Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast
Episode 108
Composting with Worms
There are many ways to live more sustainably, some easier than others. But one of the most valuable things you can do from the perspective of sustainability is composting. Many people are put off by this thought because they have this ill conceived idea that composting is a big mystery. Furthermore, people make all kinds of excuses as to why they do not compost such as “I don’t have room.” “It is took much work.” “I can’t compost because I live in an apartment.”
I must admit that for many years I had my set of excuses for not composting until some friends of ours introduced us to composting with worms. And that is the focus of this episode, an easy way to compost even if you live in an apartment. So stay tuned to E108 which is called composting with worms.
Welcome back everyone to the Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast. This is your host Patrick and this is E108 which is called Composting with Worms.
What I want to do for the next few episodes is to talk about several practical topics for living sustainably. And in the process I want to give you some actionable steps for accomplishing each one of these things. In this episode I am going to focus on composting, in particular composting with worms. But in the course of this episode I want to discuss several different things.
-Top five reasons for composting
-Benefits for composting with worms
-The uses for worm compost
-How to make a worm composting bin.
Top Five Reasons for Composting
Everyday the average American produces about 4 1/2 pounds of waste, which is approximately 2 kilograms. This comes to a yearly total of 1,600 pounds, or about 727 kilograms of waste per year. We have a recycling rate of about 34%. About 13% of our waste stream is incinerated. Approximately 53% of our waste goes to the landfill, which totals about 136 million tons per year or about 123.6 billion kilograms of waste. By far the largest component of municipal solid waste is food scraps, which accounts for about 22%.
Now you might be asking why this is such a problem. Under normal circumstances, organic material breaks down in a process called aerobic decomposition. This is a very natural process in which oxygen is present. But organic material in a landfill breaks down anaerobically, which means in the absence of oxygen. When this happens, methane gas is released. Methane is another potent greenhouse gas and when it accumulates in the atmosphere it contributes to global warming. Methane gas released from landfills is the third largest source of human related methane gas production in the United States.
On the other hand, composting mimics the natural processes of breaking down organic material, which is done in the presence of oxygen. This leads me to the first reason for composting.
1) Reduces waste
Just by composting, we can reduce the amount of waste that goes to the landfill by 22%. This means we are less dependent on the use of landfills and we reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.
2) Compost strengthens soil and promotes plant growth.
And once you have an active compost bin, you can use that to add organic material to your soil. This not only improves the structure of the soil but the added organic material makes it ideal for supporting plant life. The increased organic material also helps the soil to retain water, air, and nutrients. According to the EPA, an increase in organic material of only 1% actually triples the water holding capacity of the soil. Not only does this benefit the entire ecosystem, but it also prevents runoff and erosion.
3) Composting return essential nutrients back to the soil.
Another benefit of composting is that it returns essential nutrients back to the soil. Those food scraps that you toss away actually contain valuable vitamins and minerals that can be returned to the soil. This can be a value source of nutrients the next time you plant something. Unfortunately our modern agriculture methods result in extensive soil depletion which in turn means the vegetables and fruits grown in that soil are less nutritious. Using compost on your garden can change all of that.
4) Reduces the need for fertilizers
Another fantastic thing about compost is that it is made up of a variety of materials and consequently has a very complex nutrient structure. Because of this, it serves of sort of acts like a time release nutrient capsule. This means that plants get a nice slow feeding of nutrients over time. This is very different from traditional fertilizers which release nutrients all at once. Compost also promotes healthy plant development so that they are more resistant to pests, fungi, and other diseases. This reduces the need for commercial pesticides.
5) Compost serves as a probiotic for soil.
As humans we need to health dose of good bacteria on a regular basis in order to maintain our health and fight off disease. Soil is no different. Compost acts as a probiotic for soil, attracting various organism and microorganism to help fight off disease. Compost is naturally loaded with all the good bacteria.
