The Wonders of Worm Composting

Worms are wonderful. They do so many good things in the world. Gardeners love worms because they help aerate soil and provide much-needed oxygen to plants and vegetables. Worms are also excellent at composting, at turning our organic food waste into nutrient rich soil and fertilizer. Whether you call it vermiculture or vermicompost, the end result is the same – gorgeous soil and fertilizer rich with phosphorus and nitrogen, for us to grow our plants in.

Composting in general is a wonderful way to reduce our footprint in the world. We can substantially reduce our waste output by sending our leftover food scraps to a compost bin, and it’s even better if we have worms there to help the process along.

One of the most popular worms that are often used in composting are commonly called Red Wigglers (Latin name Eisenia fetida). These are (relatively) small but powerful worms that can consume large amounts of waste into soil, and can live in places where other types of worms cannot. They thrive in rotting vegetation, compost, and manure so clearly, they are ideal for composting. You can’t just use any type of worm.

Red Wiggler worms are very hearty, but also require a healthy environment and care from the compost owner. They need to live in the right temperature range as they can freeze if it’s too cold and literally bake if it’s too hot. They need to be fed enough food to keep them satisfied but not so much that they cannot deal with it. They also need moisture and adequate airflow.

You can set up a worm compost indoors or outdoors, and you don’t need yard space to do it – if you have a deck or outdoor space, you just need to monitor the temperature seasonally. If you keep it indoors, you can prevent any odor by maintaining the compost and making sure it’s not overwatered or overfed. You can also prevent fruit flies by placing a cup full of wine and vinegar on the top of the compost to draw any flies in.

Composting is beneficial to everyone involved. We reduce the amount of waste that we have to carry to the dumpster, our plants and gardens have a very powerful fertilizer to help them grow, and the worms have a steady diet and a good home.

Start your own worm compost today! Visit www.compostearth.com for all your worm composting needs.