Composting With Worms
by Earth911
Published on April 2nd, 2007
105 Comments
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.
Sustainable Living Profile: Jessica Klein : Blue Planet Green Living
posted on July 21st, 2009 at 8:14 am
[...] Klein: I read a couple of books. Amy Stewart’s From the Ground Up, which tells about how she grew her first garden when she knew nothing at all about gardening; and The Earth Moved, which is about vermiculture. [...]
Mikey
posted on July 23rd, 2009 at 10:49 am
I recently built a wooden worm box after 3 failures using Rubber Maid plastic bins. It was an instant success! After building the box I added the cardboard, newspaper, hay and corn husks and used a spray bottle to moisten. I found that soaking them in water added too much moister to the bin. After the bedding was completed I added about 1lb of waste and let it sit for about 2 weeks, which unfortunatley caused a fruit fly infestation, but I am battling through that with some success. I found a very effective way to trap the fruit flies! Anyway, I added the worms after 2 weeks and they took to their new home very nicely. The original watse in gone and I’ve been adding about 3lbs a week, rotating my burying positions. It’s a great feeling when it actually works! Looking forward to building up the population and building a second bin.
Angry | The Mossy Skull
posted on July 29th, 2009 at 7:02 pm
[...] can even compost if you don’t have a backyard. Learn about vermiculture. It is super [...]
Uncle Jim's Red Wiggler Farm
posted on August 5th, 2009 at 8:27 am
I’m glad to see the idea of using red worms for composting is catching on with folks. When I first got into the red wriggler business it was mostly about fishing.
Earthworm Works
posted on August 10th, 2009 at 6:25 am
Here’s a vermicomposting how-to-do-it: http://www.earthwormworks.com/vermicomposting/about_vermicomposting.htm.
that has a lot of info on the do’s and don’ts of vermicomposting. And a blog-by-a-dog that has a fun series on composting with worms: http://organicgardenworks.com/2009/06/13/vermicomposting-guide.aspx
Yes, it’s not just about fishing anymore. And that’s a good thing.
How to Shrink Your Garbage | Gaiatribe
posted on August 20th, 2009 at 1:12 am
[...] keeping a worm farm. Worms eat food scraps, shredded paper, and other organic matter. They produce rich [...]
Clare
posted on September 3rd, 2009 at 6:02 am
Does anyone vermicompost doggie poo?
Jen
posted on September 10th, 2009 at 12:20 pm
Mama’s Worm Composting provides compost worms, worm bins, advice and information about using worms for composting. Grown in California, Mama’s worms and products are distributed nationwide, enabling composting projects in both rural and urban areas.
special-t-worms
posted on September 19th, 2009 at 5:39 am
We have a special on the a team please go to special-tworms.com we sell red wiggly worms and worm casting for your home and garden needs
A3K
posted on October 14th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
Clare,
No, but I’ve read that black soldier fly larvae will eat that stuff with no problem. They can be used in a worm farm since they’ll eat some things the worms won’t and won’t eat some of the stuff the worms love. Also, the worms will happily process the BSFL poo into stable worm castings.
And the flies themselves are not pests. Hope this is helpful.
Man In The Maze » Blog Archive » Unwanted guests
posted on October 18th, 2009 at 6:09 pm
[...] It’s “gopher-assisted composting,” a new concept that may be more palatable than vermiculture. I’ll re-start the pile with some water and fresh [...]
DeskAway Blog » Blog Archive » Blog Action Day ‘09 - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
posted on October 24th, 2009 at 9:04 pm
[...] Compost: Be adventurous, start a compost recycling in your office lunch area. It is easier than you think! (ref: Urban composting) [...]
dime74
posted on November 2nd, 2009 at 7:38 am
You can use http://www.worms.com to find what types of worms are needed for compost.
ana
posted on November 6th, 2009 at 1:08 am
can anyone advise me on what food wastes are bad for the worms besides orange and lemons?
I understand there’s a few things worms won’t eat but I don’t really know which ones.
Thank you in advance
Molly
posted on November 10th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
A great step by step article on Composting. Great job. Liked the video.
Jay
posted on November 15th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
What about the winter time? It doesn’t get much colder than 10 degrees F around here, and it’s not that cold for very long. Winter averages slightly above freezing at night. will the worms still eat and survive in those temps?
