Vermicomposting!

So your first question is probably: huh? Vermicomposting? It is basically the fancy term for a worm compost. And no, that doesn't mean that I'm composting worms; it means that I'm making worms make compost for me! It is rumored that the soil produced in a worm compost is some of the best organic garden compost you can get your hands on. The best part is, it's really cheap to do! Here's the how-to:

1. You will need to select 2 tote-containers that are NOT see-through (worms do not tolerate light well). You can select any size that you'd like depending on your needs and space available. I selected 2 light-grey 5gallon totes which are fairly deep but not overly large, as I don't have a lot of space for them. (Note: keep in mind that in colder climates you will need to have your worms "winter" inside in a fairly warm room as they don't fair well in the cold and will not survive if you leave the compost bins outside.)

2. You will need to use a 1/8" drill bit to make holes in ONE of your totes. This will be the "upper" compost bin, where your worms and composting materials will go. I drilled: 20 holes in the lid, 10 holes on each wide side of the tote, 2 holes on each narrow side of the tote, and 8 holes on the bottom.

3. Place a brick, or some sort of support, in the "lower" bin (the one without holes). The idea is to provide enough height that the two bins will not sit flush with each other (as you can see demonstrated in the photos that follow).

4. Create a thick layer of "bedding" for the worms, using: shredded newspaper (with only black ink - no colors), torn up egg cartons or toilet paper rolls, or other un-dyed cardboard. Place this in the bottom of the "upper" bin.

5. On top of the layer of bedding materials, place compost materials: coffee grounds, tea bags, vegetable peelings, egg shells, small amounts of fruits or citrus peels, etc. Note: meats, dairy products, eggs, breads, etc are not suggested compost materials. On top of that layer, place another thinner layer of bedding materials, then another layer of compost materials and finally another thin layer of bedding materials. It is also suggested to add a bit of garden soil as it will introduce microbes to help with the decomposing process, and it will provide grit for the worms' gizzards. Using a spray bottle, wet the top layer just to the point of a wrung-out sponge. Leave this for 1-2 weeks to get a head start in decomposing before adding your worms.

Ready for worms in 1-2 weeks!

6. Add your worms!

I haven't added my worms yet, as I just got my compost together yesterday so I'm letting it sit now for the 1-2 weeks suggested. I will, of course, update all of you once I've acquired my worms and let you know how things are progressing!


The best thing about vermicomposting, is that your worms will reproduce in the compost bin which means that you will always have a good supply of "composters" working for you! They will only reproduce enough offspring to fill their space, so you never have to worry about your compost becoming over populated. The point of the bottom bin (the one without holes) is that while the worms are working away in the upper bin, there will be "compost tea" (moisture produced from the compost materials) that will drip down into the bottom bin. This is absolute gold to gardeners! It is supposed to be very rich in nutrients and any plant that gets a "drink" will be very happy indeed!
I hope I have inspired many of you to try this out for yourselves, and I look forward to updating all of you as things go along!