We review the Vermihut Plus composter from Vermitek to bring you all the information you need to decide if this is the right composter for your home. Read on to learn more about all of its features and composting potential!

The Vermihut Plus Worm Composter is the latest worm bin model from manufacturer Vermitek. It builds upon the success of its previous Vermihut worm farm with an updated design and some neat new features. A worm saver tray, improved lid design and ant resistant legs are just some of the great improvements you’ll see. As far as composting goes, it uses the same principles as the original model meaning that you’ll be able to create great fertilizer from your food scraps in no time.

Vermihut worm farm overview

The composter is made from 100% recycled plastic and boasts a 5-tray design like its predecessor. It is relatively straightforward to assemble and comes with easy to follow instructions to help you get started. The Vermihut plus worm composter comes with a coconut fiber mat and a “V-board” plastic cover to help protect your worms and improve ventilation. Don’t confuse the coconut mat as a bedding material (such as coconut coir). Its job is to keep the moisture in the top of the bin and prevent pests from laying eggs in the compost. 

Easy to use tray design

They trays have a simple, yet strong plastic design with a number of holes at the bottom. The holes allow the worms to migrate easily between the trays. As the name suggests, the VermiHut worm bin comes with 5 of these trays; more than enough for an average household amount of waste. They are easily stackable and can hold a total of 10 lbs of worms when full. A worm saver tray helps prevent your worms from falling into the liquid collection tray at the base. It also has the added benefit of improving the aeration in your worm farm.

Ant-traps for the base

The purpose of the base tray is to collect the leachate that is produced from the decomposition process. Simply open the tap located in the collection tray to drain the leachate into a container. You can use this on your plants as liquid fertilizer, but be sure to water it down beforehand. A ratio of 1 part leachate to 10 parts water is recommended. The base tray also has a set of water traps you can use to prevent ants from getting into your composter. This is a new feature of the plus model that is quite simple, yet effective.

The Vermihut Plus Worm Composter is a great worm farm for both indoor and outdoor. The improvements to previous models make this an attractive option for someone looking to buy their first worm farm, all at a reasonable price. For anyone in the market for a new worm composting bin, you can’t go wrong with a vermihut worm farm!

Vermihut worm farm features

Worm Saver Tray	The M-board acts as both a worm saver tray and improves the aeration of your Vermihut worm farm. It fits over the liquid collection tray to prevent any worms or castings from falling in.
Improved aeration	Both the M-board and V-board contain holes to allow your worm farm to breathe. The lid has also been re-designed to improve aeration in the bin. This improves the quality of the compost as well as prevents any odors from building up.
Coconut fiber mat included	The purpose of the mat is to help keep both moisture, and your worms, inside the worm bin. This ensures your worms have a comfortable environment to live in and thrive. It also prevents pesky fruit flies from getting inside!
Ant traps for the base legs	Small plastic ant traps can be placed underneath your Vermihut worm farm and filled with water. This prevents ants from crawling all over your bin which is not something you want!
Dimensions	17 inches wide x 17 inches long x 33 inches high

Pros

• Size – The small footprint and vertical stacking trays means the Vermihut plus is great for small apartments, or being kept indoors. With 5 trays, you can easily produce enough compost for a small to medium sized garden. 
• Ant traps – The last thing you want to find is ants crawling all over your worm bin. This can be a sign that your worm farm is too dry if you are finding ants trying to get in. Rest assured though that no ants will be climbing up your worm farm with the ant traps in place. Simply place them underneath the legs and fill them with water.
• Good aeration – Vermitek have gone to great lengths to re-design their classic Vermihut worm farm to allow for better aeration. Compost needs oxygen to properly decompose. That is because it is an aerobic process. Lack of aeration can lead to bad odors and acidic conditions inside the worm farm.
• Comes with coconut fiber mat – We normally recommend that you place some form of worm blanket over your worms to help protect them and keep out flies. You can buy them specially made or make your own with hessian or newspaper, but, that’s not required with the Vermihut as the coconut mat serves this exact purpose!

