Worm Composting (Vermi-Composting) Part 2: Worms & Food

When worm composting you will probably want to raise your own earthworms. In order to do so, you obviously need to know what kind of worms you should use and what kind of food you can give to these worms. In this part 2, I will discuss types of worms used and worm food .

First let’s identify which worms are best for vermi-composting. It’s true that earthworms aren’t pets for the squeamish, but they are great little composters! You’ll want the kind of worms that are sold for fishing bait — red wigglers or brandling worms - not ordinary field worms from someone’s garden.

You can get these redworms at a local fishing bait store or special stores which specialize in selling supplies for vermi-composting and vermi-culture (the raising of earthworms for the creation of a healthy soil). You can google “vermi-composting stores” to find the ones closest to you. Canadians, there are now some of these stores in Canada.

Redworms normally live in barnyard manure piles, and feed on fresh organic material. Field worms are better at digesting things that are already well decomposed and aren’t likely to survive in a worm bin on a diet of kitchen scraps.

Your valuable little redworms will live quietly in their dark box and multiply rapidly. Just bury your leftovers in their bedding after each meal.

It is unlikely that you will have too much waste to compost because redworms can eat their own weight in kitchen scraps and bedding each day.

The castings they produce are incredibly rich fertilizer and look like fine textured soil.

For each cubic foot of worm bin, plan on using a half-pound of red wigglers (about 500, depending on their size).

What Should You Use As Worm Food?
Coffee grounds, vegetables, and fruit are excellent food for worms. A varied diet is important. My brother, a New Brunswick fisherman who needs the worms for bait, gathers the worms in the spring, puts them in a pail half filled with soil, and feeds them raw quaker oats, the kind used for making porridge. He’s been doing that for years.

I have used broken up lettuce, celery, carrot greens in my personal very small composting bin. You can read about my experience with vermi-composting at http://www.plantsandgardeningtips.com/worm-composting/worm-castings.

Avoid bones, dairy products, meats, garlic, potato peelings, and other materials which may cause odours, attract insects, or take a very long time to break down.

Egg shells are essential to keep the bedding from becoming too acidic for the worms. Dry them well, crush them, and sprinkle the tiny pieces over the top of the bedding.

You needn’t be too fussy about what food you should give the worms as much as making sure they have plenty to eat. They will reward you with their castings that work so well at making your vegetables and flowers lush, healthier, and tastier.

In the next post we will discuss what temperatures are best for worms and how to harvest the castings.

Meanwhile, stay healthy and happy vermi-composting.

Marcie