Worm Composting

Find a Container:
A portable bin can be used year-round-- indoors all year round, or outdoors during the milder months. A bin approximately 2 ft. x 3 ft. with solid sides, drainage holes and a tight-fitting lid works best. You can use a wood or plastic container, or use your imagination and recycle something like an old dresser drawer, trunk, or discarded barrel. Some worm composters prefer wood because it is more absorbent and a better insulator for the worms.

Get Worms!
Redworms (also known as red wiggler, brandling, or manure worm) are best suited to do the job. They are often found in aged manure and compost heaps. Do not use dew-worms (large size worms found in soil and compost), as they are not likely to survive.
Where To Get Worms...
If you feel adventurous, find a horse stable or farmer with a manure pile and collect a bagful of manure with worms. You can also purchase worms online at a number of sources. Two to check are www.hallswormery.com, and www.downtoearthfarm.com.

Prepare the Bin:

1. Fill your bin with moistened shredded newspaper, peat moss, or cardboard "bedding".
2. Mix in a little soil or fine sand to provide grit.
3. Add a pound of red worms for every pound of food scraps you plan to compost each week. Note: the correct ratio of worms to food waste should be: for one pound per day of food waste, use two pounds of worms (roughly 2000). If you are unable to get this many worms to start with, reduce the amount of food waste accordingly while the population steadily increases.
4. Bury your food waste throughout the bin. The worms will gradually eat it and turn it into rich compost.
5. Wait a few days and then bury more food waste.

"YES" compost materials: shredded paper, vegetable and fruit scraps, coffee grounds, tea bags, old bread, fruit peels/rinds, and fruit pulp. Egg shells can be added, but should be crushed first.

"NO" compost materials: meat and other animal products, fish, dairy products, greasy or oily foods, pet feces, ashes.

Harvesting Your Compost:
Two or three times a year, when most of the contents of the bin have become dark "worm castings", the compost can be harvested. The finished product will be greatly reduced from the original volume, and should only fill one half or less of the bin. The compost may be harvested by moving it all to one side of the bin and adding fresh bedding to the empty side. Then begin burying food waste in the new bedding. The worms will finish decomposing the old bedding and then migrate to the fresh bedding and food scraps, allowing finished compost to be harvested.

For more information, contact Solid Waste Services at 512-494-9400 or by email.