Composting with Worms
Although composting has many benefits, not everyone has an appropriate place for a compost bin. If you live in an apartment or flat in the city or in a suburban area or if you have a relatively small outdoor space, it may be impossible for you to have any sort of compost bin. Additionally, some people like myself, live in a colder climate which can make composting more difficult. Not only that, I was hesitant to put together a large composing bin due to the local wildlife especially the bears. If you listened to my last episode, you already know about the challenges I have with some of the local wildlife. Consequently, for many years I never composted organic waste.
But regardless of where and how you live, myself included, there is a way to compost organic material indoors that takes up very little space and is completely odorless.
A couple of years ago we were visiting some friends in southern Colorado when we got to talking about composting. I mentioned several of our challenges regarding composting and that is when they introduced us to vermicompost, which is composting with worms. Initially I laughed quite a bit about the idea because right away I asked why would you want a stinking pile of compost in your house. But I spoke way too soon and I was proven wrong.
We walked down to their basement where they had several worm composting bins and there was absolutely no odor. But besides being odor free, composting with worms has several other benefits.
Benefits of Composting With Worms
Roughly 28% of what we throw away can be composted instead of ending up in a landfill. Most of this is comprised of food scraps and yard waste. These things take up a lot of space in the landfill and contribute to the production of methane, which is a potent greenhouse gas. However, if you have limitations due to climate and simply available space, composting with worms can provide an easy and efficient way to turn that waste into valuable fertilizer. But, there are many other benefits.
Composting with worms can be done outside or indoors. For example, if you live in an apartment, composting with worms is easy, odor free, and takes up very little space.
Composting with worms is sort of the fast food method of composting. All you need is 500 or more red worms in a composting bin. If conditions are right, they can consume half of their body weight in vegetation every day.
High quality compost.
Studies have shown that worm compost has increased nitrogen-fixing bacteria relative to conventional compost. It also increases the availability or minerals in the soil that are important for plants. And of course the compost produced by the worms has all the aforementioned benefits of composting as well.
Uses for Worm Compost (Vermicompost)
As could be predicted, there are many uses for worm compost.
Add worm compost to your garden. Most gardeners will turn the soil at the end of the growing season to prepare for the next season. This is a perfect time to add compost. However, this will require a lot of worm compost. You may not be able to produce that much. One way to solve this is to make a larger worm bin.
Add worm compost to seed starter mix. Seed starter mix has added nutrients, retains moisture, and does not compact easily. These are the best conditions to start seeds. Your valuable worm compost makes a great addition.
Top Dress Your Plants with Worm Compost.
This is simply adding a small amount of worm compost on top of the soil around the stem of the plant.
Make worm compost tea. This can be easily done by using a make-shift tea bag to hold worm compost then steeping it in a bucket of water over night. You can use an old t-shirt, cheese cloth, panty hose, or even an old rag as a “tea” bag. Place a couple of large scoops of worm compost, close it up and drop it in a 5 gallon bucket of water. Let it sit over night and then use it to water the garden.
DIY Worm Composting Bin
Proper composing with worm requires a specific type of bin. The worm composting bin must provide aeration, drainage, prevent invasion of pests, and of course be easily accessible.
Commercially manufactured worm composting bins can cost upwards of $100. But, the good news is that you can make one for less than $30. This is what I did.
Materials needed
Plastic container of your choice. For a small worm bin, you can use two 5 gallon buckets. For larger bins, simply purchase two identical plastic storage containers from your local hardware store. Just make sure they fit together and have a small space in the bottom for drainage.
Drill and a 1/2 to 1 inch drill bit to drill air and drainage holes.
Fine screen mesh
Water proof glue or calking
Shredded news paper. Use regular plain newspaper. You need to shred enough to cover the bottom of the bin with about two inches.
Soil. Add about twice as much soil as you did the newspaper.
Water. Add enough water to provide a nice moist feeling to the worm mix.
Red worms, in particular red wigglers
Now in the transcript for this episode I have an illustrated guide of how to build a worm composting bin, and I have numerous photographs of just how easy this is. But I can verbally walk you through this whole process.
Building a Worm Compost Bin
A DIY worm composting bin will take about one hour to build after you gather all the needed materials. Below I illustrate the step-by-step process.
Two identical plastic containers that will fit together with a small space underneath the inside container.
