Alex Loeppky is a Mennonite Voluntary Service worker from Morden, Manitoba, who is currently working with gardens and an after-school program at Primavera in Tucson, Arizona. One of her responsibilities is managing Primavera’s vermicomposting system, which uses worms to turn food scraps and paper products into high-quality soil for gardening.
1. Get over any pre-existing fear of worms (and if you do have any, I would not recommend reading Gary Larson’s There’s a Hair in my Dirt picture book).
2. Spend $40-$200 on a specialized home worm composting system OR buy two three-gallon Tupperware bins with lids. If you’re composting for more than four people, I would recommend slightly larger bins.
3. If you’ve chosen the Tupperware route – good choice by the way – drill drainage holes in the bottom of one bin. More holes are better, but do not compromise the structural integrity of the bin. Also keep in mind that your drainage holes should be smaller than your adult worms (they’re about normal earthworm size) because you don’t want your babies to escape. Drill a few air holes in one lid as well.
4. Place your holey bin inside the other bin, and your aerated lid on top. Now you have created the $200 home worm composting system for approximately $20. What a deal!
5. Now that you have the structure of your worm home built, it is time for you to furnish the interior. The Red Wriggler worms, which you will seek in step 6, natively dwell in the leaf litter or under the layer of organic matter covering the soil. In order to make them feel at home, it is good to try to emulate this habitat. Mix together equal parts top soil and/or potting soil (organic/pesticide-free, please!) and shredded office or newspaper (no glossy ads, please!) with a handful of sand. You may add leaves for ambiance if you wish. You will want at least four inches of material in your box to start. Wet the material to the point that it is damp, but not soggy and dripping. You will learn what moisture level is best, and hopefully your drainage holes will work well for you.
6. Adoption day has finally arrived! The type of worms you are looking for are the Red Wriggler variety. You may have a super cool and generous friend who has some extras to share if you ask nicely. If you’re adventurous, and depending on your region, you can try digging up some. If you’re even more adventurous, you can source them from a fish and tackle store (where they are sold as bait) or your strange local "worm lady." The best way to track down this ever-knowledgeable but elusive lady is to talk to your best hippie friend, anyone you know who makes kombucha or participates in a CSA, or your favorite cashier at Sprouts, Whole Foods, or food co-op. In Tucson, you can go to the Food Bank garden.
Once you find some worms, they may cost you $5-$30. Try to get about half a pound. If they are happy, they multiply very quickly and then you, too, can sell them to your other wanna-be hippie friends at a very large profit margin.
7. Bring your babies home and put them in their newly renovated bin! Cover the bin with the lid so that they can happily live their lives in darkness. These babies, unlike real babies, only need to be fed once or twice a week. Food scraps can be collected throughout the week and stored in the freezer before feeding to worms (let it thaw before giving it to the worms). Always cover the food you add with the bedding materials to avoid pests like fruit flies. Food preferences are listed below:
Good foods: Fruit and vegetable scraps, tea leaves and bags.
In moderation: Coffee grounds, citrus, onions, bread, rice, pasta.
Bad foods: Meat, fish, bones, dairy products, oily foods, large pits or stones.
8. Trouble-shooting and care: While worms need to be in a moist environment in order to breathe, feeding your worms will often introduce excess moisture. Add shredded paper regularly to help control moisture. If your bin starts to smell, it is too wet and/or there is too much uneaten food. Make sure food is almost completely eaten before feeding again.
Keeping your bin of worms indoors will ensure that a comfortable temperature is maintained for your babies. In very warm climates, you may be able to leave the bin outdoors during winter (if temperatures are well above freezing), or during summer in cooler climates. If you feel uncomfortable, so will the worms.
9. After several months of regular feeding, you will find that a black material (much like soil) is starting to build up in your bin. This is the black gold you have earned with all your tender loving care. Between you and me, this is actually just worm poop. Start feeding your worms on one side of the bin only. In a week or two, most worms will have migrated to that half of the bin. Remove the hopefully worm-free material and sort through it in order to save any remaining worms from almost certain demise (or just an escape into your pot/garden).
10. If you do not already have potted plants, a container, or traditional garden, now is the time to start. Mix the worm poop (castings, or black gold) into potting soil, garden soil, or make compost tea out of it. While having slimy, squirmy pets is fun, the main point of this whole operation is to reduce organic matter going into landfills and emitting greenhouse gases, and to provide you with quick, and very nutrient-rich, compost from your table scraps.
It’s relatively quick, easy, and not clean. A cost-effective, space-efficient, and time-efficient way to make a difference!
