Composting With Worms
Let worms eat your organic waste! They will happily turn it into some of the best fertilizer on earth – worm compost, otherwise known as “worm castings” or “vermicompost.” A fascinating, fun and easy way to recycle your organic kitchen wastes, vermiculture:
- Requires very little work
- Produces no offensive odors
- Helps plants thrive
Only a few things are needed to make good worm compost: a bin, bedding, worms and worm food. By following the steps listed below, you will learn to make, maintain and use your own worm compost.
Only a few things are needed to make good worm compost: a bin, bedding, worms and worm food. Photo: Howstuffworks.com
Worm Bins
Your bin needs to be only 8 to 16 inches deep, since compost worms are surface feeders. You can build your own bin by using a washtub, dish pan, used shipping crate or a commercially available worm bin. Just be sure your bin has a lid to keep out flies and rodents. It also needs holes in the bottom (a quarter inch or smaller), for ventilation and drainage.
The rule of thumb for bin size is two square feet of surface area per person, or one square foot of surface area per pound of food waste per week. Because worms like moderate temperatures, place your bin in a shady location where it will not freeze or overheat. Some good locations include:
- Kitchen corner
- Garage
- Basement
- Patio
- Outside the back door
- Laundry room
Bedding Materials
Black and white newspaper is the most readily available and easy-to-use bedding material. Tear it into strips about one inch wide and moisten so it is as damp as a wrung-out sponge. Cow or horse manure can also be used to lighten bedding and absorb excess moisture.
A handful or two of soil, ground limestone or well-crushed eggshells every few months are good for providing grit and calcium. Fill your bin with moistened bedding, toss in a few handfuls of soil, and you are ready to add the worms and food. Over time, the bedding and food are eaten by the worms and turned into dark worm compost.
Worms
The best kind of worms for composting are “red worms” or “red wigglers.” They are often found in old compost piles, but are different from the earthworms you would normally find in the ground. These worms have a big appetite, reproduce quickly and thrive in confinement. They can eat more than their own weight in food every day! When purchasing red worms, one pound is all you need to get started.
Feeding Your Worms
Worms like to eat many of the same things we eat, only they aren’t so picky. Some of their favorites include:
- Stale bread
- Apple cores
- Orange peels
- Lettuce trimmings
- Coffee grounds
- Non-greasy leftovers
- Vegetable scraps
Begin feeding your worms only a little at a time. As they multiply, you can add larger quantities of food waste. Bury the waste into the bedding regularly, rotating around the bin as you go. When you return to the first spot, most of the food you buried there should have been eaten. If not, don’t worry. Just feed the worms less for a while.
Methods for Collecting Your Finished Worm Compost
After you have been feeding your worms for three to six months, you may notice the bedding has been eaten, and you can begin harvesting the brown, crumbly worm compost. Harvesting the compost and adding fresh bedding at least twice a year is necessary to keep your worms healthy.
Method 1:
Move the contents of your worm bin to one side, place fresh bedding in the empty space and bury your food wastes there for a month or so. Harvest the other side after the worms have migrated to the new food and bedding.
Method 2:
Remove one-third to one-half of the contents of your bin, worms and all, and add the worm compost to your garden soil. Add fresh bedding and food to your bin.
Method 3:
Spread a sheet of plastic out under a bright light or in the sun. Dump the contents of the worm box into a number of piles on the sheet. The worms will crawl away from the light into the center of each pile and you can brush away the worm compost on the outside by hand. Soon you will have wriggling piles of worms surrounded by doughnut-shaped piles of worm compost.
Using Your Worm Compost
Worm compost is more concentrated than most other composts because worms are excellent at digesting food wastes and breaking them down into simple plant nutrients. Use it sparingly for best results.
