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Why Worm Composting? Preparing the Bed Harvesting Castings
Worm Composting is the process of using worms Bedding is usually some light and Once the food disappears and the contents of the
and microorganisms to produce rich compost from fluffy cellulose, nontoxic material bin have darkened into the moist castings
kitchen wastes. One such as: shredded newspaper (compost) material (about 2-6 months), it’s time to
pound of worms will turn (not glossy), cardboard, harvest the compost.
65 pounds of garbage computer printout, leaf mold or There are two ways to harvest worms castings:
into garden compost in manure from grazing animals.
110 days. The bedding should be moist 1. Push the contents of the bin over to one side.
with water, not soggy or water Place new bedding and food on the vacant
Find a Suitable Place logged. side. The worms will migrate to the new
bedding in
Temperatures of 600 to 800F are ideal, but worms Get the Worms search of
will tolerate temperatures from 400 to 900F. You’ll food. After
want the location close to your kitchen to make Worms best suited for the job are called “red wigglers.” a few
disposal quick and easy. Even though a properly They do a great job in composting the materials and weeks,
maintained bin is odorless, most would rather not thrive in the environment you’ve created. You’ll need harvest
have a box of worms inside their house. Most approximately two pounds of worms for each pound of the old
people prefer a porch or downstairs enclosure. garbage your household produces daily. Spread the finished
worms gently over the top of the prepared bedding. compost
The worms will wiggle into the bedding. After about two
Purchase or Build a Container hours, pick off any worms still on the top and cover the
and add
fresh bedding to the bin until it is completely
The box size will depend on the amount of box/bin with a lid or a sheet of black plastic or filled.
kitchen waste generated. A rule of thumb is one dampened newspaper.
square foot of surface for each pound of waste 2. Dump the bin onto a large piece of plastic or
plywood. Arrange the compost into several
per week. Feeding & Care of the Worms cone-shaped mounds. In a few minutes, the
2-person family = 3-4 lbs. of garbage per week = Worms feed on plant-derived products such as potato worms will move into the mound to escape light
2 ft. x 2 ft. box with aeration holes peels, lettuce leaves, moldy bread, spaghetti, citrus and exposure. Gently remove the top few
4-person family = 6-7 lbs. of garbage per week = peels, tea or coffee grounds, coffee filters, tea bags, inches of the pile, wait a few minutes and
2 ft. x 3 ft. box with aeration holes crushed egg shells, and garden waste. To feed your repeat.
worms, push back the bedding, place the food, and
Worm Bin Types cover it so that it’s an inch or so beneath the surface. Using Worm Castings
No need to chip or grind the food; let the worms and
Use the composted worm castings as a nutrient-rich
microorganisms do it for you. If you place the food in
soil amendment around plants and in your garden.
sequence in different
A good potting mix can be made with1/4 part worm
locations in the bin
castings, 1/4 part peat moss, 1/4 part perlite, and
over the course of
1/4 builder sand or garden soil. How about creating
several days or
a worm compost tea? Place worm castings in a
weeks, you won’t
burlap bag, put the casting bag in a large container
come back to the
filled with water. Dunk the burlap bag like a tea
Store same place twice.
bought
bag. Use dunked tea mix as a foliar nutrient spray.
bins