Vermicomposting, or worm composting as it is more commonly known, is the process of using worms to break down discarded food and other organic wastes and convert them into compost and liquid fertilizers. Not only will this process save you money, but it will also downscale your environmental footprint. Vermicompost systems can be purchased online or assembled cheaply by up-cycling materials found around the house or at a local thrift store.
Avoid fruit flies by covering food scraps with a few inches of bedding and/or freeze food scraps before adding them to your vermicompost bin.
Implementing the three R’s (reducing, reusing, and recycling) into your lifestyle through vermicomposting benefits you financially!
Products of your vermicompost can be used horticulturally for the benefit of houseplants and gardens.
Vermicomposting encompasses all three R’s: reducing, reusing, and recycling.
All worms are not created equal! Choosing the right worms for vermicompost can make or break your compost system. It is important to understand the difference between earth worms and composting worms.
The worms you see most often, crawling on pavement after a long rain or burrowing deep into your garden are known as earth workers, or earth worms. While beneficial in their own way, earth worms are not ideal for composting. Composting worms, such as red wigglers, are a non-native species preferred for composting; they process large amounts of organic waste daily, can handle disturbances and thrive in confinement, whereas earth workers do not.
The largest earthworm ever found was in South Africa and measured 22 feet from its nose to the tip of its tail.
Red Worms...or red wigglers, manure worms, red hybrids, tiger worms, striped worms, etc...
According to Mary Appelhof, worm guru and author of Worms Eat My Garbage (1997), red worms are the most satisfactory worms to use in home vermicomposting.
Know the species and genus name of the desired worm specimen before ordering or visiting a dealer.
Deposits that have moved through a worm’s digestive tract are worm castings. Castings are more homogenous and have a slightly higher salt concentration than regular compost. To achieve a higher concentration of castings in your bin, feed worms smaller amounts, less often.
A dark mixture of worm castings, organic material, and bedding in varying stages of decomposition is called worm compost. To achieve a higher concentration of compost in your bin, feed your worms larger amounts, more often.
Insert 1 cup of castings and 1½ tsp. molasses into a 2L soda bottle. Fill the bottle with non-chlorinated water, leaving about an inch of air at the top. Tighten the cap and shake the bottle to aerate the solution. Then remove the cap or pressure will build in the bottle as bacteria grow (bacterial growth is a good thing). To aid in growth, aerate the contents several times a day, remembering to remove the cap again after agitating the bottle. After 24 hours, the entire contents may be used as a liquid fertilizer.
If worms are unhappy, they will let you know. If your worms are attempting to escape their bin, they are not happy. Some common causes of worm escapees are: vibration, excessive or too little moisture, and extreme temperatures.
This is a common concern among those interested in vermicomposting. Because you bury the food and worms are voracious eaters, the most common smell described from vermicompost systems is “earthy.” Bins are generally kept with lids (don’t forget to drill holes!) either in a basement, garage, or under the kitchen sink (pictured below). If you have a large enough compost pile, you can possibly keep your system outdoors year-round.
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