Cons

• Some people found it tricky to set up – Even though it comes with a set of instructions, some people have found the new Vermihut to be a little difficult to set up. The M-board and V-board are great design additions, but just remember that the V-board is flat and goes in the top tray. The M-board has a slight curve and is placed on top of the liquid collection tray at the base. The image below is of the V-board for reference.
• Worms escaping – If the conditions inside your worm farm aren’t great, your worms may try to escape. Unfortunately, they can climb out from the gaps between the trays and leave a mess for you to clean up. 
• Short legs – The legs are quite short and you may find you need to prop it up if you wish to place a larger container underneath to collect the leachate. 

How to use the Vermihut worm farm

Assembly

To assemble the VermiHut plus, set the base tray down (with ant-traps) in a suitable spot and attach the drainage spigot. You want to make sure you tighten it firmly enough to prevent leakages. Once you’ve secured the spigot using the plastic washer and nut, place the M-board on top (as shown in the image below). You then place your first working tray on top of the M-board, which should fit neatly on top. You can also use a fine piece of cloth or mesh instead of the M-board if you prefer. 

Preparing your worm bedding

Next, you need a good bedding material for your working tray prior to adding your worms. We recommend using a combination of shredded newspaper, soil, and coconut coir for the bedding material. After you soak your coconut coir in water for 20-30 mins, wring it out and mix it with the other materials. The bedding should be moist, but not too wet. When you wring it out with your hands, only a small amount of water should come out. Place a couple of sheets of newspaper or some cardboard on the bottom of the tray and then add in your bedding.

Adding your worms

Next, all you need are your composting worms. Simply add them to the bedding, place the coconut mat and V-board on top and cover them with the lid. You’ll want to let them settle for about a week before adding any food scraps into the working tray.

Feeding your worms

Add your food scraps to the tray, being careful not to add in waste with high acidity (eg citrus) or any meat or dairy products. As your worms eat the scraps, they will fill up the working tray with nutrient-rich castings. Once full (this can take 4-6 months) simply place another tray on top and start the feeding process again. Over time, the worms will migrate to the upper trays, leaving fresh castings to harvest in the lower trays. Simply remove the castings (aka “black gold”) and use them in your garden. Your plants will love this fresh, organic fertilizer, full of good bacteria and nutrients for strong, healthy plants.

RELATED: What Do Worms Eat?

Things to remember…

Vermihut worm farms are very easy to maintain. Simply feed the worms in the top tray and harvest your castings from the bottom trays once full. Clean the used trays for use again once the new top working tray becomes full. Due to its size, the Vermihut plus can be kept both indoors and outside, which doesn’t really affect its operation and maintenance much at all.

• The most common problem is overfeeding the worms. 1 lb of red worms will usually go through about 3 lbs of food in a week. If you see a lot of uneaten food on top, refrain from adding in too much new stuff. 
• You can use a compost conditioner to help maintain the pH level of the bin. This is optional but recommended to ensure your worm farm operates at its best level. Frequent use is better than dumping a whole lot in once high acidity becomes a problem.
• Keep a cup or container beneath the spigot and frequently drain any leachate that has built up within the bin. Ideally, worm farms shouldn’t produce too much leachate, but this can happen if the contents are quite wet. Emptying the leachate frequently will prevent bad odors and prevent your worms from potentially drowning if caught in the base tray.

Conclusion

The Vermihut Plus builds upon the simple yet effective design of previous models. The additions of both the M-board and V-board will greatly improve the aeration of your worm bin, which in turn will result in better quality compost. It is affordable and durable and very easy to use with the exception of the initial setup which can be tricky. All things considered, the Vermihut Plus is a great worm bin for beginners and experienced worm farmers alike. With it, you’ll be creating great organic fertilizer for your garden cheaply, and efficiently.  

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