Vermicomposting: A Beginners Guide

Have you ever wanted to start your own composting system but felt limited on space, time and funds? Maybe you live in an apartment, tiny house or any other space that doesn’t offer available land. Vermicomposting may be for you!

Vermicomposting, or worm composting, is a process by which worms break down organic matter and convert it into a valuable nitrogen-rich soil amendment that can be used to fertilize both in-ground and container gardens. So basically, you feed the worms your leftover fruit and vegetable scraps and they produce castings by the handful every week that can be added directly to your plants!

Benefits of Vermicomposting:

Worm castings will improve soil structure, help retain moisture and introduce beneficial microbes into the soil that will help break down nutrients, making them more readily available for plants. They also act as a natural pest repellent while nourishing the soil, building up soil health over time instead of breaking it down like most chemical fertilizers do. Not only that, but compared to regular lawn soil, worm castings are:

●      7 times richer in phosphorus

●      5 times richer in nitrogen

●      11 times richer in potash

Which style bin is right for you?

There are two main types of worm bins: Those that can stand alone on a balcony (or even in a cupboard) and those that can be put directly into a garden bed. We recently put a worm bin in our demonstration plot at Weslyn Park to help prepare the bed for the fall growing season, and our Little Explorers crew had a great time learning about all the benefits of composting with worms during their Little Gardeners Day!

There are many worm bins readily available on the market that range from $60 - $300, but they are also very easy to DIY. You can make a worm bin out of plastic bins or wooden boxes lined with plastic. To make a worm bin that can be buried in a garden bed: Find a wide but shallow storage bin that comes with a secure lid and drill several ⅛ inch holes in the base and ¼ inch holes in the sides of the bin. Then dig the bin into your garden plot until only the top ¼ or so is visible. Fill in about 6 inches with your bedding of choice: this can be coconut coir or shredded cardboard, paper bags or black and white newspaper with a couple cups of soil and leaves thrown in. Make sure the bedding is wet but not soaking, it should feel like a run out sponge. Add the worms and a worm blanket (burlap or cardboard both work great) and let your worms acclimate to their new home for a few days before feeding them for best results.

To make a stand-alone worm bin: Find three identical storage containers and repeat the process above with just one of them, then set that bin aside. Take the second bin and drill holes in it just like you did the first, and then place two bricks inside that bin. Next, take your third bin and place two bricks inside as well, but do not drill any holes. Lastly, stack the bins on top of each other so that the worm bin is on the top and the bin without holes is on the bottom. And voila! Set it up in a shady area and keep the soil moist and the worms well fed! Once the bin on the top gets full, simply switch it out with the bin in the middle and add new bedding, and let the worms migrate into the new top bin, leaving behind fresh compost to use in the garden. Remember to regularly empty out any liquid from the base box. When diluted with water, this mixture makes a great compost tea!

Feed the worms an ample supply of fruit and vegetable scraps, eggshells, tea leaves (and bags), coffee grounds, grains, bread, pasta, grass clippings, hair, and herbivore animal manure. Avoid adding citrus, onions and garlic and never add meat or dairy. To avoid pest issues, it is recommended to freeze leftovers for 48 hours before adding them to the bin, but it is not required.

Keep the temperature of the bin between 55-83 degrees Fahrenheit. Freezing temperatures and hot days can easily kill the worms. The easiest way to control the temp is with a good bin location. Keeping it out of direct sunlight and using ice, insulation, and moisture regulation will help to regulate temperature extremes.

Which Worms Should I Use?

A special type of worm called red wigglers or redworms are best suited for vermicomposting bins. Earthworms from your yard do not have teeth and must rely on bacteria to break down the food enough for them to swallow. For this reason, they prefer crawling into finished compost that has cooled down, making them a good indicator of healthy soil in the yard but a poor choice for compost creation in a worm bin. Red wigglers can be bought online for cheap and shipped right to your door in 48 hours.

Caring for composting worms is not only easy, but it’s a fun way to reduce food waste and create a product for your yard that is 100% organic and sustainable. The castings never expire, and worms are known for being a self-sustaining population, meaning if you go on vacation for a few weeks, they won’t lay as many eggs in order to conserve remaining food. Creating a worm bin and tracking temperature changes is a great science project to do with kids and ensures years of healthy soil for the garden.

With a plethora of resources and information online, it’s never been easier to start your own worm project today!