I used a one inch drill bit to drill multiple holes through the bottom one of the containers for drainage. The one with the holes in the bottom is of course going to fit inside the second container which remains completely intact so that it can catch the drainage. Alternatively, you can simple place a drainage tray under the container that has the holes. I just thought it was easier to use two identical containers because it makes the worm bin more compact and stackable.
After drilling the holes, I use a fine screen material to cover the holes. Cut small squares just large enough to cover the holes. This allows drainage and prevents the worms from dropping down into the lower container.
I then used an outdoor caulking material to glue to screens over the holes.
Then repeat this process for the lid. Holes in the lid allows for aeration/ventilation and the screen material prevents flies or other insects from entering the bin.
The end product is two containers where one fits inside the other. These containers are now ready for the the addition of the worms, shredded news paper and water. Worm “tea” collects in the bottom of the outside container through the drainage holes.
Our worm bin sits in the corner of the cabin between the table and the front door. It has absolutely no odor and I even tend to forget it is there.
Proper Bedding for Composting With Worms
Once the worm bin is complete, you will need to add some type of organic material. You can use leaves or straw but you run the risk of introducing insects. It is best to start with shredded newspaper. Use just plain newspaper. Stay away from pages with heavy ink or a glossy finish. Shred enough newspaper to create a one to two inch thick bed without packing it down. Add enough garden soil so that the newspaper mixes well. There needs to be more dirt than paper. Lastly, add just enough water to make the soil moist to the touch. If you add too much water, then add a little more dirt.
Purchasing Your Worms
You need at least 500 worms to start, preferably 1000. In particular, you need the red wigglers (Eisenia fetida) or red worms (Lumbricus rubellus). These types of worm prefer a compost environment over plain soil. Unlike your typical garden worm, they will not try to burrow deeper into the soil.
Worms can easily be ordered online. A one pound bag is about 1000 worms and should be approximately two big handfuls.
Maintaining the Worm Bin
Maintaining the bin is easy and requires very little time. When adding food waste, be sure to stir the material into the bin so that it does not sit on top and rot. Worms will eat most fruit and vegetable waste. You can also add coffee grounds, tea bags, shredded paper. Avoid any animal products such as fat, meat, bones, and dairy. Also be cautious about adding too many onions, citrus products such as orange peels, or tough vegetable stems that are difficult to break down. Bread can also be added in small amounts.
Also avoid garlic, leeks, hot peppers, oils, butter, vinegar, or spicy, salty, or pickled foods. Avoid feeding worms cruciferous veggies (like broccoli) if you notice an odor.Be sure to chop the food waste into smaller pieces so that it is easier to break down.
Use the right worms
Red wigglers (Eisenia fetida) are the best species for worm composting because they thrive between 55 and 75°F in environments with lots of organic matter. Common garden worms will not survive in a worm bin. Get worms from someone in your community, a bait shop, or an online supplier. Ensure the species you are getting is Eisenia fetida. Red wigglers can eat up to their body weight every day, so start with about a pound or approximately 1/2 kilogram of worms.
Feed worms about once a week, and wait to add more food until they have finished their last meal. Start with an amount of food about equal to the amount of worms you have. Pay attention to how much your worms eat, and adjust the amount you feed them accordingly. Bury fresh food scraps in the bedding already in the bin, or add the food scraps on top and cover with fresh, moist bedding.
Worms can live four to five years. However, they may not last this long inside your bin. They will start to reproduce at about 2 months of age, which is important to keeping up your population. Keep in mind that your worm population is going to double in the first few months. This is not a problem as long as there is enough food.
Remember that the worms are going to eat about half their body weight every day. So one pound of worms will consume approximately 1/2 pound of food every single day. On average that equals about 3 pounds of waste per week and 12 pounds per month.
From a practical stand point, if we are producing 4 1/2 pounds of waste per day and roughly 25% of that material can become compost, then we are each producing about 1.2 pounds or 1/2 kilogram of compostable material per day. That equals about 8.4 pounds or 3.8 kilograms of compostable material per week. If 1/2 a kilogram of worms, or about one pound, consumes 1.4 kilograms, or 3 pounds of waste per week, then it would take about 1 1/2 kilograms or 3.3 pounds of worms to consume all the organic waste each person produces.
