Earthworms- these slimy, friendly creatures do so many beneficial things to help our gardens. Here in Long Beach our soil tends to have a clayish consistency, called clay loam. Worms help to loosen and aerate this tough soil while creating pathways for plant roots to grow, and as an added bonus, produce wonderful fertile compost for your garden.

Vermicomposting, or commonly known as worm composting is a very simple way of reusing your fruit and vegetable scraps. Worms, being nature’s perfect recyclers, take garbage in and with the help of microorganisms, transform your kitchen scraps into organic matter. Worms love compost piles, (see article Composting in Long Beach: Reduce Your Waste – Long Beach Post from the January, 2013 edition).

But, if you don’t have a composter for where your worms will naturally thrive, it is very easy to create a worm-composting farm in a bin. All you need is a plastic tub filled with moist bedding, food scraps and worms. The advantage is this can be done anywhere.

To get the maximum results, you will want to use worms that are big eaters such as red worms; these worms are the hungriest of all worms. Warning: these worms are not for the squeamish since the adults can grow up to 4 inches long.

Red worms have the ability to consume half their weight every day and as a result leave behind lots of wonderful black gold. This nitrogen rich compost can then be used as an excellent amendment to your soil. Lets not forget about the worm tea. This liquid, produced during the compost process, contains many important nutrients and essential minerals for your plant’s growth. Use this special tea as an organic fertilizer.

These wiggly creatures love to be kept in a dark, warm, cozy place with plenty of organic material, moisture and air. No worries about escapees, they like to stay where the conditions are just right.

There are seven very easy steps to worm composting:

  1. Find a plastic tub with a tight fitting lid. Use a drill to make plenty of air vents starting about six inches from the bottom around the entire box and a few in the lid. (or purchase a worm composter)
  2. Add shredded newspaper- keep moist but not wet
  3. Add ½-1 pound of red worms. (Can be purchased online or through garden catalogs)
  4. Add food / yard scrapes regularly. For best results add vegetable and fruit scraps, coffee grounds with used filters, small leaves, eggshells (washed and crushed), and nutshells. Avoid animal by-products, oils and fats, and dairy items.
  5. Keep the bin out of direct sunlight. The worms like it warm but not hot.
  6. Keep the pH neutral (7.0) with eggshells or ground limestone
  7. Stir in new food several times a week, the compost will be ready in 2-3 weeks.

For optimum use of your worm investment, only use 3/4 of your worm compost at a time. Leave the other 1/4 in the bin as a starter for the next batch. Don’t worry about bringing worms out with the compost, as long as you leave some in the bin. The worms are great for the garden and will enjoy the endless food supply.