Introduction to red worm composting
Worm composting is an excellent way to reduce waste and help the planet that’s why some individuals go for it. Yet, there are some things that must be understood before you give red worm composting a try.
To begin with, there are two types of earthworm ideal for worm composting- the red worms: Eisenia foetida (typically known as red wiggler, brandling, or manure worm) and Lumbricus rubellus.You can search for red worms in aged manure or compost heaps. Night crawlers or typical large worms usually found in the soil are not candidates for bin composting.
Sources of red worm composting
Try to see a farmer who has a manure pile and gather some worms suited for red worm composting. You can also ask from some friends who do red worm composting. Buying from garden supply stores is also a good decision.
Ideal food volume for red worm composting
Mary Appelhof, an authority in worm composting, recommends a pound per day of food waste for every two pounds of worms as food volume. In case you start with just a few worms, decrease the amount of food until the population has increased.
The red worms diet can include the following: fruit and vegetable peels, egg shells, tea bags, paper and coffee grounds. Certain food waste like meats, dairy products, oily foods, and grains are not good for red worm composting because these attracts flies and emit foul odor. Never include broken glasses,plastic or foil inside the red worm composting bin. To avoid any stinky smell, the food scraps must be buried underneath a layer of bedding.
Ideal storage for red worm composting
Just remember that the bin must be kept off the ground using bricks, cinder blocks, or whatever is available to speed-up the composting process and make worms happy. Worms can really make a way to escape from the bin; however, as long as they are supplied with the right food and given moist bedding, they would stay put. Put some light so the worms won’t move a lot and just hide. Spray water on the bedding every other day to keep it moist. Feeding your worms vegetable scraps at least once a week is good.
Red worm composting is a great way to help the environment. You help in reducing waste at the same time grow healthy plants too.