Triformis CAN-O-WORMS

Many companies have tried to copy the Can-O-Worms, but none can compare with the Genuine Article. The secret to it's success is surface area, pure and simple. Most of the knock-offs employ a smaller… square design which limits the surface area of food. Composting worms feed very close to the surface, so "more surface area" = "faster composting". I have a family of 5 and we eat a lot of fresh fruit and veggies. This leaves us with a LOT of waste in the form of peels, rinds, cores, stalks etc. The Can-O-Worms, with it's SUPERIOR amount of surface area, keeps up with our food waste easily. The downside, depending on where you plan on putting the unit, is space... it takes up a lot of space compared with the smaller square designs. If you'll have your bin in the basement or outside, definitely go with the Can-O-Worms. If you are looking for something that can sit (relatively) unobtrusive in your kitchen, stay away from this one and go with one of the smaller knock-offs.

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This IS a great design, and I am loving having our own worm farm. We attempted to create our own via tupperware storage container with holes drilled on the bottom, but weren't successful. This is much… easier and much more fun. One reviewer complained of issues with rain as well as the spigot allowing escapees. Advice: keep the spigot closed and use the tea frequently for your plants so as to prevent overflowing from the container and/or escapees. Use the bottom compartment / layer for the tea ONLY, no compost or worms. All wayword worms can wiggle themselves back to the upper levels and out of the tea if needed, and won't escape if the spigot is closed (and if tea is used often, then if a worm flows out your spigot and into your garden it is beneficial, too). Keep the lid on the top layer and the spigot closed when not in use, and rain is not an issue. Also, I added double the worms from the beginning and have gotten excellent results. If keeping outside where odor becomes an issue, cover your freshest kitchen scraps with a light layer of dirt, and the smell will be covered as well.

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I have two Can-O-Worms units. I bought one about 5 years ago and the other a year ago. I have found them sturdy and durable: the older unit looks as good as the newer one! (In fact, I cannot tell which one… is new.) I think that the round shape of the COW trays helps distribute the weight of food waste/compost evenly and thus gives less stress to the plastic. The square tray system that I had about 5 years ago warped and cracked easily and did not stay in a good shape for long. Can-O-Worms is easy to use but, if you are interested in successful composting, you need to take care of it. BTW I also enjoyed using a "homemade" worm bin made from plywood. I painted it to help preserve wood, but it was completely rotten after 7-8 years of use. With nails and hinges, it was not easy to dispose. It worked great while it lasted, though. I hope that COW units made from recycled plastic will last longer!

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Well constructed, and easy to maintain (if you can think like a worm...). I do have to consider the SW Florida temperatures, so placement in the shade is needed. Be SURE to protect from the broiling summer… setting sun in FL! I have only had the C.O.W. for one summer but it looks like I have been successful for my first try. I'm beginning the second layer tomorrow, while I have not yet harvested worm castings I have gathered gallons of worm tea, and sickly plants I used it on and had planned on digging up from the garden are now coming to life. I DO HAVE lots of other 'critters' living in there with the red worms but they are all composters like the worms and are harmless (if not a bit creepy looking). As long as I don't overfeed the worms or feed them the wrong stuff I think this will be a great source of compost and a much more efficient use of kitchen waste.

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This worm bin is highly rated ... if that's the case, all I can say is - make sure you *really* want one and don't buy the others, they must be truly awful! We've had our bin for about two years. We have… to bring it in during the winter - keep that in mind, before buying, that you need a place inside for a big container of rotting food scraps! - it's not terribly horrible but I wouldn't call it completely odorless either. And we only do veggies as recommended. But the main problem - this summer, our worm have started escaping from the drain spout! They end up in the container set to capture the "worm tea" and will drown, if we don't notice them in time. Or if it rains overnight, the tea container overflows, as does quiet a few worms. Our first attempt to keep them in was a piece of window screen between the base and the first bin layer. The screen catches lots of sediment but the worms pass right through! We next cut up a permanent gold coffee filter and tried to cover the drain opening. Some worms are still escaping, though not as many. Yet. As you can imagine, this escaping worm problem needs to be solved before winter and we move the worm bin inside! Otherwise, I'm ready to vote we leave it outside and by the spring, we'll be done with the "worm business"! PS: We're just reading that nylons may help keep them in ... and night lights and all sorts of other tricks. Or maybe they're not happy. A lot of work - not quite what I envisioned when I bought this as a birthday present for my boyfriend. We now joke that a worm bin is a gift you give to someone you hate!

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