Organic Gardening – How to Make Worm Compost Fertilizer

Worm excretion, also known as Vermiculture, is an excellent way to fertilize your garden organically. Listed below is a step by step guide to get you started on creating your own worm compost fertilizer.

Get a Container

You will need a container at least 8 to 12 inches deep. Wood is better as it absorbs moisture and insulates the worms. A rectangular plastic container is often used, but the compost tends to be soggy.

Aerate the bottom

Drill holes at least 2 inches apart all along the container bottom. Plastic containers may need more holes. Raise the bin off the ground with bricks. This provides air flow to the worms and prevents the materials from rotting. Keep a tray underneath the bin to catch excess moisture that can then be used for liquid fertilizer. If your compost comes out too wet, simply drill more holes.

Line with Newspaper

Shred newspaper into one inch wide strips. Dampen the paper strips with water in a spray bottle until damp. Add about a cup of sand for the worms digestive tract.

Collect and Save Kitchen Scraps

Just like home composting, you will need to start collecting your kitchen scraps about one week prior to purchasing your worms. This will be the food your worms will eat in order to excrete your compost material. It is very important that you do not use animal proteins such as meat, bones, cheese and milk as well as any oil based products like mayonnaise or salad dressings. The best food for your worms is egg shells, raw fruits and vegetables, coffee grounds and used tea bags.

Purchase Your Worms

You will need to have at least 2 pounds of worms for each day of food waste. Surprisingly, this works out to be approximately 2,000 worms. The best variations for composting are red worms or red wigglers as they thrive off of organic materials such as rotting fruits and vegetables.

Cover Container

Worms like it dark and moist, so cover with a wooden board when outside. This will also keep away predators. Inside, heavy plastic will do.

Collect Worm Castings

After two to four weeks, the bedding in the container will start to appear darker. By two to three months, nothing of the original bedding will be left. At this point, you can then harvest your worm castings or compost. First, simply pour the container out in piles on a tarp or old shower curtain liner. Then, shine a bright light over the piles to ensure all the worms move to the bottom. Now you can begin collecting. Scoop away all the compost until all that is left are worms. Finally, re-line the container with new bedding, add worms and some of their castings and begin again.

Rhonda Abrons is a keen organic gardening enthusiast and featured writer on Clivir.com where she shares her gardening knowledge about Organic Gardening Tips and How to Worm Compost.