Frequently Asked Questions

You could, but likely the earthworms in your yard will be slow to compost and slow to reproduce. Red Wigglers, and other worms bred for composting, are very motivated to eat, breed and poop. This makes them ideal and efficient composters. 

As with any pursuit, there is a wide price range for entry into vermicomposting. At its most basic, you need worms, bedding, worm food and a container. Occasionally, you also need to sprinkle some finely ground "grit" material to allow the worms' gizzards to digest food. As long as you've got composting worms, the other components can often be sourced for free or limited cost. Inexpensive systems often become more time-consuming to maintain and harvest. Once you find that worm composting nourishes both your soul and your soil (Like what I did there?), worm enthusiasts often look for an upgraded bin for convenient feeding and harvesting and/or a larger space for worms and castings production. 

There are absolutely tricks to make these answers "No!", "No!" and "No!" If you add stinky items to your worm bin (broccoli, cabbage, rabbit manure, you get the idea), there will likely be an associated smell for a day or two. If the bin is way too wet, it will get smelly (and could put your worms in jeopardy). If you add food scraps and don't cover them with a layer of bedding, you may attract fruit flies. If you manage your bin mindfully, it doesn't need to be stinky, gross or infested with flies. If you're noticing trouble with pests, see Troubleshooting section below.

As for the mess, this depends on how vigilantly you tidy your worm zone. People often keep their worm bin under the kitchen sink, in a basement or garage or sometimes (climate-permitting) outdoors. 

This depends on your budget and your needs. 

• -If you want cheap and simple, I'd recommend starting with a stackable storage tote with air holes drilled along the sides near the top. Check out the PDF tip sheet on making your own. If you'd rather buy it with holes drilled and ready to go, check out the "Gateway Starter Bin"
• If you want to pay a little more for convenience, I'd suggest the Urban Worm Bag.

Visit my blog for a more in-depth look at the different types of worm bins.

The smaller the particle size, the faster the materials will break down. This allows the worms to more quickly eat, digest and leave it behind. This is an important distinction with both food and bedding for your bin. 

Here's a basic list of what you can use for bedding in your worm bin:  

• Peat moss (pH often buffered with a sprinkle of Garden Lime)
• Coconut coir (rinsed well)
• Torn or shredded cardboard pieces
• Torn or shredded newspaper or paper
• Aged compost
• Aged cow, horse, or rabbit manure (pre-rinse rabbit manure to reduce ammonia/salts)
• Straw
• Hay
• Fall leaves (dried and shredded are best)
• Wood chips or pine shavings

Different beddings will result in a different texture, appearance, and nutrient composition of castings. How this impacts your vermicomposting practices will depend on your goals--whether you're more interested in high-quality castings or you're just trying to recycle everything you possibly can.

If your worm bin is indoors, consider that outdoor materials like leaves will bring in "friends" from the outdoor ecosystem (pill bugs, earwigs, and other critters). They don't harm the bin, but you may not be eager to see them. For more information on other insects in the worm bin, the Urban Worm Company has a great reference. 

Worms will eat the microbes (bacteria, fungi, etc.) that grow on your food scraps and bedding. Through the action of decomposition and worms ingesting the material, eventually they'll turn both foods and bedding into worm castings.

Here's a basic list of what you can feed your worms:  

• Fruit and vegetable scraps (minus those in “NO” List)
• Small amounts of bread, pasta or rice
• Dead flower bouquets
• Coffee grounds/Tea bags
• Egg shells (rinse, microwave for 2 minutes and grind with blender or coffee grinder)
• Manure of plant-eating pets (rabbit, guinea pig, hamster, etc.)
• Finely ground birdseed
• Small amounts of aged bokashi compost
• Crushed or powdered old dog or cat kibble

Here's the "No" list of what should typically be avoided:

• Citrus
• Onions/Garlic
• Spicy (chili peppers) or salty foods
• Meat or Dairy
• Fats, oils, salad dressing

Here's a cool fact: Worm castings will vary in nutrient composition and appearance depending on what you feed the worms. In large-scale operations, worms are often fed pre-composted, fairly finished thermophilic compost. Often they're fed manures (horse, cow, rabbit). 

The same goes for bedding. How this impacts your vermicomposting practices will really depend on your goals--whether you're more interested in high-quality castings or you're more interested in using your worm bin to recycle everything you possibly can. 

Worms will eat the microbes (bacteria, fungi, etc.) that grow on your food scraps and bedding. Through the action of decomposition and worms ingesting the material, eventually they'll turn both foods and bedding into worm castings.

Here's a basic list of what you can feed your worms:  

• Fruit and vegetable scraps (minus those in “NO” List)
• Small amounts of bread, pasta or rice
• Dead flower bouquets
• Coffee grounds/Tea bags
• Egg shells (rinse, microwave for 2 minutes and grind with blender or coffee grinder)
• Manure of plant-eating pets (rabbit, guinea pig, hamster, etc.)
• Finely ground birdseed
• Small amounts of aged bokashi compost
• Crushed or powdered old dog or cat kibble

Here's the "No" list of what should typically be avoided:

• Citrus
• Onions/Garlic
• Spicy (chili peppers) or salty foods
• Meat or Dairy
• Fats, oils, salad dressing

Here's a cool fact: Worm castings will vary in nutrient composition and appearance depending on what you feed the worms. In large-scale operations, worms are often fed pre-composted, fairly finished thermophilic compost. Often they're fed manures (horse, cow, rabbit). 

The same goes for bedding. How this impacts your vermicomposting practices will really depend on your goals--whether you're more interested in high-quality castings or you're more interested in using your worm bin to recycle everything you possibly can. 

Stay tuned for more information

Stay tuned for more information