to their space limitations. They will regulate their own population, so you never need to worry about overcrowding your bin.

It is very important that the VermiFlow is not overfed. Worms prefer to eat their food as it begins to decompose, but not if it has become slimy and smelly. You should not add more than 1" of new scraps at once time, and uneaten food should not exceed 2" deep.

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