Mulching and Amending Soil
To mulch with worm compost, apply a one-inch layer to the soil around plants. Be sure the worm compost is not piled against plant stems. To amend soil, worm compost can be spread one-half to two inches thick over garden soil and mixed in before planting, or mixed into the bottom of seeding trenches or transplanting holes. You can also mulch your worm compost into:
- Houseplants: Sprinkle worm compost around the base of plants to fertilize. Each time you water, plant nutrients will seep into the soil.
- Potting Mixes: For healthy seedlings, mix one part worm compost with three parts potting mix or three parts sand and soil combined. Peat moss, pearlite and worm castings are also good ingredients to add.
Warning Signs
Some symptoms that your worm composting is not going as well as it could are:
- If your worms are dying
- If your bin smells rotten and/or attracts flies
Worms Dying
If your worms are dying there could be several causes:
- It may be that they are not getting enough food, which means you should bury more food into the bedding.
- They may be too dry, in which case you should moisten the box until it is slightly damp.
- They may be too wet, in which case you should add bedding.
- The worms may be too hot, in which case you should put the bin in the shade.
- The bedding is eaten, and it is time to add fresh bedding.
Bin Smells
If your bin smells rotten and/or attracts flies, there may be three causes:
- First, it may be that there is not enough air circulation. In this case, add dry bedding under and over the worms, and do not feed them for two weeks.
- Second, there may be non-compostables present such as meat, pet feces or greasy food. These should be removed.
- Third, there may be exposed food in the bin. In this case, secure the lid, cover food scraps with bedding, and cover worms and bedding with a sheet of plastic.
pssnunez
posted on June 14th, 2007 at 9:38 pm
Anyone know of a good place to get composting worms?
mindsprig
posted on June 17th, 2007 at 12:57 pm
Your local fish bait and tackle shop should have red worms.
pssnunez
posted on June 30th, 2007 at 12:37 pm
Can you put any type of shredded paper in the compost bin or just newspaper?
If you found a whole lot of red worms in the manure and mud piles at a stable would those be the right worms for composting?
pssnunez
posted on June 30th, 2007 at 12:39 pm
Can you feed worms peaches or apricots?
not3a3tree
posted on June 30th, 2007 at 3:51 pm
I think you can, as long as the paper is thin enugh for the worms to eventualy eat and holds water well:
It sead in the text above that almost eny worms will work, just not as well, Idk if they are the red worms or not:
I think you can, they are plant matter right?
starkat
posted on July 10th, 2007 at 11:21 am
http://www.greenculture.com has them … i bought my worm chalet from there. i haven’t found any bait/tackle shops that sell the red wrigglers by the pound yet, only by the dozen.
recyclingranger
posted on July 23rd, 2007 at 1:38 pm
If you are going to confine worms to a bin, you will need red wigglers because they are a surface feeding worm. Earthworms need to burrow and the worm bin may not be deep enough for this borrowing tendancy.
infopump
posted on July 30th, 2007 at 7:52 pm
Just returned from my first orientation for the RI Worm Network. It was held at the Cooperative Extension Education Center on the URI Kingston Campus. I already had been through the RI Master Composter & Recycler Program and feel like I’m ready to take on my own worm herd.
The worm ladies of Charlestown conducted training. They’re a source for red wigglers and are helping us get wiggling. They started with the wigglers to clean up the waste products from the Angora rabbits they raise. So that’s why there website is http://www.angoraandworms.com/
wormguy
posted on August 6th, 2007 at 5:54 pm
I’ve been subscribed to the newsletter here… http://www.wormfarmingsecrets.com for around 6 weeks now and they provide some very useful advice related to worm composting. There is a professional version available for a fee, but right now I’m just collecting the free edition which contains some great information also. I think they also run this worm composting blog here… http://www.bugdugle.com/wormcomposting/ as it contains a few questions that were answered in past newsletters and the guys name is the same on the blog. Not sure if they are related but thought this might help.
sharonstalcup
posted on August 8th, 2007 at 2:11 pm
I have masses of worms in my compost bin. I thought they were earth worms but someone told me they were not and that they were not good for plants. They are smaller than earth worms I normally find in my garden and are very red with pointed ends. I also have a lot of sow bugs (roly polys) and have just recently found fly larvae in the bin. I put only fruit and vegetable peelings/scraps, egg shells and coffee grounds w/filter in the bin. I occasionally add dirt to the compost. Are these worms bad and should I try to get rid of them? I thought they were a good thing.
