Vermicomposting—Year Round Composting,
Under the Sink

Vermicomposting uses worms to compost (decompose) organic materials in the home. This takes up very little space and can be done throughout the year in a basement or heated garage. Some people compost under the kitchen sink.

Wherever you do it, it's an excellent way to dispose of fruit, vegetable and grain kitchen wastes.

Vermicomposting Steps

Obtain a dark color, plastic storage bin. One 1' x 2' x 3.5' (30 cm x 60 cm x 105 cm) will be enough to meet the needs of a family of 6.

Drill 8 to 10 holes, approximately 1/4" in diameter, in the bottom of the bin for drainage.

These holes are an absolute must to ensure that there isn't too much water in the food waste and compost.

Put a tray underneath the bin to catch any drainage.

Line the bottom of the bin with fine nylon mesh to prevent the worms from escaping.

Shredded newspaper works well as bedding. Rip it into pieces and water well so that it's thoroughly moist. Wring out excess water, separate the newspaper strips (so that the worms can move through it) and place them on one side of your bin. Don't let the newspaper dry out. (Use a gardening spray bottle to keep the paper moist.)

Add worms to your bin. Redworms (red wigglers) are best for composting, but other species can be used. If you have a pile of mulch, or an outside compost pile, you'll find red wigglers under the mulch or in the compost pile.

You can also order worms from a garden catalog or from a site that specializes in raising and selling compost worms.

Provide the worms with food wastes such as vegetable peelings, tea bags (or leaves) and coffee grounds. Make the pieces as small as possible so that the worms can ingest them (in other words, don't throw in a whole corn cob and expect the worms to turn it into worm compost for you). Use a food processor to chop up the pieces, if necessary.

Do not add fat or meat products, or citrus peels, and don't pour in liquids or very wet wastes. And limit feedings. Too much at once may cause the material to rot before the worms have a chance to eat it.

Keep the bin in a dark location away from extreme temperatures. The basement or insulated garage is ideal.

In about three months, the worms should have consumed the bedding and food wastes and left behind worm castings. Add fresh, moist bedding and more food to the other side of the bin. The worms should migrate to the new food supply, leaving the castings "worm-free."

After a couple of weeks, open your bin in a bright light. The worms will burrow into the bedding. Scoop out the finished compost. Before you apply it to your plants, lay it out on some newspaper and check it for small pellets.

These are worm cocoons, in which are baby worms. Place those over on the "in progress" side of the bin to ensure a continuing population of worms for your vermicomposting operation.

Once all (or most) of the cocoons are removed, you can add these nutrient-rich worm castings to your houseplants, or save for use in the garden in the spring.

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