Indoor Composting

            Don’t know what to do with your self this winter? Have you always wanted a compost bin but without the work or space outside? Then consider starting an indoor compost bin with red worms (Eisenia foetida). They make great pets – they’re quiet, don’t take a lot of space, are cute, they don’t demand a lot of attention, you don’t have to groom them, you don’t have to clean up after them, (and when you do, you just throw it on your plants – indoors or out), and they eat a lot – of stuff you would otherwise throw away. They’re not very cuddly, but otherwise, what more could you ask for? (Note – these are not the slimy, gooey earthworm that are in your garden and crawl out on the sidewalk and die when it rains. Red worms aren’t slimy.)

            How to get started? Buy a plastic box or build a bin – the plastic box is easier. A box with 3 square feet of surface (e.g., 18” x 24”) can process about 10.5 lb of food a week – that’s quite a bit. So if you don’t have that much, get a smaller box. Drill holes about an inch up from the bottom of the box for drainage and put a piece of fabric such as nylon on the bottom and up past the holes to keep the vermicompost (the compost that results when the worms eat the food) from falling out. You can use the box lid to catch the drainage, and just lay a piece of cardboard on top. Also drill holes an inch or two down from the top for air circulation. The cardboard top helps to keep the worms in, allows a bit of air flow, and keeps fruit flies out.

            Put 6 to 8 inches of bedding in the bottom of the bin – shredded office paper, newspaper, or cardboard make a good bedding. Material should be shredded into 2 inch strips or less. There are other things you can use, but who doesn’t have some of this that is always getting thrown away anyway? Moisten the bedding by soaking it in water, then drain and squeeze out the excess moisture. It should feel like a damp sponge. Fluff it up to assure it is well aerated. Add one-half to one pound of worms for each square foot of surface area. Put your new friends in and give them a chance to burrow in before you feed them. To keep them from leaving the bed, leave a light on near the bin for the first few days. They don’t like light and won’t leave the bin if a light is on. After a week or so, they should be settled into their new home and you can turn off the light.

            Worms can process a wide range of organic materials as long as the materials are not too salty or too acidic. Fruits, vegetables, coffee grounds and filters, and tea bags are good. Citrus fruit should be added only in moderate amounts because of their high acidity, but a little is a great treat. Worms will process chopped or ground food scraps more quickly than large pieces, but over time, whole foods will be broken down. Do not feed meat, bones, dairy products, greasy foods, or pet manure due to odor and pathogen concerns. It is best not to over-feed the worms at first because that can cause an odor problem also. Once established, all they need is additional bedding added every so often when it gets low.

            To easily harvest the vermicompost, push the existing material to one side of the bin, and put new bedding and food on the other side. Add food only to that new side. The worms will then migrate to the side where food is being added, and you can remove the vermicompost from the other. Then add new bedding and food to the side you just harvested from, and reverse the process, alternating sides.

For more information, the following web sites provide useful and interesting information:

http://www.css.cornell.edu/compost/worms/basics.html - Cornell Science and composting resources

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/compostfacility/worm4.htm - Texas A&M extension service

http://www.allthingsorganic.com/How_To/ - All Things Organic specializes in Worm Composting Systems but provides helpful How To information

http://www.earth911.org/master.asp?s=lib&a=organics/composting/wormcompost.asp - Earth911 is an environmental web portal for consumer information, providing recycling, reuse, and disposal information resources in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), state and local governments, and other organizations.

          ~Many Thanks to Paula Knepper, Environmental Chairman, District IV, NCAGC