Composting for Apartment Dwellers

Getting Started

• Vermicomposting works best in a loosely covered wooden or plastic bin no more than 8 to 12 inches deep. Drill holes along the top and bottom of the bin for air and drainage and place a tray underneath the bin to catch drainage. Place the bin in the laundry room, under the sink or anywhere else that has a stable temperature between 50 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Add moist bedding material, such as shredded newspaper or shredded paper, before adding worms. Many vermicomposters use red wriggler worms.

What to Compost

• Add non-dairy, non-meat food scraps to your vermicomposting bin, such as fruit and vegetable peels, tea bags, coffee grounds, egg shells and pasta. Add small amounts of citrus fruits, but too much may make your bin too acidic. Don't add bones, meat or dairy products, which may attract pests, or garlic, onion or spicy foods. Bury food scraps underneath the bedding to prevent flies. About 2 pounds of worms takes 24 hours to digest a pound of food waste.

Troubleshooting Vermicomposting

• If your vermicomposting bin has a foul, rotten odor or is attracting insects, drain the moisture, fluff up the bedding, cover exposed food with bedding and make sure you aren't adding meat or dairy products. If your worms are dying, make sure they have enough food, add more bedding if they are running low and make sure the bedding is moist but not wet. Remove excess citrus scraps. Too many citrus scraps may also cause mold.

Benefits of Vermicomposting

• Vermicomposting helps reduce the amount of food waste you throw away, which saves space in landfills. Vermicomposting also produces compost, a natural organic fertilizer you can use on houseplants or donate to a local community garden. Generally, vermicomposting bins should be harvested two to three times per year.