Garden Compost and Worms

Compost

• Vermicomposting is the process of using worms to make compost. The process involves keeping the worms confined in some manner, usually in a bin, and providing them with plenty of material to consume. Place the worms in bedding made of shredded newspapers with a bit of soil included to provide grit. Feed the worms kitchen or garden waste, including old lettuce, dead leaves and coffee grounds complete with filter. As the worms eat through the available food in their bin, including their bedding, they leave behind their castings. Eventually all of the material in a worm bin is turned into worm castings. These castings are a type of compost that can be applied directly to the garden.

Worms

• The best worms to use to create garden compost are red wigglers or red worms. These worms are tolerant of a wide range of temperatures and, most importantly, they can withstand the warmth that is present in a worm composting bin. Although a worm bin does not get as hot as the average compost pile does, due to its smaller size, it is still too warm to allow most kinds of worms to survive. Another advantage of red wigglers and red worms is that they adapt well to confinement, so living in a bin does not overly stress them. They tend to live near the surface of the soil and don't need the depth that many other worms, such as night crawlers, require.

Bins

• Bins used for worm composting may be made from commercially available plastic storage containers. The main requirements for these are adequate air holes and drainage. Drill holes in the lid and around the upper edge of the bin for air. Make additional holes are in the bottom of the bin to allow liquid to seep out, as the bedding will turn sour and the worms can die if there is not adequate drainage. A single 30-qt. bin can hold enough worms to turn kitchen waste for an entire family into garden compost on a regular basis.

Harvesting

• Once the worms are done have consumed all the organic material, harvest the compost by dumping it onto a tarp or table in a well-lighted area. The worms dig down to get away from the light, and the compost can be removed in layers as the worms continue to move downward. Separate the worms from the finished compost and put them back in the bin atop fresh bedding to begin the process again.