As the weather begins to cool, and gardening season winds down, now is the perfect time to take on worm composting. Did I lose you? Don't freak out. Its much simpler than it sounds and you only have to handle your worms as little (or as much) as you like. A good place to start is by checking out The Worm Lady. Also, the book, Worms Eat my Garbage, by Mary Appelhof, is an excellent resource.
You have several options as far as what you can use for your worm bin. I will tell you what I did, but the book as well as the website mentioned above offer a vast array of ideas and tips.
- All you need is a Rubbermaid bin with a lid (the worms prefer the dark and it helps to keep your soil moist), any size will do (besides shoebox size). The main thing to remember when choosing a bin is that it needs to be manageable. The soil inside will be very wet and heavy, so if your box is huge, you'll have a heck of a time getting it out to your garden. You don't need to throw your back out doing this.
- Next you'll need some soil or shredded paper as a base. Junk mail that has been shredded is good for this. My bin is a combination of paper and top soil.
- To prep your box. Drill holes in the sides all the way around. You should also drill a few small holes in the bottom of your container for the liquid (worm tea-mmm-delish! Your plants will LOVE this stuff!) to drain out.
- Place your bin slightly off the ground on blocks or something with a pan underneath to catch the tea.
- Worms can be ordered online, or possibly purchased locally. I have been told that tackle/bait shops may sell them but I have not confirmed this. One thing to be careful of, if you do purchase them locally, is that you are purchasing the right worm. Use the scientific name given to these worms, which is Eisenia foetida to be sure you are getting the correct worms. My worms were adopted from a friend. The suckers your looking for are called red wigglers.
Red Wiggler Worm
- Next step is to put your worms in and feed them. They can be fed a vast array of kitchen garbage with the exception of meat scraps. I would also avoid too many acidic things like tomatoes, lemons limes, etc. Also limit the amount of root veggies you put in at once, sine they take a long time to break down. Pretty much everything else is fair game. Crushed up eggshells and coffee grounds are excellent. When you feed them, dig a small pit to dump in your scraps and then cover it over to prevent odor. Your worms will begin eating the food once it breaks down and over time, they will create rich soil to fertilize your garden with.
Inside of worm bin
- Store your worms anywhere you like, jut remember you don't want them to freeze in the winter. So if you get freezing temps, keep the vermin indoors, like the basement or cellar. I will say, I do notice a musty smell from time to time near the bin, but it is not overwhelming, just part of the decomp. Process.
- When the box begins to fill up, transfer some of the dirt to your garden/flower beds. To do this you will need an old shower curtain liner or plastic sheet. Just make a few small piles of your dirt and wait a few minutes. This allows the worms to move to the bottom of the piles (to avoid the light) and then remove the dirt and either bag it or transfer it directly to your garden. Save the worms and start again! This will require a little handling to separate them from the dirt, just wear gloves and be gentle.
Some people have said that harvesting their worms is relaxing and therapeutic, I'll let you know! I have not harvested mine yet. It will depend on the size of your box as to how soon you will need to harvest them, I would say roughly every 3-4 months.
This is a simplified overview of how this whole worm composting thing works, I would recommend you check out the website and learn a little more. It really is easy and fun, and green! What an excellent use of natural resources and animals to help your plants to grow. I think the environmental benefits of this are far worth the small amount of effort it will take to do. If you have small children, it can be a real-life science lesson for them that they can experience first hand. My 4 and 2 year old boys LOVE to feed the worms!
Close up of my worm Bin
Now is the time to get started, you can have a whole big bin of compost ready for your spring garden, if you start now. So don your gardening gloves, get a worm rake and lets play in the dirt!
Kris is a contributor to the Home and Garden, Inspired and Frugal sections of Blissfully Domestic. Come on over to her Blog to see more of her brilliant ideas, frugal finds and creative ideas, tossed together with her musings on life and motherhood. Read more over at Dreaming of Mermaids
Photo Sources: My Own, Amazon (book) and Planet Natural ( Worm)
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Thanks for telling us about this! We are to a point where we recycle so much I thought if I composted we would really cut down on trash. I'll check out the resources you recommend.
I have a worm composting bin too. I do think it's amazing how they turn trash into rich soil. They're surprisingly easier to take care of than I thought.