Vermicomposting: Letting worms do the dirty work

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Vermicomposting Letting worms do the dirty work
Anne Kolaczyk Purdue University Master Gardener
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Vermicomposting

• Composting worms eat decaying organic matter and
  turn it into worm castings (worm feces). The
  result is vermicompost, a mixture of worm
  castings and composted material such as the
  bedding in bin.

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Why do it

• Ecologically responsible
• Reduce waste in landfills and sewage treatment
  plants
• Provides valuable additives for your plants
• Saves you money
• Worms for fishing

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Composting bins

• Ready made
• Layers
• Drainage
• Homemade
• Depth
• Surface area

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Getting Started

• Bin
• Style
• Moisture control
• Aeration

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Bedding

• Cardboard
• Newspaper
• Coconut fiber
• Old leaves
• Wood chips

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Seeding

• Need a microbial rich substance to start the bin
  off.
• Compost
• Vermicompost
• Manure
• Dirt
• Nothing too fresh though! You dont want to
  generate heat from the seeding substance.

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Worms

• Not all worms are equal!
• Composters, not earthworkers
• Redworms Eisenia foetida
• Full density is 1 lb per sq ft of surface area

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Worms, worms

• Worms become mature at 10 weeks
• Will produce 2 to 3 cocoons a week
• Each cocoon holds 2-5 babies
• Cocoons take 3 weeks to hatch

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And more worms

• In 6 months, 8 worms will multiply into 1500 if
  conditions are right
• They will stop breeding if there is not enough
  food or space.

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Food scraps

• 1/2 lb of food per sq ft of surface area
  (assuming full worm density) per day
• kind
• Vegetable scraps
• Egg shells
• Coffee grounds
• Bread
• Plant waste
• No meat or bones
• No pet waste

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Second course

• Worms eat the microbes that feed on the decaying
  food, not the food itself.
• Food wont attract them until it starts to spoil.
• Consider pre-composting food

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Yum, yum week 1

• A shell of a watermelon added to the bin

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Yum, yum week 2

• That same shell after 10 days

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Yum, yum week 3

• Same shell after 20 days

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Care

• Add food
• Maintainmoisture
• Harvest castings

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Harvesting Methods

• For compost and restocking
• Hand Sort
• Halving
• Bag trap
• For compost only
• Dumping
• For fishing worms
• Hand sort and remove largest

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Points to remember

• Composting worms dont do well out in your garden
  unless your soil is rich in humus. They need
  compost for food!

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Inside or outside?

• Inside
• Space limitations
• Bugs
• Smell
• Outside
• Weather
• Animals
• Size

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Outside for me

• I bought a Rubbermaid deck bin. Holds 10 cubic
  feet.
• Placed on north side of house where it got very
  little sun.
• Positioned near electrical outlet.

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Preparation

• Assembled bin
• Placed on styrofoam insulation sheet
• Drilled holes in sides for ventilation
• Covered holes with screening using glue gun to
  keep out bees

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Winterizing

• Place large covered bucket or container in middle
  of bin. Fill 2/3 with water.
• Put birdbath heater into water. Cut hole in cover
  for the cord. If extension cord is needed to
  reach outlet, wrap joint securely with plastic.
• Fill worm bin with bedding so it almost reaches
  top.
• Wrap sides with sheets of styrofoam insulation.
• Cut piece of foam insulation to lay on top of
  bedding.
• When temperature falls below freezing, plug in
  heater. It should create a core that is not
  frozen where the worms will gather.

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Winter feeding

• They should keep eating
• Less amount perhaps

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What makes worms THRIVE?

• T temperature
• H H2O
• R recycle organics
• I invertebrates
• V ventilation
• E environment and pH

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What makes worms CRAWL?

• C change of habitat
• R rain
• A absence of air
• W water
• L lack of food

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Lets get real
Concerns Solutions
Worms in the house They stay put, honest!
Bugs, extraneous Fruit Flies Soldier Fly Larvae Slugs Freeze scraps Bury in bedding Vinega or wine traps Dont bring in yard waste
Bugs, part of process Spiders Mites Micro-organisms They help the decomposition process. No way to eliminate them, but they stay with the composting material. Wear gloves if they bother you.
Mold May mean bin needs better aeration. Wont hurt process or worms.
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More reality
Concerns Solutions
Mushrooms Come from wood chip bedding. Just bury into bedding.
Smell Properly maintained bin has little smell. Stop feeding for a week. Change some of the bedding. Remove uneaten food.
Time Except for harvesting, it takes less than 1/2 hour per week
Children/Pets Great learning tool for kids. Closed bins keep pets out.
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Uses

• On house plants
• In outdoor gardens
• Very high in nutrients
• Compost tea

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Lets compare
Bin composting Vermicomposting
Space limitations
No outdoor space available
Large quantity of waste to compost
Limited time to spend
Pathogen control
Ewww! factor
Ecologically responsible
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Just do it!