Worm Composting Systems

Concept

• In vermicomposting, worms are placed in a container with shredded bedding material and fed non-fatty food garbage that they eat, resulting in nutrient-rich waste, called "castings." In three to four months the worms will digested the garbage and bedding in the worm box and the box will be full of black compost. Vermicomposting can be done inside if you place the container in a cool part of the house. It does not require a lot of work to add the garbage to the worm box. Small to medium amounts of compost can be made in this way.

Containers

• There are many worm composting systems on the market. Makers offer choices of size and design. Some are made of wood, some plastic, some metal. You can make a system by choosing the appropriate container for your needs. Weigh your household food waste in pounds for one week. Then choose a box that offers one square foot of surface space for each pound of garbage and is 8 to 12 inches deep. You may want two or three smaller bins instead if space is tight. Make the bin of anything from a plastic storage tub to an old freezer.

Bedding

• Make a place for the worms to live inside the box by adding bedding. The bedding for vermicomposting systems gives the worms a place to live, but also holds air and moisture in the composting system. Make the bedding from shredded corrugated cardboard or shredded newspaper. Use 3 lbs. of bedding per square foot of surface space in the box, to fill the box about two-thirds full.

Preparation

• Put the bedding in a plastic garbage bag or can and fill it with water to thoroughly moisten the bedding. Let it set for several hours until it soaks up its maximum level of water. Squeeze it out until it is merely damp and line the box with the bedding.

Worms

• Redworms are used in vermicomposting. Garden catalogs and some garden centers sell them. Don't use just any worms. Redworms are best suited to live in the worm-box environment. A pound of worms can compost a pound of garbage. So if you have 5 lbs. of garbage weekly, buy 5 lbs. of worms and drop them onto the top of the bedding. They will wiggle in.

Feeding

• Redworms have gizzards, so need some grit from time to time to keep their digestion in order. Start their recycling life by giving them some egg shells or corn meal along with a couple of tablespoons of food waste. You have to start slow. Wait a week and feed a cup or so of the scraps. Increase the amount slowly until they are eating all your scraps. Scrape your food waste along with coffee grounds, filters and tea bags into a bucket. Take out all meat and dairy products and feed the worms by scattering some garbage around the box in two or three caches.