We throw out a lot of stuff that could be of great use in the circle of life (yes, maggots are part of it). That gave me the idea of setting up a vermicomposting bin (aka. worms composting). The instructions looked simple : first, a bed of brown stuff, then green stuff, a couple hundreds worms to loosen up the guests and lots of organic trash. White trash (as in Cauliflower) and green trash preferably. Organic meat does not qualify. Add water. This is pretty simple indeed.

So, let’s meet the actors:

• The container: anything that breathes and has a lid is fine. It should be placed in a semi-shaded location and in in a well drained spot. The container can be as small as 12 inches tall (for a two layers bin). I am not sure if it is wise but some people even set this up right in their kitchen. Mine will be outside.

• The brown stuff: egg containers, toilet paper middles, dry leaves, wood clippings and chips, paper or manure. It should be moistened before being laid in the bottom of the bin.

• The green stuff: kitchen scraps, plant clippings, grass, coffee grounds, tea bags, fruits skins…

• The worms: choose them wisely, liberally and squiggly. Red worms are best. One pound worth is a good start. They can even be bought online. European nightcrawlers can also be used but tend to not do as well as the red worms because of the composting bin’s moisture and temperature. Worms cost about $30 per pound. The red worms can eat their weight every day and reproduce happily, leaving you with plenty of their nutrient-rich castings.

• The undesirables: meats, very cooked foodstuff, bones. They rot and attract flies.

The layers of green stuff and brown stuff should be alternated every 6 to 12 inches. It is a good idea to add some garden soil throughout.

From there, the microorganisms and the worms will take over. A heap that is not remixed regularly -or cool heap- can  take up to one year to compost. But if you took it upon yourself to replenish the brown layer regularly and kept the heap moist -and therefore hot-, the composting would happen in about 4 months. Note that your heap should not stink.

Harvesting can be tricky as you may not want live worms in you house plants. Shining a light on the heap makes the worms go deeper in the pile therefore letting you harvest the top layer of compost.

Your new pet worms will love you for this and you will prevent that much waste from ending in the landfill. And the best thing is: you will never buy another $10 bag of soil again.

Let me know how yours works out!

Resources:

http://lancaster.unl.edu/pest/resources/Vermicompost107.shtml

http://www.wormwoman.com

http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/Organics/Worms/WrmSuply.htm