The Procedures for Vermicomposting

Vermicomposting requires a controlled environment where compost worms can convert their bedding and food into worm manure or "castings." Aside from a physical structure for the worms, vermicomposting pioneer and biologist Mary Appelhof said, in her book "Worms Eat My Garbage," that certain environmental requirements must be met, and maintenance procedures followed for effective vermicomposting.

• 1

  Place a shallow container, such as a commercial stacking bin, homemade wooden bin or plastic storage tote, to house the worms in a spot handy to the kitchen.

• 2

  Soak corrugated or regular cardboard in water for an hour or more and tear it into long strips roughly 2 inches wide as bedding for the worms. Pile it into the worm bin to a depth of 6 to 8 inches.

• 3

  Bury 1 to 2 cups of roughly chopped food scraps in a pocket created under the surface of the bedding and pull the cardboard back over to conceal the scraps to hide them from fruit flies. Use fruits, vegetables, coffee grounds and tea bags and avoid meat, bones, dairy products and fatty or greasy foods, the Virginia Cooperative Extension notes. Mark the spot of the pocket with a small flag or skewer so you can find it later.

• 4

  Allow the food scraps to begin to decompose for about a week before adding the worms, so bacteria and fungi render the food more easily handled by their tiny mouths.

• 5

  Add 1 lb. to 2 lbs. of red wiggler worms, known by the scientific name Eisenia fetida, to the bin. Gently lay them on top of the bedding and close the lid to the bin so they can acclimate in darkness.

• 6

  Add new pockets of food scraps after first inspecting the earlier pocket to make sure the worms have finished previous food. Add the new scraps roughly adjacent to the old pocket so the worms can find the new food. Relocate the flag or marker to the new spot. Continue adding scraps in a clockwise pattern around the bin to maintain your system.

• 7

  Separate the worms from the vermicompost in about two to three months when you notice most of the original bedding is gone and converted to dark grains of compost. Move the vermicompost, which will be reduced in volume from the original bedding, to one side of the bin. Add new bedding and food to the other side and give the worms a few weeks to migrate to the new side. Remove the vermicompost and add bedding to the empty space.