Vermiculture
What is Vermicomposting?
Vermicomposting uses worms to convert your organic waste to compost rather than the microbial-dependent decomposition process used in backyard composters. Vermicomposting enriches the soil, improves its water retention, and enhances germination and plant growth.
The Redworm, also known as the Red Wriggler or Eisenia foetida, is the shining star of vermicomposters, although European Night Crawlers are a fine substitute. When you throw kitchen scraps into a worm bin, what the worms really seek to consume are the nourishing microorganisms decomposing the scraps. These worms excrete worm castings, which is a valuable soil conditioner because it contains eight times as many beneficial microorganisms as the food supply. Worm castings are loaded with nutrients: they contain seven times more phosphorus, five times more nitrogen, and eleven times more potassium than typical soil. It retains moisture in your soil and enhances the growth and yield of your garden.
One of the biggest differences that sets worm composting apart is that it can be done indoors, which allows for year-round composting, as well as composting in small places like apartments, classrooms, or homes without large yards. Because worms consume waste so quickly (they eat their weight in bedding and organic waste daily), it is ideal for kitchen scrap disposal, since food would not linger long enough to create an offensive odor. And since the worm compost bin can not be exposed to extreme temperatures, the ideal storage spot is right in your home. Another winning benefit: as worms move through the bedding and compost, they aerate the pile for you, eliminating the need for manual pile turning.
If you have kids, give vermicomposting a shot. Like chocolate and peanut butter, kids and worms are a perfect pair. Most children are inexorably drawn to the idea of "pet worms" that they can feed. It is an invaluable educational tool that instills the importance of recycling and the fundamentals of the carbon cycle.
How to Compost with Worms
Worms enjoy a carbon to nitrogen ratio of about 30:1, plus water to keep it moist. Use shredded paper for your “browns”, or carbon-rich material, and food scraps as your “greens”, the nitrogen-rich material. There are two methods of feeding: top feeding and pocket feeding. Top feeding means the organic materials are place directly on top of the existing layer of bedding. Pocket feeding is when a top layer of bedding is maintained and food is buried beneath. We recommend the pocket feeding method. Feed your worms one to two times a week by burying the scraps a few inches into the bedding, making sure to bury food in different places each time. Depending on how much you feed them, the worms will gradually reproduce and die. Worms can consume about four to six pounds of food scraps in a week. A whole mess of food at once could attract fruit flies, so increase your scraps slowly but steadily and cover the bedding to keep them out. In four to six months, the worms should have converted the bedding and food into castings which need to be harvested to start composting again.
Vermicomposting bins should have holes on the side to increase aeration so the bin is ventilated and the worms can breathe. Consistently removing the compost, adding holes to the bin or using a continuous-flow bin will help bring in oxygen to your crawling critters. Without enough oxygen, the compost will become anaerobic decay and produce an offensive odor. Furthermore, if you have a non-continuous flow bin, the excess liquid needs to be drained and can be used as plant food; a continuous flow bin doesn’t retain the excess liquid and needs extra water to keep the bedding moist.
Now comes the exciting part—reaping the fruit of your worm’s voracious appetites! There are two ways of harvesting your castings: “Dump and Sort” and “Side by Side”.
The “Dump and Sort” method requires you to pour your compost bin contents onto a plastic sheet or similar, waterproof platform under bright light. Separate the contents into pyramid shaped piles. Your photosensitive worms will make their way to the bottom of the piles, and in 10-15 minutes, you can skim your rich castings from the top of the pyramids. Repeat until only the worms remain, then place them into your bin with fresh bedding to start the vermincomposting process again.
The “Side by Side” method is recommended for the squeamish that prefer not to touch the worms. Begin the process by burying your organic scraps in different spots on one side of the bin over a number of weeks. Your worms will migrate to the side with the food, and you are now free to cull the castings on the other side. When it’s ready to harvest again, place the food on the opposite side and repeat the process.
