Vermicomposting (worm composting)

Worm composting (vermicomposting)

Worm composting is using worms to turn food scraps and other organic material into a valuable soil amendment for your garden.

I started worm composting in the spring of 2023. It took me about a month to get the right combination of food waste, garden waste and shredded cardboard or newspaper. I now have a system that requires minimal maintenance. The ratio is about 30% food waste, 10% to 20% garden waste and the remainder shredded cardboard and newspaper. You know when it is out of balance, because it starts to smell and there is excess liquid. I follow the same guidelines as a traditional compost and do not feed the worms anything from the onion family or citrus. While the worms eat a lot for their small size, I do not put anything in the bin that takes a longtime to breakdown, such as watermelon rind or corn husks. I also do not put in any diseased or seeding yard waste, because I want the compost to be as healthy as possible.

I am using the three-bucket method and keeping the buckets in my garage so the temperature is constant. The worms will die if it is too hot or too cold. The bottom bucket catches the liquid created as the worms are doing their work. It is called compost tea. A couple of times a week I add the liquid to my watering can and give my plants a nutrient boost. The biggest challenge I had was removing the bottom bucket. It was a two-person job because the 5-gallon buckets fit so tightly together. I solved the problem by finding a smaller bucket that fits nicely on the bottom.

The other thing I learned is not to rush the worms. A couple months after starting I put the third bucket on to encourage the worms to move up, but when I went to use the compost in the second bucket, it was not broken down as well as I would have liked. I still used it to amend my garden bed after harvesting my garlic, but it could have been finer. I have since learned when you want to use the compost, it is best to stop feeding the worms for a few weeks, so they breakdown everything they have. I will be away in October, so I am hoping to have a full bucket of compost and worm castings when I get home. It will be perfect timing to add to my garden, before I do my fall planting of garlic and kale.

The best worms for the job are red wrigglers. There are Canadian companies that ship, but I bought mine on Facebook marketplace from a fellow worm composter for $30.

Pros and cons of vermicomposting

Six months into vermicomposting, I am happy with the result. It does not meet all my compost needs, but with little effort, I am reducing the organics I take to the recycling depot and I am reducing what I buy to enrich in my soil.