Karan Kanodia
posted on December 3rd, 2009 at 11:28 pm
I was wondering how do you measure the moisture content of the bin
Worm Castings
posted on December 4th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
A quick way to test if the bin bedding imoisture is correct: take a handful of bedding and squeeze.; you should only get a drop or two. If you don’t get any water, it’s too dry, if you get more drops or a stream, it’s too wet. You can also get a moisture meter at the hardware store. You should check all levels of the bedding. Sometimes it’s dry on the top, but down below it’s too wet, and vise-versa. Worm castings make probably the very best garden fertilizer.
giovanni
posted on December 9th, 2009 at 4:29 am
As long as the temperature does not go below 32° the worms will survive. Worms kept outside you can cover them. You can put hay all around it and you can give it extra food. And they should be okay. This is what I do with my worms. Another great idea and you can use. Dig a hole in your ground in your backyard about 8 inches deep 2 feet wide and 3 feet long. You can put lots of bedding in their peak moss and some food. And then you can and you worms to it. That will that prevent them from freezing. It makes perfect home for the worms. As far as lemons in orange peels. Coffee grinds. I put them all in my warm beds. They love it leftover bread salad egg shells all kinds of vegetables no meats and dairy products
Matthew Wilson
posted on December 12th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
Another thing that can kill the worms is to much nitrogen/ protein in the food. I had this experience happen. It is recorded on my blog the link where my name is on this post.
Linda
posted on December 16th, 2009 at 8:23 am
What is the difference between worm compost and worm castings?
Worm Castings
posted on December 16th, 2009 at 10:08 am
Worm compost is organic material composted by worms. It will contain compost in various stages of decomposition and also a varying amount of worm castings. It’s great as a soil admendment. Worm castings are basicly “worm poop” , which is worm excrement. It is an excellent slow-release fertilizer. Worm castings would be used in much smaller amounts due to it’s concentration of nutrients, mixed in with your potting soil and used as a side dressing. Both are teeming with microbes.
Christmas Recycling | Greenlife Atlanta | Green Life Atlanta
posted on December 30th, 2009 at 8:55 pm
[...] (Georgia, United States) 3. Leftover Foods – and ambitious recyclers, check out the use of worms to digest organic waste. Take basic composting classes available through DeKalb Extension to know what to do next [...]
Worms and Vermicomposting! | Ms. Lenahan's Fourth Grade Class
posted on January 14th, 2010 at 3:16 pm
[...] Composting with Worms Post a Comment (0) Comments Read More Create a free edublog to get your own comment avatar (and more!) [...]
christos
posted on January 18th, 2010 at 10:27 am
hello, I would like to make worms composte in my garden. Could you send to me some pictures to help me do it.
I have many trees ( leaves and fruits) many flowers and many kitchen staff to composte them.
Thank you all
yours christos
val
posted on February 10th, 2010 at 8:23 pm
I want to find out more about recycling green and yard waste. How do I start in my community?
Jeff Mouser
posted on March 12th, 2010 at 10:00 am
Here is another source for information about raising earthworms as well as buying them.
http://www.worms4earth.com
giovanni
posted on March 13th, 2010 at 2:01 pm
Use mother nature to grow the best vegetables ever. special-tworms.com 570 629 0847
Brokelyn's grow your own food guide part 3 | Brokelyn
posted on March 17th, 2010 at 8:26 am
[...] while You Grow Girl has a similar guide for outdoor bins. If you don’t mind creepy crawlers, vermicompost is arguably the best indoor [...]
worm farm
posted on March 20th, 2010 at 9:20 pm
Growing up we did this without giving it much of a thought, but now that I look over this guide I see how important some processes can be. If you keep it up, you can have the richest soil for growing vegetables.
DIY Compost Tumbler « Sweet Huckleberry
posted on March 31st, 2010 at 9:26 am
[...] method of urban-composting that has become immensely popular is vermiculture or vermicomposting, where you basically keep a giant container of pet-wormies and feed them your [...]
Marian Pearn
posted on April 5th, 2010 at 5:59 pm
A very inexpensive worm bin is a styrofoam ice chest or shipping crate. I drive nails through the lid to make ventilation holes and staple a scrap of window screen (or cloth) to prevent flies entering the bin. The styrofoam keeps the inside temperature stable. My favorite worm bin is one of those plastic storage bins with the interlocking finger closure at the top. I drill a few holes in the sides and install louvered inserts for ventilation. Drill a hole near the bottom and install a spigot. You can purchase this type online, too. Grocery stores give me the pulp dividers that are used for shipping produce. The worms seem to like this over their shredded paper. Starbucks packages used coffee grounds for customers to compost. The worms seem to like these, too. Usually, though, I just mix the coffee grounds into the garden or lay them on top as mulch.
Joe
posted on April 16th, 2010 at 12:22 pm
I got my worm farm kit from http://www.unclejimswormfarm.com The kit i got was simple enough, just a bin with peat moss and a grain food source. The worms were great.
Gramma
posted on April 16th, 2010 at 7:38 pm
I have a great idea for a green business. Who can I talk to about funding and such? I would be happy to give my idea to an entrepreneur.
