I’ve got worms!
Composting has become a regular routine in my life. For many years, like many other people I would collect scraps of food in an indoor compost pail and then take the pail to a larger compost pile outside. This task is a pleasant one in the summer months but I found it difficult to motivate myself to make the trip outside at -25C. The lazy and fun alternative I have found is indoor worm composting.
Worm composting, also called vermicomposting, is a system of delivery of organic waste to a concentrated population of worms. The worms happily munch away on the food scraps together and give you a highly concentrated fertilizer, worm pooh. You’ll find books that refer to the worm pooh as worm castings as if that somehow dignifies the stuff but really it’s the same thing. As long as you keep adding food and monitoring the bin conditions to keep the worms happy, you’ll have plenty of free fertilizer for your indoor and outdoor plants.
- worm composting equipment
Worm composting is not very demanding in terms of time, space or equipment. All you need is a compost pail to collect the food scraps, a worm bin to serve as a home for the worms and maybe a small shovel to keep your hands clean. You can store the bin anywhere in your house as long as the temperature does not swing to high or low. I would say the worms like a temperature range between 18 and 25 degrees celsius. Whenever your compost pail is full or at least has a substantial amount of food you just take a minute out of your day to bury the food in the worm bin. The worms will take care of the rest until you come back to collect the fertilizer!
Constructing a worm bin
Before you begin worm composting indoors you will need to create a suitable home for the worms. First, choose a worm bin that is waterproof because there will me a lot of moisture in your bin. The simplest bin is probably the rubbermaid type shown above. It is durable, water proof and cheap. If your a purist and want to avoid plastics then you cana easily build a wood bin but be sure to water proof the bin in some way.
Next, drill a bunch of holes around the top of the bin so air can flow through. Like other living organisms, worms need oxygen so these air holes are essential to keep your worms alive. There will also be millions of other bacteria at work in your worm bin that need the oxygen to do there job. Waste food left in a bin without oxygen will also start to decay anaerobically and this really stinks.
Lastly, the worms will need some bedding in their home. The bedding must provide the worms with darkness because they fear the light and ideally it will also be compostable. Newspaper works well for bedding because it readily available, compostable and also helps regulate the bin moisture levels. Tear a bunch of newspaper into strips and lay it in your bin. I often use a bit of soil when I start a bin. Any nonsterilized soil you use will come packed with bacteria that will contribute to the composting process and the soil also helps to cover your food deposits early on when not enough worm castings have accumulated. Other bedding materials could include, wood shavings, sawdust, leaves, cardboard, peatmost or just plain dirt.
worm bin bedding
Adding the worms
Now it’s time to add some worms. Finding some worms may take a bit of research on your end. These worms are not the same as earthworms so don’t just head outside with a shovel and dig up a bunch of earthworms. The worms you want are often called red wigglers. They thrive in warm climates on the surface of the forest floor just under the caver of loose organic matter. Luckily, vermicomposting is really taking off so just call around and see what is available in your local community. Chances are you will find someone in the area who can spare a few worms. You just need a small handful to start a bin. Pick a spot in your bin and push the bedding to the side. Then toss in a few food scraps and cover them up with the bedding. It is necessary to cover all of your food deposits to prevent fruit flies and fowl smells. You can just set the worms on top of the bedding and they will work their way into the bedding because they don’t like the light. They will also find the food on their own so there is really not too much for you to worry about.
worms
Feeding your worms
Feeding your worms is a simple process that does not require much time or energy on your part. Basically, you will just dig a hole, deposit your food scraps, cover up the deposit and close the bin. There are a few other things to think about though. I explain the details in the video below.
So that’s a basic introduction to help you get started with worm composting. When you are ready to learn more of the details see if you can find the book “Worms Eat My Garbage
