Wednesday, February 6, 2019

Questions About Vermicomposting

Questions About Vermicomposting (worm composting)

These questions can help you understand the process better and trouble shoot problems. I have based some of these Q/A's off of my personal experiences. If you have any further questions please feel free to ask!

 

What foods (green waste) can you put into the worm bin?
  • My rules for what food I put in the bin (green waste)
    • Could that food be grown in a garden? So then you know it is naturally safe for the worms πŸŒ½πŸŽπŸ‰
      • The only exceptions would be if the foods are spicy or too acidic (like citrus fruits)
    • You could also add little amounts of grain products, like bread or rice, but I do not recommend adding much.πŸžπŸ™
    • The final 3 things I suggest adding that worms like to eat
      • Egg shells
      • Used coffee grounds
      • Used tea bags

What bedding/brown waste do I add to the bin?
  • Newspaper shredding πŸ“ƒ
    • No colored sections
    • No glossy sections
  • Dead waste from house plants
    • (i.e.) dried leavesπŸŒ±πŸŒΎπŸ‚πŸ

What is the worm tea?
  • The liquids from the worm castings/compost
  • Filled with nutrients and microbes

What should I do with the worm tea?
  • I collect the tea and mix it with water
  • I use the tea/water mixture to water my house plants every now and then

Noticing worm castings, now what?
  • You wait a couple months
  • After the worms break down the food, you want the microbes to work on the castings for a good amount of time 

Where should I store my worm bin?
  • I suggest underneath a sink or in a closet
    • The worms work best when they are in a dark environment

Do the bins smell?
  • The food you put in may smell for a little while but if you cover up the food with bedding the smell won't be too noticeable .
  • The worm castings smell similarly like soil

How often do I feed my worms?
  • I feed them once a week
  • I put the brown waste on top of each feeding
    • This will provide bedding 
    • Prevents unwanted odors coming from the bin

4 comments:

  1. Yes, the worms have grown in size. They were very small and thin when I received them. The worms are now significantly bigger and look very happy.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hello Becca, found your link on Lee's site, A Guide to Northeastern Gardening and decided to check it out. Your blog looks great. Don't stop blogging - you will meet some of the most wonderful people around the world. It will become your passion.

    Jeannie@GetMeToTheCountry.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jeannie,
      Thank you so much for your kind words and support!

      Delete

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