Composting With Worms

There is little in common between 'normal' or 'heat' type composting and 'vermic-composting. My purpose with this section is to introduce readers to the basics of the worm related forms of composting while touching only lightly, if at all, on the 'normal' kind. That said, forward into the fog!

Unlike the 'normal' type of composting which is done outdoors and which comes to a screeching halt in the fall and winter months and which can take long periods to produce usable quantities of truely finished compost, vermic-composting (vermicomposting) can yield, completed, higher quality compost in a matter of only a few months or even weeks and be done year round!

Let's divide the process into bite size chunks by pointing out that one can use the worms in composting both indoors and outdoors. Both methods have limitations, advantages, different in and out-puts, and so require seperate attention. I don't have the storage space to go into excessive depth on this but will try to get enough information here to make at least a raw primer on the subjects.

Worm composting is not, as I have said, like normal composting. The materials being composted are simply consumed by the worms and excreted as casts or 'castings'. This process binds the nutrients consumed into a plant-usable form, reducing the volume of the original materials and adding good soil building micro and macrobiotics to the mix. The worm casts are covered by the worms with a slow dissolving, semi-permeable mucus which is both a time release mechanism for the cast's nutritional value, and the cause of the finished compost's extraordinary water retention capabilities. What is fed into the worms then, is converted into a mild, top soil or humus-like pseudo-fertilizer which will not "burn" plants, cause oxygen starvation or other unwanted problems when mixed with the soil of your garden or placed as a mulch layer on potted plants etc.

Excessive heat and multiple pile turning are not needed or wanted to accomplish making the best soil builder you will ever have or use. In fact, high heat will kill the worms which are accelerating the composting process for you.

Some folks, with lots of room in their yards, like to simply make a heap which would, for normal composting, be placed in a sunny location with materials added as they become available. Others prefer to use some form of containment, building an enclosing, air permiable structure, covering it, and even building a floor. Doing the enclosure thing seems to speed the process for me and is neater. For worm composting however, the heaped or enclosed materials should not be placed in other than shaded, cool, moist locations and must not be allowed to become heated by the microbal action which takes place in normal composting. If it does get hot, it may cause the loss of your worms if they do not have cooler areas to escape into.

Manure worms, in their feral state, can be found in and under naturally rich food sources such as manure piles, rotting vegetation etc. They like the damp, cool, rotting stuff above, not in the ground. So, drop a pound of the little critters per half yard of compost into your compost pile, keep the pile damp, cool and aeriated, add extra stuff as it becomes available and POW! You'll be getting fast, super rich compost in short order!

Like the heat type of composting, there's a lot more to it and some better ways of doing vermicomposting than just throwing worms into your compost pile. Check out the BOOKS section of the site and get the full lowdown on vermicomposting from the top experts in the field.

Now for phase two... indoor vermicomposting. What is done in a heap outside, requiring yards of 'green waste' and lots of worms, can be done indoors with only a pound or two of worms, some bedding material, and your garbage scraps! There is something deeply satisifying about recycling coffee grounds, eggshells, newspapers, leftovers, and other such stuff, turning it into usable (even desirable!) plant food!

Basically, a box is filled with bedding materials and the worms are added to the bedding. Food scraps are placed on top or a few inches under the bedding where the worms find and devour them. Eventually, the worms eat their bedding as well and then it is time to remove the finished plant ready castings, replace the bedding with fresh stuff and put the worms back into the box. The casts are fed to your plants, given to neighbors, and friends (who will, having tried 'em, want more than you are willing or able to supply), or if you don't have any friends or plants, the casts can be tossed onto the lawn or garden. That brings all those leftovers full circle in the ecosystem and saves many a garbage bag and trip to the curb.

There are separate areas in this and other sections of the site on boxes, bedding, feeding and most of the other things you need to know about to get started.

Both indoor and outdoor vermicomposting are simple, easy to set up and maintain, sound ecological practices which require litte time or bother to keep up with. My wife and I do both kinds so I speak from experience when I say, "The worms are; no muss, no fuss, no bother! Lots of fun too... and an educational tool providing great enjoyment for our grandkids!"