Vermicomposting 101: 10 Steps to Success

Vermicomposting is a proven composting method that takes advantage of one of nature’s best decomposers - worms. Composting success with red wigglers boils down to a number of straightforward steps. Let’s break them down in this blog, with some tips from my own personal composting adventures. 

Start with worms in a ventilated bin, add moist bedding like shredded paper, and feed them kitchen scraps gradually. Maintain a temperature of 55-77°F, and keep moisture levels like a wrung sponge. Bury your food scraps and to avoid odors and harvest the castings every 3 to 4 months, expanding your bins as worms multiply. 

Finally, prevent infestation and fruit flies by covering your compost, and use the nutrient-rich product to boost your garden soil. This is the secret hack to turn kitchen waste into garden gold for years. 

Picking Your Worms

Red wigglers are the stars of vermicomposting. They consume fast and multiply like crazy in confined spaces. For best results, avoid using earthworms as they're essentially diggers and not munchers. I started vermicomposting with a pound from a local supplier, and they turned my bin into a worm colony within months.

Set Up Your Bin

For your compost bin, use a dark, lidded plastic bin with drilled air holes on the top and sides for ventilation, and bottom for drainage. Line it up with damp newspaper; as worms hate light and dry conditions. My first DIY bin was a recycled tote; it was enough for more than 1,000 worms and fits well under the kitchen sink.

Add Bedding Material

Shredded cardboard, coconut coir, or used leaves are ideal bedding materials for vermicomposting. Dampen them to sponge consistency to make your worms feel at home. I like to mix in crushed eggshells, cardboard, or even shredded paper to help worms grind their food and break down the compost.

Introduce Your Worms

Now, gently add your worms to the bedding material, and let them settle for a day or two before feeding them. Start small, with half a pound of kitchen scraps each week. One extra tip is to always check moisture first, as worms hate dryness. 

Strategic Feeding 

To optimize food and nutrition for your worms, add in chopped veggie peels, coffee grounds, and fruit scraps, and remember to bury them deep to prevent flies. Avoid using meat, dairy, or citrus; these are too acidic or will become smelly. I like to feed mine banana peels as well, and they typically vanish overnight, turning food waste into fertilizer.

Maintain Ideal Conditions

For optimal results, keep the temperature between 55 to 77°F, and basements or garage spots are ideal settings for this. Mist your compost if it gets too dry; as worms breathe through their skin. Once my outdoor bin froze in the cold months and killed most of my worms. So now I always insulate the bin with blankets for the winter. 

Monitor and Adjust

As you progress, continue to check weekly for smells, and add more bedding material if it gets too chunky, and add moisture if it becomes dry. Worms cluster together at the top if they are unhappy. Be mindful of your bin becoming too wet - that’s when mold can take over. 

Harvest the Castings

After around 3 to 4 months, push the contents to one side and add fresh bedding so your worms can migrate. You can now scoop up the dark, crumbly castings. I remember my first harvest filled a whole bucket. I mixed it into pots, and soon enough it doubled my yields.

Troubleshooting 

A final tip: beware of fruit flies. Cover your bin and bury the scraps deeper if needed. Cut back on food scraps if you’re feeding too much, as worms eat about half of their weight per day. These simple tweaks will keep things smooth and your composting journey a breeze. 

Use and Expand

It’s now time to reap the rewards! Sprinkle the castings in your soil for nutrient boosts, and compost teas for liquid nutrition. Consider splitting the compost into more bins as you progress. With this method, your garden's soil will be on its way to perfection, cutting fertilizer needs by half as worms do all the work. 

Vermicomposting can be a game-changer for your composting journey, leveraging the power of nature to create fertilizer from scraps.  Follow these steps, and you might be hooked.