Once you take the time to understand the factors that create a successfully efficient worm compost bin, you will realize how easy vermicomposting can be!
| Factors Affecting Rate | Description |
|---|---|
| Worm | Use the Redworm or European Night Crawler for your worm compost bin. Some worm compost bin on our site specify which to use. Always refer to manufacturer instructions for specifics over this general site. Worms consume their weight in carbon and nitrogen rich organic scraps every 24 hours. A good way to calculate how many worms to buy is to use a 2:1 ratio—two pounds of worms for every pound of organic kitchen scraps your household produces daily. Beginners may want to start with two pounds and progress with their skill. |
| Temperature | Since worms are living creatures, their comfort is of utmost importance for optimal worm bin operation. The ideal temperature for the bin is between 60-80°F, but you have wiggle room of 40-90°F before the worms are adversely impacted. It is best to store the bin in a cool, dark place within the home for stability. Do not allow the bin to freeze or overheat. |
| Bedding (carbon Content) | Bedding for your worms is important. Initially, it takes up approximately 2/3 of your new bin is space and provides half of the worm is carbon-nitrogen diet. In addition, it offers a dark, moist hiding place for the photosensitive worms. Shredded cardboard, paper, coir bricks, untreated wood shavings, and chopped straw and hay are suitable bedding materials. |
| Water Content | If worms dry out, they die. For this reason, bedding must be kept moist but never dripping wet, or anaerobic (oxygen-free) conditions can occur and lead to odors and the suffocation of the worms (they can drown). Since worms themselves produce liquid, it may be necessary to occasionally add dry bedding to the bottom of bins that have become saturated. In addition, make sure your bin has holes on the bottom to allow for adequate drainage. |
| Food Scraps (Nitrogen Content) | Chop up your organic kitchen scraps and add them to your worm bin composter, along with a grit like soil, cornmeal, or finely crushed egg shells to help worms digest their meal in their gizzard. Feed the worms about twice a week, between 1.5-2 lbs. of accumulated scraps, adjusting portions to your amount of worms as necessary using the 2:1 ratio describe above. |
| Oxygenation | Worms require a constant source of fresh air, breathing through their skin. Make sure your bin has adequate ventilation holes. You will not need to turn your compost to aerate it like backyard compost. Those gluttonous little worms do that for you! |
Let’s review the following steps:
- Choose from a wide selection of worm compost bin at Composters.com.
- Prepare bedding for your worms, making sure it takes up at least 2/3 of the container space and is moist but not soggy. Check out our Bedding Recipe to help.
- Add your Redworms or European Night Crawlers to the bedding under direct light. Due to their photosensitivity, the worms will begin to burrow into the dark safety of their bedding.
- After the worms have been allowed to settle for a day or two, begin feeding them your organic scrap waste twice weekly.
- When bedding has been almost entirely consumed, harvest the valuable compost.
Keep in mind these are general steps. For instructions that relate to your specific worm bin, refer to the manufacturer guidelines.
Bedding Recipe
Redworms just love shredded paper bedding. First, get a pile of used office paper and remove the color inserts, plastic windows, and glossy advertisements. Then carefully run it through a paper shredder, a few pages at a time, so it is not too compressed - avoid using the cross-cutting models that mince the paper into confetti sized particles. Next, moisten the paper ever so slightly - you want the bedding to be evenly moist at all times, but NEVER dripping wet. For optimum results, mix in a tiny bit of processed steer manure from your local garden center (do not use fresh cow spore - it will heat up too much and kill the worms). To go the extra mile for your worm new home, pick up a simple pH test kit and occasionally monitor the acidity levels of the bedding. You want to make sure that the pH does not drop too far or too quickly into the acid range - it could kill the worms. You can balance out the pH with a little pulverized limestone from your local nursery. Scatter a handful or two of soil over the bedding - this will provide grit, which aids digestion. You can also do the same thing with shredded cardboard!
What to put in your worm bin
The best and most convenient thing you can feed your worms is kitchen scraps. All vegetable and fruit peels, pasta leftovers, coffee grounds, tea bags, and breads are good, as well as grass clippings, plant trimmings and leaves. Start feeding your worms slowly, since it will take time for the bacteria to grow. A small combination of gritty materials like bread and vegetables should do the trick. The worms won’t be hungry because they will be eating their own bedding; after you’ve been feeding them for a while, you can gradually start to increase their food intake, but not by too much!
The following list is a cheat sheet provided for your convenience:
- Fruit and veggie scraps
- Leftover pasta (without oil or sauce)
- Plain rice
- Egg cartons
- Coffee trays
- Tea bags (without staples)
- Coffee grinds
- Cornmeal (for grit)
- Soil (for grit)
- Finely crushed egg shell (for grit)
- Breads
- Grains and cereals
- Beans
- Untreated sawdustGrass clippings Hair clippings Plant trimmings Paper Leaves
What NOT to put in your worm bin:
Worms cannot break down synthetic materials, bones, or heavy proteins and fats that are found in meat scraps. Therefore, just like with a regular compost bin, you cannot feed them meats, fatty foods, weeds, or anything involving chemicals. Don’t throw away bottle caps, plastic bags, or foil in your bin, since they won’t decompose and make your bin look like a trashcan. And don’t add manure like you would with regular compost, since this will heat up the bin and effectively kill your worms. Worms also dislike garlic and onion, as well as very spicy foods. If you notice any bad smells, cut back on the amount of food or cut it into smaller pieces. More leafy vegetables and less citrus fruits can also help cut down on any odd stenches.
