Vermicomposting

Almost anyone giving advice on starting an urban homestead, or even just a more sustainable lifestyle, will advise that composting is the way to start. Composting is a great way to reduce waste, get free soil amendments for any gardening project, and conduct on-site recycling.

Because I started my first urban homesteading research during the winter, an outdoor compost pile was not feasible, but I wanted to get started immediately. Worm composting was my solution.

Worm composting (vermicomposting) consists of feeding a specific kind of worm (red wriggler) organic material which they, with the help of bacteria, convert into worm castings (poop). To vermicompost, you need a worm container, a way to moderate the temperature, bedding material, worms, and organic material.

1) The container: There are many commercial worm-composting systems available, but all are expensive. I had some plastic bins that would fit under my sink from my move, so I used a method described in the book Urban Homesteading to construct my own bins with no additional purchases. I simply drilled holes into the bottoms of two containers of the same size and into one of their lids. The undrilled lid serves as a tray to catch any liquid dripping out of the holes. The drilled lid goes on top of the composter as a cover. Right now, I'm only using one of the actual bins. When it fills up, I'll stack another bin right on the surface of the soil of the first container and start feeding only the top container. The worms will migrate through the holes in the bottom of the container over a period of a few weeks. Then the top container will become the bottom container, and I'll carry off the other container of castings for use in my garden. The two containers alternate in this way.

I should note that the book orginally recommended drilling LOTS of holes, not just in the bottoms and lids. I did this (it took a long time) and then had to cover all the holes over a period of weeks when it became apparent that Colorado is way too dry for a worm composter with that many holes.

2) Temperature control: I keep my worm composter under my kitchen sink, so temperature is not a problem. Also, I enjoy people's reactions when they hear I keep worms under my sink. Outdoor bins MUST be protected part of the year in Colorado or the worms will freeze and die. The sink limits the size of my bin - it is too small for the amount of food waste I have since I cook a lot. For me the convencience is worth it. When I get my outdoor composting set up, that's where the rest of my scraps will go.

3) Bedding material: I just use shedded newspaper, soaked in water and then wrung out again. There are other options, but this is simple and I get the Sunday paper anyway. The worms need moist bedding, and I use it to bury piles of scraps for the worms. I also keep a sheet of moist newspaper on the top of the compost to keep the whole thing moist.

4) Worms: Red wrigglers are the best worms for vermicomposting because they can deal with the scraps more quickly than other breeds. I originally ordered 100 worms but they didn't seem to be eating anything. I read the wonderful book "Worms Eat My Garbage" and discovered that, for the size of bin and amount of scraps I would be putting in the bin, I needed 1000 worms. I ordered more worms from California. Since then I've discovered a man who sells these worms in Pueblo (Colorado Earth Worms - coloradoearthworms.com). I'll go for the more local solution the next time I need worms.

5) Organic Material: Worms can "eat" pretty much all plant material and plate scrapings, but most sources don't recommend putting meat in a worm bin. Too much acidic food (citrus peals, vinegar) can cause the worms to try to abandon the bin (yipes!). Also, worms can go weeks without being fed, if there's still things left from them buried in the bin. I keep an uncovered (to avoid smells) scrap bowl on my counter, and when I have a good amount of scraps, I bury it in my bin. I bury in a zigzag pattern until all the available surface is used up, and then I add bedding and start over again. The earliest burying spots should have been turned into castings by then. You have to be careful not to bury too much at once or the worms won't be able to eat it fast enough and it will rot and smell.

Worm castings are excellent fertilizer as-is, and a worm tea can be made of of the castings for liquid fertilizer. So far, my bin has been pretty easy going. I highly recommend reading "Worms Eat My Garbage" if you want to start your own worm bin. I got a copy at the local library. It's easy reading and very informative.