Elizabeth
posted on April 28th, 2010 at 9:22 am
there is a difference between worms. there are earth worms which live in dirt. the other lives in the vermicompost bins they are red wigglers. there are 3 kinds of worms that live in the bins, top feeders, middle feeders, bottom feeders. you can learn alot by google ing “red wigglers”. there are also BSF or black soldier flys. they eat your kitchen waste to. when they are done eating the fresh stuff in the biopod you can empty the finished compost in to the worm bins. its perfect timing because its ready for the worms to eat. BSF are not a filth fly they emit a scent that other flys know to stay away or they will become food. it only takes a few hours for the food scraps you put into the biopd to be eaten up. the food doesn’t have time to smell bad. you can google “black soldier flys” and learn alot. i have done hot and cold composting for years. I learned about vermicomposting and started my bins 2 1/2 years ago and enjoy it. i just bought my first biopod, it ships out today so i should have it by the end of the week. i can’t wait. by the way BSF grubs are great food for birds, fish,chickens, some reptiles, and as fishing bait on your hook! enjoy and good luck to all!
jose reynaldo corrales
posted on April 28th, 2010 at 3:04 pm
we have into vermi culture the last 4 years and we reaise “green wigglers” african night crawlers, we have tested these and resultas are amazing, leaves become green and healthy, continous flowering of our ornamentals, we have noted absence of “fungus”. we have also produce by products from vermi compost, e.g. vermi tea, a good foliar fertilizer,
although the effects of organic fertilizer takes a longer time compared to commercial fertilizer, organic tends to neautralize the soil, and rehabilitates its nutrients.per substance analysis the vermi compost consist of all the 13 elements needed by the plants from the soil, happy earth day….
Kate Winslow
posted on June 11th, 2010 at 1:17 pm
Hey, I just purchased 1 pound of worms for only 19.99 and that included shipping. This was a sale on earth day this year. It was a good deal!!! They also gave me there toll free number to call when I had worm trouble. Check there website out, they have a blog and have some really neat tips and tricks…who knew you could make a worm farm out of tires!!! http://www.RedWigglerswormfarm.com
Phantom Sojourn
posted on June 28th, 2010 at 1:53 pm
I’m hoping you can help me.
I’m a beginner in raising nightcrawlers for fishing and started this spring, 2010. Getting over 400 FAT and sassy worms in one night after a huge rain storm.
I keep them in a well airated bin that’s about 20 gallons. The dirt is from the yard and I know it doesn’t have any chemicals, fertilizers or dung in it, no rocks, twigs, or nut shells.
It’s kept moist, at 50-70 percentage. From what I’ve read, that’s what they like. The temps fluctuate from 50-70 degrease farenhight and I have a digital humidly sencer and thermometer with it’s probes in the dirt, and the units outside the box. It’s in the basement wich is temperature controlled and checked daily. Their food depends on what’s available. Veggie scraps, fruit bits, cardboard, fine ground, moist, plain oatmeal or slightly moistened organic, corn meal and barried in the bedding. A diffrent place each time going around the bin. It is changed when needed and any castings cleaned out. Theres no smell to the soil.
But the worms have gone from fat to scrawny and sickly, with areas of constriction all along each worm, and they are dieing off. Every day I find a number of dead worms and throw them out. I’ve even dug through the soil with my hands and find still more dead worms.
HELP!! What’s going on and how can I stop it before they are all dead!
Worm Castings
posted on July 2nd, 2010 at 7:09 am
We keep the worms just for the castings. Added to our potting soil mix, it’s our only fertilizer
Dixie Salazar
posted on July 24th, 2010 at 8:45 pm
I started my worm bins with red wrigglers and noticed not long ago that many small (quarter inch) flat diamond shaped bugs were swarming in the bins. Now I have what I think are meal worms (shorter, pale yellow, ringed). What has happened? Are they as good as the red wrigglers for garden compost? That’s the main reason I got the worms. If not, what can I do?
WC Malone
posted on July 27th, 2010 at 1:05 pm
Mealworms are the larvae of the Tenebrio beetle so it is possible that is what you have in your bins. They are not good for composting. Red wiggler worms are the best type for composting. Mealworms are a great treat for the birds-especially bluebirds.
Anne
posted on July 29th, 2010 at 12:57 pm
I have been composting with worms for about 8 years now and have never had a problem. I acquired my European Nightcrawlers and compost bin from VeriiTechnology Unlimited, PO Box 130,
Orange Lake, FL 32681 http://www.veritechnology.com
Not only do I have a means to process kitchen waste, I have a beautiful garden and worms for anyone who wants to go fishing. The source noted above gives wonderful instructions for individuals or families but also provides assistance for industrial waste control such as school cafeterias, nursing homes or towns.
JWC247
posted on August 24th, 2010 at 2:31 am
Hi Phantom Sojourn,
I just wanted to make a couple of coments about nightcrawlers, I have picked a lot of crawlers in my day and we sold them to bait shops, we kept them in worm bins like you are doing but can’t raise them to reproduce domestic, they burrow 30 ft. or more down in the earth and 70 degrees is good for redworms, 40 to 50 for crawlers to keep them alive longer period of time, I suggest to raise redworms and go fishing with the nightcrawlers.
“Have A Nice Day”
JWC247