Composting with Worms · amuchbetterway.com Blog
posted on November 27th, 2007 at 1:27 pm
[...] needed to make good worm compost: a bin, bedding, worms, and worm food.” Worm Composting – Earth911.com Author: Duong VickiYou may have heard of Cesar Milan, also known as the Dog Whisperer, but are you [...]
lilshawty911
posted on December 10th, 2007 at 9:46 pm
i think i know where you can get worms…….
they are at pet markets soo i am told
wormnwomn
posted on December 17th, 2007 at 8:56 pm
“You can build your own bin, use a washtub, a dish pan, a used shipping crate…”
I use a dish pan with great success. Generally speaking the larger the bin the more forgiving your system is, but a dish pan is such a ‘personal’ size. Because of it’s small size it is easy to keep handy so you can check in on it on a regular basis. If it is a healthy bin you will see every aspect of the worms life cycle. This brings the facinating world of the worm composting bin into your life.
Wormnwomn
http://www.christyruffner.com
Handle your organic waste the way nature intended.
http://www.vermiculturenorthwest.com
wormnwomn
posted on December 21st, 2007 at 9:16 am
In my bins I have lost more worms from letting the bedding get too dry. It is said worms can handle wet and cold better that hot and dry.
The worm bin is a composting system, and if you are mixing up the material with adequate moisture you are going to be producing heat. In the colder winter months this is not a bad thing. But in the hotter summer months I have to be very careful to not get too much composting going on. I try to let the worms do the work.
Wormnwomn
http://www.christyruffner.com
Worm bin composting, handling our organic waste the way Mother Nature intended.
johnpahoa
posted on December 24th, 2007 at 3:14 pm
prey tell why I can not buy worms from the main land I live in HI. and the two plac es I have found to purchess worms one is out of product and has been for six mounths the other is on another island and they want $100.00 for two lbs WRONG aloha ps I live on the big Island of hawaii
Why Compost With Worms? » Florida Trust
posted on December 31st, 2007 at 5:30 am
[...] http://earth911.com/blog/2007/04/02/composting-with-worms/ [...]
Worm Composting Tips · Natural Living - A Much Better Way
posted on January 17th, 2008 at 8:34 pm
[...] Worm Composting Tips “This is a fascinating, fun, and easy way to recycle your organic kitchen wastes. Worm composting, or vermiculture, requires very little work, produces no offensive odors, and helps plants thrive. Only a few things are needed to make good worm compost: a bin, bedding, worms, and worm food.” Worm Composting – Earth911.com [...]
Why Compost With Worms?
posted on February 13th, 2008 at 3:27 pm
[...] the steps listed below, you will learn to make, take care of, and use your own worm compost. http://earth911.com/blog/2007/04/02/composting-with-worms/ It’s simple. The worms are kept in a bin with shredded paper or other biodegradable bedding. You [...]
wormnwomn
posted on February 21st, 2008 at 7:49 am
While I will admit that the basics of worm composting is easy, after all the worms are doing all the real work, I don’t think it’s fair to lead newbies to worm composting to believe there is no work involved by remarking how simple or easy it is. Worm composting can start as simple as a bin, tub or bucket. Add some shredded newspaper, manure, leaves, or a combination of the same with moisture, introduce your composting worms and your adventure begins. But keeping your bin healthy and active takes a little more attention to detail, and especially once your bin gets ready for harvesting.
Getting your worms out of the old material into new takes some creativity, time and effort. Depending on the condition of the worm bin at that time you also have to deal with processing the finished material to make it workable in the garden or for seed starting.
