How to Compost with Worms
Are you looking for a way to turn your kitchen scraps into nutrient rich compost for your garden? But you don’t have the outdoor space for chickens, rabbits, or a huge compost pile? Don’t worry, composting with worms may be your solution. You can create a worm bin inside or out, and if you follow a few simple rules, you won’t have odor or pest problems. The compost and liquid fertilizer your worm bin produces is a great source of nutrients for your indoor or outdoor plants. Let’s get started learning how to compost with worms!
Why Worms?
Worms do an excellent job of converting organic waste into nutrient rich compost. Plus the worms do all the work, you don’t have to turn the compost or spend tons of time figuring out ratios of different materials to add. Worm bins take up less space than a compost bin and are easy to store anywhere inside or out. Worms also encourage beneficial microorganisms to colonize your soil and can provide a rich source of nutrients through both their worm “castings” or poop and the liquid fertilizer or “leachate” that drains out of the bin.
The “Red Wriggler” worms are the best choice for worm composting as they can eat their own body weight in food scraps each day and thrive in typical worm bin conditions. If you don’t have space for livestock like chickens, rabbits, or pigs to recycle your kitchen scraps or food waste into compost, maybe you can become a worm farmer instead. Worms naturally reproduce to fill their bins and as you harvest the compost, you can also share extra worms with others. They are also a great source of bait if you like to fish.
What Your Worms Can Eat
Worms will eat just about any kind of organic material, but there are some things that can cause problems. Either they can hurt your worms, or attract pests to your bin. Meat, dairy, and other fatty foods can attract rodents or insects or create problem odors before the worms can break them down. Your worms will avoid spicy foods or highly acidic foods, so those can also mold or rot and cause problems. Big pieces of bread take a while to break down, so again can mold or rot and cause problems. Poop from pets or farm animals can introduce harmful microorganisms to your worm bin and hurt your worms, or your garden.
Your worms also need bedding material that you will use to cover your food scraps to help prevent flies and other insect pests. Shredded newspaper, cardboard, printer paper, or leaves are good bedding if they are free of plastic, metal, or pests. You can also use coconut coir or straw (not hay) if you have it. You want to keep the bedding damp as your worms like high humidity. The wet food scraps can help, but if your bin gets too dry, mix some water into the bedding before you add more. Make sure you have good drainage in your bin as your worms breathe through their skin and you don’t want to drown them.
The Basic Materials You Need
It’s pretty simple to start a worm bin. You need two opaque plastic totes with lids. The 14 gallon size (1′ x 1′ x 2′) are easy to move around without getting too heavy when they are full. You can also use a wooden box, plastic bucket, or other container but don’t make it deeper than 12 inches as compost worms are surface dwellers. You need to drill holes for ventilation near the top of the compost bin and drainage holes in the bottom. Nest the composting bin into the other bin to catch the liquid as it drains off. You can use plastic blocks in the bottom to keep the bins from sticking together.
Once you have your bins set up, you need a source for bedding materials. Don’t make the bedding too small or it can get compacted. Shredding paper or cardboard can be a great way to create bedding and also reduce your household waste. Try to avoid glossy papers or anything with plastic or metal in it. Now you just need to get some worms. There are lots of sources online or even in garden centers. Do some research to find a reputable source that has good reviews from their customers. Or find a local worm composter that has extra worms to share.
How to Get Started
First figure out how much kitchen waste your household produces. A 2-3 person household may only produce enough waste for a small 14 gallon worm bin. A 5-6 person household may need a larger bin, or two smaller bins. Next get your materials. Either repurpose something you already have on hand, or purchase a worm composting kit. Make sure your worms have the conditions they like – dark, damp, cool (55-75 degrees), quiet, and full of rotting food. Once you have your bin set up and your worms and bedding inside, you can start to feed your worms. Chopping up your scraps can speed the process, but they will break down large items eventually.
Once you are on a regular feeding schedule, make sure to drain any liquid off of your bin regularly and plan to harvest your worm compost at least twice a year. Change out your bedding if the bin gets too wet or develops a pest or odor problem. Worms will hide from light, so you may not see very many. But, if the food scraps keep disappearing, you know your worms are in there working away. Good luck and happy composting with worms!
Looking for ways to improve your garden soil? Check out my blog post on Five Keys to Healthy Soil for all the tips you need to get your dirt in tip top shape.
Want to start an indoor garden today? Check out my Crazy Easy Containers guide for everything you need to know to get your container gardening thriving ASAP. Enjoy!
