Vermiculture and Worm Composting

Are you looking for a natural way to garden and dispose of food scraps? Look no further than the lowly red worm! Vermicomposting or worm composting is the process of using worms and micro-organisms to turn kitchen waste into a nutrient-rich humus that makes vegetable garden plants thrive. Worm compost is a natural fertilizer and soil amendment or conditioner.

Vermiculture Facts:

Red worms or red wigglers are the best worms for vermicomposting. Red worms may be found in compost piles, rotting vegetation or manure. They are not the same as earthworms you find in the soil, although they are a species of earthworm. The various species of earthworms play a mighty role in nature.

To get started with vermiculture, get at least a pound of red worms. They can be purchased online, at bait stores, or sometimes at garden centers. Experts say that one pound of worms eat approximately 1/2 pound of food scraps daily! After taking the food through their bodies, the worms excrete it as vermicast (aka Worm Castings, Worm Poop, Worm Manure.) The process of producing vermicompost is called vermicomposting.

Where do you keep the worms?

In a worm bin. This can be as simple as an old dresser drawer, trunk or wooden barrel. Basically, a worm bin is a box with a lid. It can be wood or plastic. If you keep the worm bin inside, you can cover it with burlap or plastic. If you use a plastic box and lid, don’t keep the lid clamped down – let it loosely rest on top to allow the worms and microorganisms enough oxygen to live. Allow for drainage with between 8 – 14 holes in the bottom, depending upon box size. Worms like cool, dark, moist places.

See the resources below if you want to build your own worm bin. Alternatively, you can purchase worm bins online or at many garden centers.

What can you feed the worms?

-vegetable scraps

-fruit peelings (make sure no pesticides were used on the fruit)

-leftover pasta

-bread and grains

-tea bags

-coffee grounds and filters

-well-crushed eggshells

Don’t feed them:

-Meat

-Bones

-Wood scraps/twigs, etc.

-Cheese or dairy

-Fat

-Grass clippings

-Banana peels (or anything else that might have had pesticides sprayed on it)

-no synthetic materials

What do you use for worm bedding?

-Shredded cardboard

-Shredded newspaper

-Any shredded paper

-Buy commercial worm bedding

-Shredded fall leaves

-Shredded dead plants

-Chopped up straw

-Compost

Your bin needs to be filled about 3/4 full with the bedding. Wet the bedding and wring out the excess. Allow it to dry some but not completely. Then put it into the bin and “fluff” it up. Keep your bedding moist by misting it with water from time to time. The key is moist bedding – not wet!

What is the Carbon to Nitrogen Ratio?

Balance your green matter (e.g. scraps) and your brown matter (bedding)in a ratio of about 2 to 1. Technically, that is called the carbon to nitrogen ratio. Bury kitchen scraps under the bedding to reduce smells and outside pests.

What is the best temperature for worm bins?

They tolerate 50 – 77 degrees. Bring your worms inside if it is going to freeze, or if it gets over 85 degrees F.

How do red worms reproduce?

Redworms are hermaphroditic. They produce one egg capsule every 2 or 3 weeks. The egg capsule usually contains a dozen babies. Your supply of worms will grow quickly and you may soon need to add more boxes, or get a bigger box!

Further reading on vermiculture:

Earth 911.org: A wonderful website with pages on how to make a worm compost bin and all about worm farming. Not just about vermiculture, Earth911.org has a great many other earth-friendly topics.

Project: a href=”http://www.kidsgardeningstore.com/16-1158.html

“A Worm Lab from the National Gardening Association’s “Gardening With Kids” store

Book: Worms Eat My Garbage: How to Set Up and Maintain a Worm Composting System, Mary Applehof, Mary F. Fenton, Eco-Logic Books / Worldly Goods.

Urban Agriculture Notes, Canada’s City Farmer, Worm Composting tutorial