What is it?
Worm composting, or vermicomposting, is a method of converting food waste into nutrient-rich compost and soil conditioner. As the "organic" trend is ever-increasing, worm composting is becoming a very popular way to fertilize home vegetable gardens. It's a great way to reduce waste, help the environment, and produce healthier vegetables, not to mention a great project to start with your kids! There are even cities with food waste programs. For example, Oakland, California will provide homeowners with a bin, and Vancouver provides a bin and even has a hotline for composters to call with questions.
If worm composting is something you've been thinking about, here are a few tips and things to get you started.
If worm composting is something you've been thinking about, here are a few tips and things to get you started.
What do I need?
The first thing you'll need to start your worm mecca is a container. Find or build a wooden or plastic container that is about 10-12" high and can be easily moved. You may find that your worms are getting too much sun or too much rain, so the container should be one you can lift and relocate. Drill several 3/4" holes in the bottom of the container to allow for ventilation and drainage. It will need to have a cover on it to keep out light and preserve the moisture.
Next you will need to fill the container about 3/4 full with bedding, which can consist of straw, shredded paper (with no color), chopped up leaves, etc. Also throw in a handful of sand and soil and you'll have a pretty good mixture. Make sure not to pack down the bedding because you want to leave space for air circulation. The bedding should be damp. If it's too dry, the worms won't eat it and if it's too wet, it'll start to rot and smell.
Next you will need to fill the container about 3/4 full with bedding, which can consist of straw, shredded paper (with no color), chopped up leaves, etc. Also throw in a handful of sand and soil and you'll have a pretty good mixture. Make sure not to pack down the bedding because you want to leave space for air circulation. The bedding should be damp. If it's too dry, the worms won't eat it and if it's too wet, it'll start to rot and smell.
Next come the worms! Night crawlers that you typically see in your soil at home are not what we're going for in this situation; they need to tunnel through dirt to eat and can't survive on vegetable waste. You'll need to find or purchase redworms, otherwise known as red wigglers or manure worms. If you don't want to scavenge around in a local manure farm, redworms can be purchased at a variety of places, like PlanetNatural.com. You'll need approximately 2,000 worms for every 1lb. of food waste. That sounds like a lot of worms, but they've got a big job ahead of them! You can always start out with a smaller amount of worms, but you'll have to also start with a smaller amount of food waste you're expecting them to compost.
*** Please note: with adequate food and a comfy home, worms can double their population in about 90 days. Starting small may not be a bad idea!
So what goes into a worm compost that they will eat and convert into some glorious fertilizer for your garden? You can throw in everything that you would throw into a typical compost bin: egg shells, fruits and vegetables, coffee grounds, tea bags, etc. To keep away flies, critters, and the STINK around your bin, avoid fatty foods, meats, grains, dairy, and especially fish. Try to stuff the food waste below the bedding and pick a different spot within the bin each day. If you do start to get an odor, you may be "feeding" the worms more than they can handle on a daily basis. The odor is most likely coming from the rotting food, not the composting, so try cutting back how much you put in the bin at a time.
*** Please note: with adequate food and a comfy home, worms can double their population in about 90 days. Starting small may not be a bad idea!
So what goes into a worm compost that they will eat and convert into some glorious fertilizer for your garden? You can throw in everything that you would throw into a typical compost bin: egg shells, fruits and vegetables, coffee grounds, tea bags, etc. To keep away flies, critters, and the STINK around your bin, avoid fatty foods, meats, grains, dairy, and especially fish. Try to stuff the food waste below the bedding and pick a different spot within the bin each day. If you do start to get an odor, you may be "feeding" the worms more than they can handle on a daily basis. The odor is most likely coming from the rotting food, not the composting, so try cutting back how much you put in the bin at a time.
Ta-da!
With the proper feeding and environment, you'll have the ideal organic fertilizer in about 10 weeks. You'll know it's ready when all of the bedding has turned into compost. At that point, separate the worms from the compost, and use them to start a new bin! Mix in a little of the fresh compost with them in the new bedding, and you'll have some very happy clams! Er, worms. Happy worms!
At this point, you can simply mix your fresh compost with some potting soil and it's ready! It's great for container plants or as mulch in your vegetable garden. You can't get more natural than that!