Transfarmers Worm Composter

The Transfarmers works for almost any plant: herbs, vegetables, flowering, foliage, or climbing plants, small or large. Choose them based on the light available where it stands: basil, parsley, or cherry tomatoes in full sun outdoors, or green houseplants in a bright spot indoors. Plan on about 7.9 gallons (30 liters) of potting soil for the 6.6-gallon (25-liter) growing section of the Transfarmers. Starter plants in pots less than 5.9 in (15 cm) in diameter are the easiest to plant. Water once a week for the first month, while the roots reach toward the moisture on the compost side. After that, the plant drinks less than it would in a standard pot and no longer needs fertilizer.

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The Transfarmers recycles about 1.6 to 2.1 quarts (1.5 to 2 liters) of food scraps per week in its 4.5-gallon (17-liter) compost section. Worms are not included with the Transfarmers, but our 8.8 oz (250 g) pack of composting worms is plenty to get started. First, fill the plant section with soil. Then place 0.8–1.2 in (2–3 cm) of cardboard at the bottom of the compost compartment, add a little potting soil and a glass of water, and put in the worms with a few finely chopped peels. After that, cover each new addition with a layer of dry material, like a lasagna.

To get your Transfarmers started, you'll need Eisenia composting worms, which are not included: our 8.8 oz (250 g) pack is more than enough. The pot comes complete with its 2 stoppers, perforated divider, and saucer. These parts are also sold separately if you'd like to keep spares on hand: stopper, divider wall, and protective saucer for the Transfarmers. For the dry material to layer over each batch of scraps, our natural fiber substrate replaces cardboard and paper. And in the kitchen, our Maze 9 L compost pail holds your food scraps.

No. Unlike tray worm composters, the Transfarmers does not produce leachate. Moisture is absorbed by the worms, the soil, the plant, and the dry material, and any excess evaporates through the breathable terracotta. An opening at the bottom of the Transfarmers pot lets any extra water from watering drain into the included saucer, which protects your floor. Don't leave the saucer full of water. If the compost gets too wet, add some cardboard or paper torn into small pieces.

The first harvest from the Transfarmers happens after about 6 months, through the bottom plug, once you see rich, dark soil that smells like humus. Protect the floor with newspaper, open the plug, and leave it open for a few minutes so the visible worms can move up toward the peels. Then gently collect the compost by scraping with a small trowel or a small rake, and stop as soon as the material becomes coarse. Put any undecomposed pieces and any worms you caught by mistake back into the Transfarmers pot. There's no rush: mature compost can wait.

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