Vermicompost

D.I.Y. Vermicomposting
Composting with Worms at Home
Presented by
gil lopez

Land Acknowledgment
I ACKNOWLEDGE THE TRADITIONAL CUSTODIANS OF THE LAND ON WHICH I LIVE, WORK
AND PLAY. I HAVE DEVELOPED THIS PRESENTATION AND I AM OFFERING IT FROM WITHIN
MY HOME IN THE TRADITIONAL LANDS OF THE LENAPE PEOPLES, NOW CALLED ASTORIA,
QUEENS. WHILE COLONIZATION HAS LARGELY EXTIRPATED THE LENAPE PEOPLES,
I RECOGNIZE THEIR CONTINUING CONNECTION TO LAND, WATER AND COMMUNITY. I
ALSO PAY RESPECT TO ELDERS PAST, PRESENT AND EMERGING. MY INTENTION TODAY
IS THAT THIS PRESENTATION WILL HELP BRING HONOR AND DIGNITY BACK TO LANDS
AND WATERS OF LENAPEHOKING.

https://www.queenslibrary.org/book/There's-a-hair-in-my-dirt!-:-a-worm's-story/535116

https://www.queenslibrary.org/book/Wiggling-worms-at-work/891716

NYC Compost Project
Excellent resource, free
download from NYC
Department of Sanitation
https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/ds
ny/downloads/pdf/promotional-
materials/indoor-worm-bin-
composting-brochure-06340-
f.pdf

Overview
About Worms
Making (or buying) a worm bin
Getting worms
Making bedding and adding
worms
Feeding your worms
Observation and Correction
Harvesting finished compost
Using your compost

Epegeic
Endogeic
Anecic
3
Classes
of Worms

There are over seven thousand species of earthworms!
One species in particular is well suited for indoor
composting: red wigglers (or Eisenia fetida).
They are endogenic and live in the upper layer of soil
feeding on small organisms and decaying organic matter.
Unlike other species of earthworms, they don’t tunnel
deeply or make permanent burrows.
They reproduce quickly, thrive in habitats with high
organic matter, can tolerate a wide range of temperatures
and moisture conditions, and can live close to one
another. An indoor worm bin mimics all of these natural
conditions, which makes red wigglers ideal for indoor
composting.
Red Wiggler Worms

Worm Life Cycle
Cocoon, Hatchling, Adult

https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/dsny/downloads/pdf/promotional-materials/indoor-worm-bin-composting-brochure-06340-f.pdf

Illustration
from
Worms
Eat
My
Garbage
by
Mary
Appelhof

Red wigglers can eat half their body weight in food scraps a day.
Worms are hermaphrodites (having both male and female reproductive organs) but
still need another worm to reproduce.
One mature worm can give birth to about 100 worms a year. The space and amount
of food in a worm bin will keep their population size in check.
Worms do not have eyes, but they have photoreceptors located in nerve fibers in
their skin which are connected to special nerves called ganglia, which connect to an
earthworm’s version of a brain.
The earthworm’s tiny brain, called a ganglion, helps trigger chemical reactions to
control the entire body of the worm.
Bright or warming lights can harm so they move away from light. Thirty minutes of
UV is toxic and they can become paralyzed if exposed for too long (approx. 1 hour).
Earthworms do not have lungs; instead they breathe through their skin. Their skin
needs to stay moist to allow the passage of dissolved oxygen into their bloodstream.
If a worm's skin dries out, it will die.
A worm’s life span is approximately one year.
Red Wiggler Worms

• Electrocute Them With a Car Battery
• Grunt for Them With Wood and Metal
• Coax Them Out of the Ground With Water
• Soap Them Out of the Ground
• Irritate Them Out of the Ground With Mustard Powder
• Catch Them Under Wood or Cardboard
BUY Worms
CATCH
Worms

•
•
•
BUY Worms
CATCH
Worms

BUY Worms
ASK
for Worms
CATCH
Worms
•
•
•

Myth: Earthworms regenerate when cut in half,
resulting in two earthworms.

Myth: Earthworms regenerate when cut in half,
resulting in two earthworms.
Truth: If you cut an earthworm, only the front
survives. The back end dies, and the front
regenerates the last half.