Wormnwomn
http://www.ChristyRuffner.com
Let nature take care of the composting.
http://www.vermiculturenorthwest.com
Wasted Food » Blog Archive » Indoor Composting
posted on February 25th, 2008 at 10:39 pm
[...] The cool people at Pouch seemed really positive about the method. While this UK blogger is pretty excited about her burgeoning Bokashism, she hasn’t had it long. Amazon is all over Bokashi and I’m sure you can find it elsewhere, too. Drop me a line if you have first-hand experience with Bokashi. Of course, there’s always composting with worms! [...]
vermipro
posted on March 13th, 2008 at 7:00 am
You can purchase worms by the pound from http://www.ENRECOS.com . They ship out on Monday and Tuesday to people across the US every week. Check out their Bedding Material line item too.
wormnwomn
posted on March 16th, 2008 at 9:36 pm
Any time is a good time to decide to start composting with worms. And while composting with worms is a great way to take care of your organic waste, this time of year I am reminded of how excellent the by-product, vermicompost, is for the gardener. If you put the vermicompost through an 1/8th inch screen you will have an outstanding addition to your seed starting mix when starting those seeds for your garden in the spring.
Wormnwomn
http://www.asthewormsturn.com
Handle your organic waste as nature intended.
http://www.vermiculturenorthwest.com
Earth Day aka “Green Love” 2008 « One Lone Tree
posted on April 21st, 2008 at 5:05 pm
[...] Worm Composting with Earth 911 [...]
vermiculture
posted on May 24th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
[...] [...]
Diane E. Johanson
posted on October 27th, 2008 at 7:12 am
Two years ago I purchased red worms for a composting box from you and would like to send some of my extras to my teacher daughter in Nevada. My first attempt was a failure, although the temperatures in that area have fallen into the low 80’s. I’m guessing that it was still too hot in the mailbox during the day.
I packed them in damp newspaper with a small amount of “food” in a closed plastic bag. Any suggestions as to how I might try this again??
Diane Johanson, Rochester, NY
libru
posted on November 3rd, 2008 at 5:24 pm
Our small town collects all the fallen leaves in the fall and takes them to one location to sit over the winter in big piles. I the spring you can go get all you want for your gardens. You will also get millions of redworms in the mix, all for free.
Suzanne
posted on November 4th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Try shipping them in a paper bag inside the box – or something with ventilation. We had some shipped to us in Chinese food boxes! You could also include a partially thawed Blue Ice container to keep it cool.
Tiffany
posted on December 15th, 2008 at 5:19 pm
http://composters.com has a huge supply of various worm hotels, expandable worm bungalows, etc. Not to mention, the red worms themselves. Probably more than meets the average DIY vermiculture needs, but pretty cool anyway.
Ranching Underground Livestock : Blue Planet Green Living
posted on December 17th, 2008 at 6:44 am
[...] Vermiculture, or worm farming, is an important element in the Somervilles’ plan for their 140 acres in Johnson County, Iowa. Just this year, they received certification as an organic farm. The compost they’re making will enrich the soil for next spring’s crops of organic hops, sweet potatoes, and alfalfa, as well as their family garden. [...]
annonymous
posted on December 21st, 2008 at 12:20 pm
So you need red worms for it to work?
Jim Heberle
posted on December 26th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
I happen to be a full blown worm farm. Your supplys are here on my farm. Looking for out lets. We will be the largest worm in New York State very shortly.
