What is worm composting or vermicomposting?

Vermiculture uses worms to help break down organic household waste, and turn it into a nutrient-rich vermicast. Since this can be done indoors or outdoors, it is an easy way to recycle food waste. It can even be done by people who live in an apartment or do not have a yard. The worm poop which is produced during vermiculture is a highly-concentrated nutrient packed matter which can be used for house and garden plants.

There are many benefits of vermicomposting:

Red Wigglers can double their population size in three months, but they will not overpopulate your worm bin.

• Reduces the amount of waste that would otherwise go to a landfill
• Improvement of the physical structure of the soil
• Enriches the soil with micro-organisms
• Microbial activity in the worm castings is much higher than the organic matter which the worm digests.
• Enriches plant growth, crop yield and germination
• Improves roots growth
• After adding vermicompost to soil, the new mixture has better aeration, water retention, drainage and stability
• Due to the antibiotic properties of vermicompost it offers more protection against pathogens than regular compost.
• Contains higher amounts of natural plant growth hormones

Vermicompost is richer in nutrients than compost which comes from a regular backyard composter. It can be used in place of a commercial potting mix as a planting medium. Vermicompost contains worm casting which are produced during the vermicomposting process. These casting hold moisture in the soil better than soil alone. The worm mucus found in the vermicompost also helps hold nutrients in the soil that may otherwise be washed away during the first watering.

Red wigglers, Eisenia foetida, are the most popular worms to use in vermiculture. Red wigglers do not burrow and thrive well in highly populated areas. The worms will double their population size in three months, but they will not overpopulate an area. These worms eat about half of their weight a day in food. In other words a 1 pound worm population will eat approximately ½ a pound of food per day.