What’s Vermiposting And How Do I Do It?

Vermiposting is a nice way to say your worms are making manure, and it’s a great way to compost some of your table scraps and vegetable peelings. Heck, the worms will even read your newspaper then eat it (well, that’s a stretch on the reading part.) 

Image via WikipediaEarthworms are good for the earth because they enrich the soil with their castings. These castings are like a bag of the best natural fertilizer and soil conditioner you could ever find for your garden.

Vermiposting is easy to do, inexpensive, and kids really get a kick out of it. Composting through worms is something you can do in the house without fear of bad smells or worrying about worms on the loose, and it’s a way to keep your composting going through the winter when your outside compost heap may be in deep freeze. This is an excellent way to recycle; from kitchen scraps to worms to rich plant food.

How to do it:
First thing to do is get your red wigglers. You can order them online or at some garden stores. The smallest amount they come in is one pound, but you need roughly two pounds of worms per one pound of garbage.

Next, you’ll want to prepare the worms’ home. Buy an 8-10 gallon tub with a lid. Drill holes in the bottom for ventilation, but cover the holes with a screen to keep the little guys from wiggling through. Run your black and white newspaper through a shredder, get it damp, and lay it on the bottom of the tub (on top of the screen.) Next put in some dirt, and on top of that add old leaves, then some compost. This should all be moist, not wet. If too wet, add dry shredded newspaper to absorb moisture.

What to feed them:
Fruit, vegetables, coffee grounds, any organic scraps, grass clippings, and other yard compostables.

What not to feed them:
Onions or garlic (they don’t like them), dairy, oiled or buttered leftovers, meat, or sugar.

The worm bin should not be smelly. If it is, it may be too wet. Quite possibly you may have more scraps in the bin than the worms can handle and the scraps are decomposing before the worms can get to them. Add dry shredded newspaper if it’s too wet or remove excess scraps if they are rotting.

To gather your worm compost, empty the bin out on a tarp so it looks like a mountain. Do this in the sunlight and the worms will dive deep and you can start taking the compost gold off the top. Use it around your plants, on your vegetable garden, or as a tea to water your favorite indoor plants.

Vermiposting is the ultimate in recycling because it gets rid of your food scraps. Plus, it’s good for your garden. I think you will be pleasantly surprised with how easy it is to do and how quickly it becomes a normal routine in your household.

Related articles on Earthworm Composting:

• Earthworms enrich garden soils by composting (mysanantonio.com)
• Earthworms: Just Plain Weird or Truly Beneficial? (brighthub.com)
• Setting Up A Wormery (lifegoggles.com)
• Worm waste key ingredient for soil health (commercialappeal.com)