Compost

 

Vermicomposting at Home

Worm composting is an efficient method of recycling food waste and other organic materials into a valuable soil amendment called vermicompost. Over time, worms eat these materials which become compost as they pass through the worm’s body. This nutrient-rich compost makes excellent plant and garden food. If you’re interested in composting in your own backyard you can purchase worms online from Northern Rockies Vermicompost. Once your worms have arrived, follow the steps below for best results on how to create your own compost.

  1. To start, you will need a compost bin. Fill the bottom layer with moist bedding material such as old compost or organic material. This creates a humid layer which the worms can burrow in and begin to digest their food.

  2. Add worms to the compost area and feed them with small amounts of waste regularly, turning often. You can either place the waste on top of the compost or bury it within the compost to create feeding pockets. It is important to water regularly to keep your compost moist.

  3. Continue to turn the compost regularly to allow for aeration. Over time the worms will eat the added materials and leave behind dirt - this is worm poop or worm castings. These castings contain many nutrients that plants require to strive and grow. 
    Please note: Castings could have seeds in the mix if the castings have not been heat-treated. Heat treatment of the castings will eliminate a lot of the nutrients used by the plants.

  4. Before transferring to your planter or garden you may want to sift through the vermicompost. Castings are extremely nutritious and it is best to mix with other soils to establish the desired nutrient base for plants. 

Some of the benefits of vermicompost to consider: 

  • It’s a simple process with very little training required

  • Low start-up costs

  • You only need a small space (can even be done in apartments, schools, and condominiums, etc) 

  • Best of all, the end result provides your plants a nutrient-rich soil to thrive in.

At Northern Rockies Vermicompost, we stock worms on our website available for home delivery. Worm shipments are preferably sent out on Mondays to avoid weekend delays. Dependent on temperatures, we will typically not ship worms from October through to mid-May to avoid them freezing.

If you have more questions contact us today!