How to Double Compost Worms

Shredded, moist newspaper makes ideal "bedding" for composting worms.

Vermicomposting is a great way to reduce the amount of organic waste deposited into landfills, as well as to create usable compost for fertilizing flower and vegetable gardens. With a properly prepared composting bin, a healthy supply of worms and a continual food source, you can reap the benefits of the natural processes carried out by worms that break down composting materials. To maintain a successful composting bin, care must be taken to ensure that the number of composting worms is adequate in relation to the size of the bin and the materials within. Doubling the number of worms in a composting bin is one way to ensure that the materials will be composted in a relatively short amount of time.

Things You'll Need

• Hammer
• Nail
• Composting bin
• Shredded newspaper or cardboard
• Kitchen food scraps
• Watering can, garden hose with sprayer attachment or spray bottle
• Composting worms, such as red wiggler worms

Instructions

1. Puncture small holes with a hammer and nail in rows around the circumference of the composting bin, beginning 2 inches from the bottom and ending 2 inches from the top of the composting bin if the bin has not yet been prepared. Five rows of 10 holes are adequate. Puncture 7 to 10 holes on the bottom of the bin. This is important because the holes provide a continual oxygen supply to the composting worms, which is essential to maintaining their health.

2. Fill the composting bin with an adequate amount of moist bedding for the composting worms. An appropriate bedding to use is shredded newspaper and cardboard that has been soaked in water and wrung out by hand. The materials should be placed loosely in the bin so that the worms are able to move freely within it.

3. Place available kitchen scraps inside the composting bin. Do not place any type of meat product within the bin. Kitchen scraps to use include various fruit and vegetable peelings, coffee and tea grounds and egg shells. Acidic fruits such as oranges and lemons should be used sparingly. The kitchen scraps should be buried within the worm bedding to allow easy access for the composting worms.

4. Add enough water into the composting bin to ensure that all materials inside are damp. It may be necessary to use a watering can, a garden hose with a sprayer attachment or a manual spray bottle to ensure that the materials do not become overly wet.

5. Select healthy, mature worms for use. Red wiggler worms are available for purchase at local gardening centers, as well as through online stores.

6. Place the worms inside the composting bin. Once the worms have buried themselves into the prepared bedding, secure a lid in place to ensure that the worms do not escape from the bin. This will also ensure that unwanted neighborhood pests do not wreak havoc on the composting bin.

7. Add food scraps to the composting bin weekly, making sure to place the materials in a different location in the bin each time. This will provide the composting worms with an adequate food source to maintain their health.

8. Remove the worm eggs from the composted materials when harvesting compost from the bin. Each egg may contain anywhere from 2 to 10 individual baby worms. Simply place the eggs and the mature worms to the side when removing the rest of the composted materials from the bin. Once the bin has been cleaned and is prepared with new bedding and food scraps, place the mature worms and eggs back into the composting bin to continue the composting cycle.

Tips & Warnings

• If provided with a healthy environment and a stable food source, the composting worms will typically double their population within 10 to 12 weeks.

References

• NYWorms. com: Worms Can Recycle Your Garbage!
• WormMainea: Compost Worms (Red Worms)