Jim Heberle
posted on December 26th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
My website link is : http://www.vermigreenny.com .. site is still in the makeing, will be up shortly
We have TONS !! of compost ready to go. Litteraly TONS
ck
posted on December 27th, 2008 at 4:58 pm
I’ve had my bin going for 7mo. Recently I’ve noticed snails, they seem to be reproducing rapidly. What is the advantage or disadvantage of these slim producers?
giovanni tomaino
posted on January 2nd, 2009 at 10:07 pm
Please if you have any questions at all don’t hesitate to call me or e-mail me anytime.
giovanni tomaine
posted on January 3rd, 2009 at 7:24 am
we sale red wiggles worms and worms castings.
giovanni tomaine
posted on January 3rd, 2009 at 7:41 am
My friends told me to sign up for the newsletter here. They e-mailed me one. Newsletter is great so I signed up for it.. special-tworms.com
giovanni tomaine
posted on January 4th, 2009 at 4:29 pm
Hello Giovanni my name is Anthony just one let you know I purchased some ones from your company and they came to me in three days thank you so much for the worms and the worm castings. I did order to my warm castings and made worm tea. just like you explain to me on the phone. Also I bought a box and put my worms in with a lot of betting and food. Again thank you Giovanni for all your help Anthony
Stephen Hersh
posted on January 4th, 2009 at 7:44 pm
We’ve been worm composting for over a year and now we have a huge vinegar fly infestation. Any suggestions?
Ekere S. Enyeima
posted on January 5th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
Does any one know of somebody who is will to donate a worm bin to a non-for-profit environmental organization?
giovanni tomaine
posted on January 5th, 2009 at 3:19 pm
Hello Stephen what you can do is take a cup of vinegar put it next to your worm bin. Most of the flies will go in there. The remaining flies that left in your worm bin use a vacuum cleaner to clean the rest of them out.
Erin
posted on January 12th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
You can get worms in quantities of 500, 1000, 2000, etc from http://www.gardenworms.com
Sky
posted on January 15th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
I need 10 steps to how to get your compost/worm bin started. Please contact me through my email. I need it before 2:00 pm today.
kim
posted on January 22nd, 2009 at 10:43 am
“I’ve had my bin going for 7mo. Recently I’ve noticed snails, they seem to be reproducing rapidly. What is the advantage or disadvantage of these slim producers?”
I did some research, and it turns out snails won’t hurt your worms. However, be sure to really sift your castings for eggs because they will destroy plants. You can also sell the snails!
Worm Compost at Joseph’s blog
posted on February 9th, 2009 at 8:33 am
[...] http://earth911.com/blog/2007/04/02/composting-with-worms/ [...]
composter usa
posted on February 18th, 2009 at 10:58 pm
Make use of a composter
Valerie Schoenberg
posted on February 19th, 2009 at 12:52 pm
I have just started on my worm compost and made the bed, well dampened newspaper torn in 1″ strips, added 1lb of worms, burried the scraps and, covered it with wet sheet if cardboard. After ythe 1st night when I checked in the a.m some of the works were creeping up the sides of the the ventilated plastic bin and some had gone thro” the small drilled holes at the bottom of the bin, to end up in the lid placed underneath, why was this????
Valanne
Jerry B Shipton
posted on February 27th, 2009 at 12:41 pm
Hiya Valanne,
Composting worms have ultra photosensitive skin and are repelled by white light/sunlight. Your worms either the redworm {Dendrobaena Veneta} or Brandling/Tigerworm {Eisenia Foetida} will remain ‘undercover’
in your bin if you utilise a low wattage artificial bulb – 40 Watt – or 9 Watt CFL – once daylight diminishes. Dendrobaena worms are ‘nicknamed’ Night-Crawlers for just what you’re experiencing. Hope this advice helps you, Valerie :o)
Wormfarmergeorge
posted on March 2nd, 2009 at 9:43 am
I’ve had two bins since mid September. A five tiered Wormfarm and a converted Envirosystems plastic compost tumbler that I drilled a bunch of ventilation holes in. I was checking on that bin today when I noticed a few ants running up my arm and I knew I had a fire ant problem so I soaked the bin then pulled everything out and worked in a few days worth of shredded newspaper. My paper shredder worked great. I then crumbled big wet handfuls of wet worm castings and damp paper back into the original bin and every handful was loaded with worms. I didn’t see any ants, maybe they were mixed into the goo or maybe there weren’t that many of them to begin with. That’s what I’m hoping anyway. My other bin was sparsely populated until I transfered a couple of handfuls from the more productive bin about two weeks ago. Now it is doing great too. Two bins helps insure that you don’t lose everything if one of them gets too wet, dry or funky.
