What Are the Advantages to Composting With Worms?

About Compost

• Composting is a natural process whereby plant material of different types is layered and allowed to decompose. This creates a soil amendment that contains exactly what you need to feed your garden. A side dressing of compost does wonders for your plants, both indoors and out. The main advantage of composting with worms is that it creates worm castings, some of the richest, most nutritious plant food available. There is no better compost than that produced by the digestive tracts of worms.

Easy Setup

• Setting up a worm bin is easy. All you need is a container, bedding, worms and kitchen scraps. Plastic tubs are often used as worm bins. Drill a few holes for drainage and ventilation, and then add some moistened, shredded newspaper. Red worms (Eisenia fetida and Lumbricus rubellus) are typically used for composting and can be purchased online from a garden supplier. Add the worms to the bin, leave the lid off for about an hour to encourage the worms to dig into the bedding, and then feed them some kitchen scraps.

Affordable Composter

• It doesn't cost much to put a worm bin together. Plastic containers cost a few dollars; newspapers are easy to come by and can be shredded by hand. You don't need any special food for the worms; they basically eat your garbage. A pound of worms, or about 1,000 wrigglers, can eat half a pound of fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, tea bags and egg shells a week. A pound of composting worms cost $30 to $40 at the time of publication.

Indoors Composting

• The optimal temperature for a worm bin is between 55 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit, so an indoor environment is perfect for vermicomposting. With a few precautions, bins can be kept in a laundry room, in a garage or even under a kitchen sink. Make sure to bury food scraps in the bedding when you add them, and don't add more than the worms can handle. Odors can develop if the bedding is too wet, so add additional bedding to soak up any moisture. If you see fruit flies, make sure you are burying the scraps well and get some traps.