Vermicomposting – The Red “Wonders” from “Down Under”

Meet the newest additions to our family – Eisenia Fetida (Red Worm), also known as…The Squirmy Bunch!

Denis and I started vermicomposting last year and we just received another pound of Red Worms this week. I love them already!

Composting is a natural process of rotting material down to make a soil like product which you can use in the garden or houseplants. Composting is one of the most environmentally beneficial activities you can do because it converts your waste into a valuable resource as nutrients are recycled back into the soil in lieu of a landfill or water treatment facility.

Did you know that yard and food wastes make up approximately 30% of the waste stream in the US? That’s over 65 million tons of waste per year.

Not only does composting reduce waste, help save water, and reduce your carbon footprint, but it also improves soil conditions. It returns nutrients to the soil such as phosphorus, potassium, nitrogen, and many trace minerals, all for optimal plant growth and health.

Composting is very easy because nature does most of the work for you. Anyone can do it! There are several different methods and you can choose the one that works best for you. Worms or no worms. Inside or outside. That’s right, you don’t need a yard! Even the apartment-dweller can compost. Even though we have quite a large backyard, we have chosen to do Vermicomposting with multiple plastic storage bins, which we keep inside down in the basement utility room.

How to Begin Vermicomposting:
Before you even think about getting the worms, the first step is to decide on your location (inside or outside) and then select a “house” for them. You can buy a fancy worm bin system, or you can simply purchase a standard rubbermaid tub with a lid. Avoid the clear translucent bins. Ensure your bin is opaque (you can’t see through it) as earthworms are very sensitive to direct light. You can potentially kill them if they are exposed to too much for an extended period of time.

Turning a ‘house’ into a ‘home’:
Composting worms not only need food (waste), but also a moist and happy habitat – Bedding. The general idea is to provide cool, moist bedding for the worms to live in, and then bury the wastes in the bedding. The worms don’t actually eat the waste, but rather the bacteria and fungi of the decomposed the materials. As the worms ingest the waste and bedding, they turn it into worm castings (feces) which are perfect for a finished compost.

Good material for bedding can include cardboard pieces, shredded newspaper, and old leaves. Once the bedding has been added, you’ll want to start adding a bit of food waste and then let the bin sit (closed, of course) for a week or so before you add in the worms. You want the bedding to be a bit moist – think semi-wet sponge.

Buying the worms:
You’ll likely need to purchase the red worms, which you can do quickly online (see link below). For a 14 gallon bin you’ll need about one pound of worms. When you’re ready to add the worms, just place them on top of the bedding. They will eventually crawl to the bottom of the bin.

What they eat:
Our worms compost pretty much all of our food scraps and leftovers. For an indoor worm bin, here are some basic guidelines to follow – especially if you are just starting out.

YES: Vegetable and Fruit, Egg shells, Coffee grounds, Tea bags, leaves, shrub and tree waste, sawdust, wood chips, and grass clippings.

NO: Any human or pet waste, dairy, meat scraps or bones, oils, or grease. Citrus peels, eucalyptus leaves, and pine needles can slow down your compost pile, so you may want to avoid them as well.

On average, a pound of worms can process roughly 1/4-1/2 lb of food waste per day.

For detailed information on Vermicomposting and to purchase worms, please visit: Red Worm Composting. This site ROCKS!

**Posted as part of Food Renegade’s Fight Back Fridays!