Are you considering worm composting? A worm bin is a great way to compost indoors, in a small space, or in an apartment or a townhouse with a deck. It's also a fun way for children to get involved in composting and to understand how decomposition works. Plus, worms are extraordinarily friendly and easy pets.
If you're thinking about worm composting, here are a few tips that will save you grief later on.
Use the Right Kind of Worms for Your Worm Bin
Composting requires worms, right? Yes, that's correct, but it doesn't require just any sort of worm. You cannot go down to the local fishing store and buy fishing worms, nor can you bribe the neighborhood children to dig up worms from the garden to place in your compost bin. No, to produce compost in a worm bin you need red wriggler worms. In nature, these worms do the job that you're asking them to do in the compost: they eat raw and chunky vegetable matter. Worm composting is an intensive process, and you need the right worm for the job, preferably a pound of them per bin.
Avoid Dairy, Meat, Eggshells, and Other Foods the Worms Don't Like
Red wriggler worms love to eat. However, if you use too many onion skins, garlic pieces, citrus, and egg shells, this makes life difficult for the worms, since these are not their preferred foods. They will certainly eat them, but the shells are hard to break down, and the onion, garlic, and citrus are just unpleasant. Add these items in moderation. At all times, avoid dairy, grains, and meat. These items will attract larger animals like rodents to the worm bin if it is located on a deck.
Put the Worms in a Place Where They Feel Comfortable
Every hard-working worm deserves a good home. Place your red worms in a place where they are comfortable. Don't put them in a place that vibrates. Worms like to move when the ground moves, and they will move to the top of the bin. Give them a dark, cool place to hide, since this is their natural environment. If the bin is outdoors in the winter, place it in an insulated enclosure close to a wall so that the compost doesn't freeze. Make sure that the bin has good drainage and a place underneath to catch the compost tea. It's not nice to drown your worms, and the worms will flee the compost and sit at the top of the bin if it gets too wet.
Worm Composting is Fun for Children
Maintaining a worm bin should be an adult's job, but children love to help feed the worms and even handle them. Cleaning out the bin is a good job for children. When you remove the compost from the bin, pick out as many worms as possible. Also try to pick out egg cases. Collect the worms and place them back into the bin with some new paper, and start the process all over again.
Worm bins can be more work than a regular compost bin, but it is very rewarding to create successful compost in a small space. The finished compost is also excellent food for house plants and container gardens.