The following list is a cheat sheet provided for your convenience:
- Garlic
- Onion
- Meats and bones
- Dairy products
- Oily food
- Heavily spiced or hot foods
- Anything with insecticide or chemicals
- Twigs
- Metal and foils
- Plastics
- Weeds
- Manure
- Garden soil
Methods for Vermicomposting
Vermicompost, like we mentioned earlier, is a fantastic soil nutrient. You can distribute the compost over your flower beds or garden by lightly digging it into your soil. It’s very potent, so you should typically use half of what you would have used with normal compost. If you use it on potted plants, add a thin layer to the top—no more than 25% of the potting soil should be compost. Try a little experimentation to find the best results for your botanic beauties.
As long as it is stored in an airtight container, the vermicompost can keep for approximately a year. Once it dries out, it loses a lot of its nutritional value and resists moisture.
Tips and Advice
When you go on vacation: Your worms will be fine for 2-3 weeks, and would not exhibit too much separation anxiety. If your cruise to Jamaica is longer than 3 weeks, you will need to enlist the aid of a friend to worm-sit.
Rodents and pests: Since vermicomposting is done primarily indoors, you shouldn’t be attracting rodents or pests. However, if you are putting meat or lots of kitchen waste into the worm bin your chances of attracting unwelcome pests increases. Using a sealed bin will help keep out pesky critters.
Odor: Like backyard composting, a properly maintained worm compost bin will not stink. If your bin does smell, it indicates anaerobic conditions. Common reasons for the occurrence include overfeeding your worms and bins that are too wet. Make sure the worms have finished all the kitchen scraps before adding more, and gently fluff bedding to aerate. Add more bedding or use a turkey baster to suck up excess moisture. Other reasons could include an excess of greens—neutralize the odor by adding carbon-rich browns like paper and dried leaves.
Other creatures in my worm bin: Once your worms are thriving, you may notice other creatures rummaging in your bin. Springtails, pill bugs and millipedes are just a few, and they are beneficial, as they help breakdown the materials in the bin.
Worms, Worm Composters and Accessories
Composters.com features a great selection of vermicomposting bins and worm accessories that will help make the process easy and fun!
Worm composters are designed to be spaces your worms can live in harmony, happily munching away on your kitchen leftovers. The type of bin you need depends on how much waste you throw away. If you feed a large family every night, chances are you need a larger bin. If you vermicompost from an apartment, you probably don’t need a huge bin to do the job. The Expandable Worm Tower, which can hold about 5-8 lbs. of waste, separates food scraps from finished compost using an upward migration system so that when the top worms finish digesting, they will go towards the new food at the top, leaving castings behind. The Advanced BioSafe System, on the other hand, has the capacity to handle 15-20 lbs. of waste per day and works great both indoors and outdoors. Though we carry all sorts of worm bins, you’ll need to figure out which one is perfect for your vermicomposting needs. And if you need troubleshooting or have a question, the dual-sided Rott Wheeler Quick Reference Guide is an outstanding source that’s made for beginners so it’s easy to understand and works well as a teaching aide.
Once you have your worm bin, you need worms to put in it! Redworms or Nightcrawlers are the ideal worms for vermiculture. A pound of worms can range from 100-1000 worms, depending on season, harvesting mechanism, temperature, and species; a pound is enough to eat up a half-pound of garbage. How many worms you need depends on how much kitchen waste you produce each day. Add worms by scattering them over the top, as they will work their way down to the center to avoid the light. Worms are hermaphrodites and will breed in your bin. However, worms regulate their population to suit their conditions and many eggs are lost in the compost harvest. You should have no problem with over breeding.
Once your bin is set up, your bedding is made, and your worms are safely inside, store your bin someplace within the home where it will be of convenience to you and provide a dark, quiet spot for your worms. They are not fond of bright light, noise, and vibration, and many people find success storing them in a closet, kitchen, or basement. You can keep them outside in most places during the spring, summer and fall seasons. Make sure the place is cool and shaded. However, bring them inside during the winter. Never allow your bin to freeze!