D.I.Y. Bin Materials List
Plastic container at least one cubic foot. Plastic bins or a bucket
work well
Drill or hot poker
Optional
Fine screen to keep out pests
Tray or bucket as Reservoir
Pipe or vents for air flow
Spigot

Making a Worm Bin (easy)
Drill about 10 holes in the lid, or near the top of
your bin.
Drill several holes at the bottom of your bin to
allow for drainage or (optional) add a spigot at the
bottom.
Add bedding and worms

Making a Worm Bin (involved)
Drill at least 10 quarter-inch holes in the lid. These holes will
provide oxygen to the worms and other decomposer
organisms in the bin.
Drill at least 10 quarter-inch holes in the sides of the bin.
These holes will also provide oxygen in your bin.
Drill at least 10 quarter-inch holes in the bottom of the bin.
These holes are for drainage (optional).
Use non-toxic glue to attach fine screen over holes (optional).
This will help prevent pests like fruit flies from entering your
bin.
If you drilled holes in the bottom on the bin, place a tray under
the bin to catch any “leachate”—this is a waste product of the
composting process made of excess moisture.

Red wiggler compost worms,
You may think they work hard
… but they stay in bed all day!

Bedding
Bedding is what makes up the bulk of what
we add to our worm compost bins. If you add
it to the bin and it isn’t naturally juicy
(considered a green), then it’s a brown, and it
can be considered bedding.
Create a bottom layer of bedding that is
roughly one third the height of the container.
Evenly moist bedding
decomposes aerobically. Oxygen supports
billions of bacteria which feast on organic
matter, then become food for your worms.
Strive for a 60/40 bedding to food ratio.

Types of Bedding
• Newsprint printed with soy ink
• Coconut fibre
• Shredded office paper
• Brown, unwaxed cardboard
• Unbleached paper towel that has
been used to wipe counters
without chemicals
• Toilet paper roles
• Wet wood chips (in moderation)
• Bark (in moderation)
• Moist straw
• Brown leaves
• Brown grasses

Types of Bedding
• Newsprint printed with soy ink
• Coconut fibre
• Shredded office paper
• Brown, unwaxed cardboard
• Unbleached paper towel that has
been used to wipe counters
without chemicals
• Toilet paper roles
• Wet wood chips (in moderation)
• Bark (in moderation)
• Moist straw
• Brown leaves
• Brown grasses
• Fresh Coffee Grounds -Coffee grounds that have
been left to decompose become more neutralized
and okay to add in moderation.
• Wood Ash is highly caustic, alkaline (high pH)
material that will burn your thin skinned worms.
• Sharp Materials like thorns, prickles and some types
of wood mulch.
• Materials that mat, like unshredded, wet papers or
thick layers of leaves which can trap and restrict flow
of moisture and thus worms.
• Non-absorbent Materials - Bedding that is basically
dry is not a good place for worms to live.
• No inorganic materials belong in the worm bin.
Plastic, glass, metal, and polymers are non-
absorbent, non-nutritive, and serve no beneficial
purpose as part of the rich fertilizer harvested from a
“finished” worm bin. Remove any tape, glue, labels,
and stickers.
To AVOID

Adding Grit
Eggs shells - Cleaned, dried and
crushed/ground to very small
pieces (use a mortar/pestle or food
processor).
Sand, stone dust and/or rock
powders
Coffee Grinds - dried/decomposed
and only in moderation. These can
change the pH and create a toxic
acidic environment if overdone.

Feeding Your Worms
Chop food scraps into small 1”-
2” pieces.
Try freezing food scraps to
soften them up, but always
defrost before adding them to
your bin
Cover the food scraps by adding
more torn up newspaper strips.
This prevents pests and odors.

https://thesquirmfirm.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/What-Can-Red-Wiggler-Worms-Eat.jpg

Observation & Correction
Feeding Schedule - Try feeding daily, every few days or once a week. Note the
differences between short and long feeding schedules. What works for you?
What do the worms prefer?
Note the temperature of the bin. Especially as seasons or indoor temps change.
Notice the moisture and humidity in the bin. Do different foods affect these? How
about the type of bedding you used. Would more air circulation help or hurt your
wormy world?
Use your nose. Doe it smell must, moldy or anaerobic? Pay attention to the
types of food scraps you are putting in and any smells that may arise.
What other bugs are in there? A little leaf litter can increase the biiodiversity and
health of your worm bin, but keep an eye on things to make sure populations
stay in check.

