Worm composting a DIY spring project

DECATUR, Ill. — DIY projects are a great way to welcome spring. Have you ever considered worm composting or vermicomposting? One pound of worms – about 500 worms – can eat between one-half and one pound of food waste per day and can double in population in a month if they have sufficient food, water, and shelter.

Vermipost is mostly worm waste referred to as “castings” and compared to ordinary soil contains five to 11 times more plant-available nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. It is a mild organic fertilizer that is safe for your plants.

“Worm composting is a great way for you to recycle fruit and vegetable waste from your kitchen,” said Doug Gucker, University of Illinois Extension local foods and small farms educator,. “Another great thing about this type of composting is that it can be done year-round.”

The best worms for vermicomposting are red worms, brandling worms, and European nightcrawlers, Gucker said. These earthworms are surface dwellers, which means they will live in the upper layers of rich, organic matter in piles of decaying litter. They do not burrow like some common earthworms found in backyards. Vermicomposting worms also can survive in temperatures ranging from 40 to 90 degrees but prefer between 55 and 77 degrees.

Small pieces of fruits and vegetables (including peels), ground eggshells, coffee grounds, tea bags, and small amounts of moistened plain cereal, bread and pasta are ideal foods for worms, Gucker said. Foods to avoid include meat, poultry, dairy products, oils and strongly flavored foods such as garlic and onions. In the beginning, feeding will be by trial and error.

The key is to understand the amount of food that the worms can consume in a week, and not overfeed them. Gucker said scraps that are placed in the bin should be buried in the worm bedding. This will help to reduce odor and keep from attracting insects. Varying the location of the food also will help avoid pockets of excess waste. Even though worms eat approximately half their body weight in food each day, it is easy to overwhelm them and cause problems for you.

To learn how to build an indoor vermicomposter visit the blog Know How, Know More at https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/know-how-know-more.

The Local Food Systems and Small Farms program is a branch of University of Illinois Extension that provides research-based information about agriculture health and safety, environmentally and economically sound pest control and improving profitability and sustainability. Follow Gucker on Twitter.