Once again from a practical stand point, our worm bin sits in the corner of the main room of the cabin and it measures approximately 16 by 22 inches or about 41 cm wide by 56 cm long. That is not a lot of space.
Collecting Your Harvest
Worm “tea” is the fluid that collects in the bottom container. This is easily collected by removing the top container and pouring out the liquid. This liquid is very strong and should be diluted in water to about one part worm tea to 10 parts water. As stated above, you can also make your own worm compost tea which is already dilute.
The easiest way to collect the worm compost from the bin is to dump the contents onto a tarp. The top layer of the bin will now be on the bottom which tends to be material that is not yet composted. The worms will have a tendency to crawl down to this layer. You can now scoop off the top layer of material which was of course the bottom layer that was in the bin. This is a perfect time to clean out the bottom of the bin.
Then place your worms back in their bin, add a little news paper and dirt as needed.
Troubleshooting Your Worm Bin
As with most animals, proper husbandry, maintenance, and availability of food will prevent most problems. However, you may still encounter occasional issues.
Composter odor
As a general rule, your worms should be eating most anything you add to the bin. If you notice an odor, look through your bin and remove any waste that is starting to rot.
The worms may sometimes let waste material sit and soften before attempting to eat it. It is helpful to chop up vegetable scraps into smaller pieces that soften up sooner.
If you add too much food waste at once, the worm bin may collect too much moisture. If this is the case, then add a small amount of newspaper or cardboard.
Fruit fly infestation
In this case, prevention is the best course of action. If you have a food waste bin on your counter, make certain it is well sealed. When adding food waste to the worm bin, be sure to cover it with plenty of dirt. Again, chopping the food into smaller bits will help to prevent fruit fly problems
.
Invasion from other creatures
If your worm bin gets invaded by other insect you will likely have to take the bin outside, dump the contents, collect any compost, and start fresh. Afterwards, check the screening over all the holes to make sure all is intact.
If your bin is getting invade by rodents, secure the lid with a heavy object or a bungie cord.
Other Amendments to the Worm Bin
The addition of pumice or coconut coir will improve water retention, prevent matting, enhance air circulation, and add nutrients. It will also help to balance the soil due to the constant addition of nitrogen rich food waste.
Final Thoughts
I did not compost for years primarily due to living in a cold climate. But even during the warmer months of the year I always felt as if the compost bin would just end up being a play pen for the the local wildlife, meaning the bears.
Composting with worms changed all of that for us. All those years we never sent anything to the landfill because we were always tossing organic material into the forest. Now we have an indoor composting bin that is odor free and regularly provides a natural fertilizer for the green house. Instead of tossing organic material into the forest, we are putting it to good use.
Additionally, a worm bin is so easy to set up and is very versatile. You can be composting even if you live in an apartment or flat. Your compost could be used for a small indoor container garden or even for houseplants if that is all you want to do. At least you are making good use of organic material and you are also sending a lot less material to the landfill. And remember that you can purchase a commercially produced worm bin but you can make you own for less than $30 in less than one hour.
If you think that you cannot do anything about climate change or if you just do not know where to start as far as living more sustainably then composting with worms may be the easiest place to start. It is fast, easy, inexpensive and extremely versatile.
Well that’s about it for this week folks. I hope this episode has encouraged you to take one small step toward a more sustainable life. Be sure to join me again next week for another session on practical tips for living more sustainably.
Don’t forget to download the transcript for this episode because I have a series of photographs showing just how I put together our worm bin. I also have a number of additional resources that will be very helpful to get you started composting. Also, don’t forget to take the time to leave me with a review. That would be fantastic.
Until next week, this is your host Patrick signing off. Always remember to live sustainably because this is how we build a better future.
Patrick
Resources
Top Five Reasons to Compost
A User’s Guide to Backyard Composting
15 Benefits of Composting
Types of Composting and Understanding the Process
