Organic Gardening – How to Make Worm Compost Fertilizer
Vermiculture is the fancy word for worm excretion which is worm compost. Heres how to do your own worm composting.
Choose the Proper Container
You will need a container at least 8 to 12 inches deep. Wood is better as it absorbs moisture and insulates the worms. A rectangular plastic container is often used, but the compost tends to be soggy.
Make Sure to Aerate the Bottom
Drill holes at least 2 inches apart all along the container bottom. Plastic containers may need more holes. Raise the bin off the ground with bricks. This provides air flow to the worms and prevents the materials from rotting. Keep a tray underneath the bin to catch excess moisture that can then be used for liquid fertilizer. If your compost comes out too wet, simply drill more holes.
Use Shredded Newspaper to Line the Container
Shred newspaper into one inch wide strips. Dampen the paper strips with water in a spray bottle until damp. Add about a cup of sand for the worms digestive tract.
Save Kitchen Scraps
About a week before you purchase your worms, start collecting kitchen scraps to feed the worms. The kitchen scraps you save are just like for home composting. Do not use animal proteins like meat, bones, cheese, milk, or oil products like salad dressing or mayonnaise. All raw vegetable and fruit leftovers, coffee grounds, used tea bags and egg shells are good.
Purchase Your Worms
You will need to have at least 2 pounds of worms for each day of food waste. Surprisingly, this works out to be approximately 2,000 worms. The best variations for composting are red worms or red wigglers as they thrive off of organic materials such as rotting fruits and vegetables.
Put a Cover on the Container
When placing your container outside, a wooden board works best as it keeps the worms in darkness just as they like it while keeping the soil moist. In addition, it also prevents predators from getting in. If your container is indoors, a simple plastic lid cover will suffice.
Collect Worm Excretions
Within four to six weeks from starting your worm compost you will start to notice the bedding becoming darker. Finally, in about two to three months, there will be very little of your original bedding remaining. If you wish to collect all of the compost or castings at once, simply pour the container onto a tarp or old shower curtain liner. The next step is to shine a light over the piles to ensure the worms move to the bottom. Once you are sure they are at the bottom, begin scooping the castings until all that is left are the worms. Place new bedding, the worms and some of the castings back in your container and start all over again.
Rhonda Abrons is a keen organic gardening enthusiast. She loves to share her gardening experiences and provide lessons about Organic Garden Pest Control and DIY Recipes for Natural Pesticides on Clivir.com.