Worms Trying to Escape
Too hot
Too wet
Attracted to
Condensation
Reacting to
vibrations

Worms Trying to Escape
Place in a
cooler spot
Add dry
bedding,
feed less,
add a spigot
or drain
holes and
pan.
Too hot
Too wet
Attracted to
Condensation
Reacting to
vibrations

Sour Crop
or Protein Poisoning
As protein-rich
foods break down,
they release
acidic compounds
which can harm
your worms.

Sour Crop
or Protein Poisoning
As protein-rich
foods break down,
they release
acidic compounds
which can harm
your worms.
Absorb some
acidic compounds
with clean
crushed egg
shells or other
calcium rich food
or bedding.

Not adding enough
bedding can lead to
wet conditions.
Adding too much food
with high water
content, like melons

Not adding enough
bedding can lead to
wet conditions.
Adding too much food
with high water
content, like melons
Add bedding more bedding to
absorb excess moisture.
Feed less, especially melons
and watery foods.
Add aeration holes
Add a spigot or overflow holes
to drain excess compost tea

Too cool or too warm
conditions can slow
your worm bin
productivity
Too cold or hot and
your worms could die

Too cool or too warm
conditions can slow
your worm bin
productivity
Too cold or hot and
your worms could die
Choose an area between 55°F
and 80°F (13°C and 27°C).
Temperatures a bit beyond
this range will slow activity
Use bedding to regulate
moisture and humidity

hq.com/product/worm-bin-troubleshooting-infographic-magnet-simple-guide-diagnosing-solving-wo

Harvesting the Castings I
Under a strong light or
outdoors in the sun,
make a few small piles
The worms will retreat
from the light
Remove compost from
the top of each pile
Repeat until you have
a pile of mostly worms

Harvesting the Castings II
Move all the contents over to one side of the bin.
Add new moistened bedding (strips of newspaper) to the empty side, then start
placing food scraps on that side.
Over about a one-month period, most of the worms should move over to the new
bedding, allowing you to scoop out the relatively worm-free vermicompost.

Using
Vermicompost
Add a pinch to germinating seeds
Add a teaspoon when transplanting seedlings into the garden
Add 1-2 cups to established plants. Top-dress around the root zone. UV light kills
microbes in castings so scratch it in soon. After application.
Make compost tea by placing castings in a tightly-woven mesh bag suspended in
water. Brew for 24-48 hours, periodically agitating the water, or submerge a fish
tank air stone to introduce oxygen, which the aerobic microbes need to live. Add
fish or seaweed meal for an added nutrient boost. Dilute and water plants or lawn
with the compost tea.
Worm tea can be applied as a foliar spray or root drench. Actively-aerated tea
should be used within just a few hours after brewing is complete.

Benefits of Vermicompost
Pathogen suppression - While vermicompost won’t kill soil born pathogens, it will keep them from becoming virulent
and attacking your plants.
Nutrient Delivery - Vermicompost normally possesses higher levels of plant-available nutrients, particularly nitrogen
and phosphorus than conventional compost
Water Retention - Thanks to it’s incredible density, worm castings to the soil will help keep the water in the soil and
conserve that precious resource, especially in areas with depleted – or depleting – water sources and/or soil heavy
in sand or clay.
Increased Microorganism Populations - Vermicompost can be a thriving microbial community, full of beneficial fungi
and bacteria that aid in soil health. Healthy soil is said to consist of around 5% organic material, but in over-farmed
soil, that number has fallen to 1%. Introducing vermicompost to soil can help restore that balance.
Pest Suppression - Similar to its effect on pathogens, vermicompost does not kill or repel pests, but can help stave
off attack.
Plant Growth Regulation and Higher Yields - Studies abound that show that vermicompost or worm castings
application results in a higher yield with crops ranging from strawberries to tomatoes to peppers and more. Some
vermicomposts can also feature hormones that regulate and promote plant growth.
Polluted Soil Remediation numerous studies show that earthworms and the microbes found in lively vermicompost
are shown to remediate soil contaminated with hydrocarbons, agrichemical pollutants, heavy metal free radicals,
and more.
https://urbanwormcompany.com/plant-and-soil-benefits-of-vermicompost/

Thank You
https://www.slideshare.net/glopezse
z
Social media
@glopezsez
@SmilingHogsheadRanch
Questions/Comments
glopezsez@gmail.com
https://youtu.be/_Zr8aV_d1YA

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