David
posted on March 3rd, 2009 at 11:08 pm
the best prices I have found are at http://www.Earthworms4sale.com Only 29.99 for 1 lb. 44.99 for 2 lbs.
Stacy
posted on March 4th, 2009 at 6:45 pm
I actually just bought some this week from http://www.unclejimswormfarm.com. I bought a pound for $19.95, plus $9.95 S+H. They came in two days.
GIOVANNI TOMAINO
posted on March 11th, 2009 at 8:37 am
The best place to buy your compost worms and worm castings IS SPECIAL-TWORMS.COM
Pat Patalano
posted on March 31st, 2009 at 11:41 am
Hi, New at this and very excited about it. I also bought my worms from uncle jim’s as Stacy had. Arrived one day earlier than expected, in a small bag , in a box .. I believe my one # was about 23$ with shipping. The same thing that happened to Valerie , happened with mine. Too much H20, not enough? Too cold in the garage? I wet my paper more since too much is better than not enough. I placed my ventilated cover on tightly, and left it, 2 days later, they are at the bottom, and all seems well. I did put in banana peel and coffee grounds and filter initially. Time will tell. There are so many variables. I also have compost bin in yard that is full right now, it seems as though I have a lot of waste, that I need to use. I abhor throwing anything away. Looking forward to learning more. …
Hug a Tree Today « Journey toward happiness
posted on April 22nd, 2009 at 8:11 am
[...] http://earth911.com/blog/2007/04/02/composting-with-worms/ [...]
Happy Earth Day! « Suburban Farm Girl
posted on April 22nd, 2009 at 1:59 pm
[...] composting. Start a compost pile in your yard. If you don’t have a yard, learn about vermicomposting and build your own worm bin! (This is what I hope to be doing this [...]
John
posted on April 25th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
I recently became interested in vermiculture and began my first worm bed a few weeks ago. This is proving to be a very interesting and worthwhile hobby and I recommend it to anyone with a small amount of space and time to spare.
Redefine the Dream « The Center for the Advancement of Sustainable Living
posted on May 3rd, 2009 at 3:07 pm
[...] EMU Amphitheater Decorate and plant your own windowsill herb garden. Also, make your own indoor vermiculture box implementing worm composting with help from Campus Recycling and Composting. 0 Comments No [...]
jake
posted on May 15th, 2009 at 10:26 am
WILL WORMS LIVE IN AKALINE SOILS.
David
posted on May 27th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
Jake,
Yes worms will live in alkaline bedding, but redworms don’t do well in soil. I got my worms from http://www.redworms4sale.com and they are happy in their slightly alkaline bedding.
Field
posted on June 9th, 2009 at 8:32 am
Check out http://www.findworms.com . It is an online directory of where you can find worms near you!
WormyAcres
posted on June 17th, 2009 at 11:24 am
Hi, you might consider making your compost worm bin out of wood. I’ve been doing this for about 5 years, and I find a wooden worm bin to be better than plastic because it breathes better and absorbs excess moisture. I’ve got a blog post showing my worm bins at http://vermontworms.com/red-wiggler-compost-worm-bin/.
Mike & Dee
posted on July 7th, 2009 at 1:44 pm
Just a note to let you all know that with 20 years in the worms business we are always happy to answer questions. Feel free to contact us anytime. We are on the central west coast of Florida and also do barn tours showing how we are set up. We also have a book that shares how to set up a rabbit and worm operation that fits nicely together.Don’t always have time to check out or follow discussions ( we were rained out today), but we are real good at responding to emails and returning calls.Send any questions to us at info@bestbuyworms.com or call (352) 796-0459
Steve
posted on July 18th, 2009 at 9:11 am
I was told that the worms I use will die in the ground. I’m not even sure which worms I have.