Worm Composting
The neighborhood started charging more tax for garbage (yay!)
and the compost small plastic bins in the summer would sit for too long and generate tons of flies and other creatures...and smelled very bad (boo!).
This was great motivation to try some worm composting.
Contents
What is Vermicomposting?
The Biology and Chemistry
The Biology and Chemistry in a nutshell in this short video by PBS and American Chemical Society.
Some more details here in the Worm Biology
Vermicomposting is a process that involves chemical, physical, and biological transformations of solid organic materials (agricultural residues of plant and animal origin) through the use of worms and microorganisms (Garg and Gupta, 2009).
Worms
Which worms can we use?
There are different types of worms
Overall categorization:
More detailed table:
Prototype
Concept behind the Prototype
Worm composting can be done indoors in small apartments, as well as outdoors.
Some basics:
- Compost vegetable matter, even coffee rinds! - except egg shells - BUT no meat, no starch in your compost
- Good moisture
- Not in direct sunlight
- Good air circulation (turn it over)
- Balance the worm diet and balance YOUR diet! (too much citrus, coffee rinds will acidify, etc.)
There is a lot online on how to start one (links below) - this one aimed for these features:
- One person
- Balcony location
- No need to touch the worms
The design here assumes that the worms are smart enough to want to look for food i.e. that they are epigeics (the worms like surface soil), which will stay on the top of the composting bin.
Materials and Tools
- Plastic garbage bin
- Plastic receptacle
- Plastic receiving tray
- Metal chickenwire / mesh
- Metal support rods
- Cutter for plastic
- Cutter for Wires
- Drill (to make airholes)
- A ziptie for a handle
- Salad turners for "tossing the compost" for aeration
Worms
Can you dig up worms yourself in the garden and do this?
The answer is no, for this type of design. See above for the types of worms.
Otherwise, look for suppliers in the neighborhood.
Build it
Repeat of What not to Compost
What not to compost at home:
- Dairy products
- Meats
- Oils, fats
- Pet waste (contains harmful pathogens - unless processed in heat compost)
- Sugars (attracts ants)
In effect, a good vegetarian mix + also, coffee, tea, plants, paper (cellulose).
Rotten food is welcome.
Onions, garlic or citrus (in small quantities), not too spicy also.
Chop them up for easy eating.
Feed them, and see how it goes.
Troubleshooting and Improvements
Using composting worms (Eisenia foetida), there are hardly any worms try to escape from the bottom. There was never a need to "separate" the worms from the compost, which most articles suggested to do. But here are some things to do differently than this version.
- Need a bigger bin!
- Make the "bottom window" to take out the compost a bit higher off the ground, to catch the brown water, especially for indoor composting.
NICE TROUBLESHOOTING TABLE HERE by Sierra Worm Compost.
Links
Other articles
- DIY indoor vermicomposting
- Quick Facts about worm composting
- 3-tier system
- preventing fruit flies! very useful tips toward the end of the article
- Troubleshooting your Compost
Worm Biology
- Worm anatomy diagrams
- Sierra worm compost website - great summary including more scientific things
Worm Sources
FR
JP