Vermicomposting: Composting with Worms

in the Classroom

Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom ConferenceMarch 12, 2011

Amy Donovan Program Director

Franklin County Solid Waste Management District

What is Compost?

In nature, soil organisms called decomposers digest organic material such as leaves, dead plants and animals.Compost uses that process to dispose of food and yard waste.

Compost is good for plants: • adds nutrients to soil• reduces need to water• replaces chemical fertilizers• used on farms for growing vegetables• in home gardens for growing flowers, vegetables• in landscaping

Farmland

Finished compost

3 “sizes” of composting:

• Small: An indoor worm bin uses red wiggler worms to eat food waste (vermicomposting)

• Veggies, fruits only

• Medium: Backyard composting

• Veggies, fruit, grains, leaves, yard waste

• No meat, dairy, oils• Your town: low cost bin?

Large! Commercial Composting: Martin’s Farm, Bear Path Farm, Clear View CompostingAccepts all food: veggies, grains, meat, bones, dairy, oils…Paper: napkins, egg cartons, paper plates, cardboard

Windrows

Composting helps slow Climate Change

Climate Change (or Global Warming) is caused by greenhouse gases in our atmosphere.

Greenhouse Gases:Carbon Dioxide MethaneNitrous Oxide

The Climate Change Connection

When food waste (and paper) decay in a landfill, methane is released.

Methane is a greenhouse gas 23 times more powerful than carbon dioxide.

Over20 years, methane from a landfill can be 72 times more potent than carbon dioxide!!

Methane pipe at a landfill

Why doesn’t composting release methane? Because oxygen is part of the composting process. There is no oxygen in a landfill.

Compost bins made from reused pallets

Why WORMS?

Composting saves space in the landfill, which is good for the environment.

Northampton landfillJune 2009

Why WORMS?

Worms eat food waste from the kitchen and classroom.

Worm Bins

DIY: $3-$10 Drill holes in plastic bin:• has a lid• opaque• < 18 gal• At least 1’ x 1’ flat space

Worm A Way Bin

More expensive bins:

Worm Bin

• Holes in the sides and lid for air• Holes in the bottom for drainage• Tray underneath for liquid• Keep in a dark place (first week in a

light place to prevent escapees)• Temp. between 55 and 77 F• Keep indoors unless weather is ideal

(watch night temps)

Bedding materials

• Provide worm habitat, food• Shred and soak newspaper, egg

cartons or cardboard; wring out• Keep the bedding moist as damp

sponge: spray water 3-7 days/ week• Fluff up periodically• Add more bedding every 4-8 weeks

Use black & white newspaper, or call newspaper & ask if it’s printed w/ soy based, non toxic inks: if so, color ok

Setting up your bin: make a worm sandwich!

Make layers:1. Shredded newspaper2. Food and WORMS3. Shredded newspaper

• When feeding, peel back top layer of newspaper and place food in middle layer.• Always cover food waste with bedding.

Red Worms

vs.Earthworm/ NightcrawlerEarthmovers: live in soil, and eat soilUsed for bait/ come up after it rains

Redworms / Eisenia fetida / Red WigglersComposters: live in leaves, and eat leaves

Where to get worms1 lb. good for a 18 gal. bin.

• www.WormWoman.com: Approx. 1,000 worms /lb. $24.00/ lb.

• www.capecodwormfarm.com $26.00/ lb. (Careful when having worms shipped in winter!)

• From a friend with a bin• ($25/ lb.? This is why I don’t recommend

dumping worm bin contents into your garden: it can get expensive and the worms are not native, so they won’t survive the winter.)

Anatomy of a worm

Worm castings and cocoons (eggs)

Mature worms (> 3 months) lay one cocoon every 7 days. 3-6 worms/cocoon

What to feed worms

DO Feed Worms: Healthy Foods!• Vegetable scraps• Fruit rinds and peels• Coffee grounds, paper coffee filters (< 1x/ week)• Tea bags• Eggshells (gives worms grit to “chew” food)• Corn meal/clean sand (gives worms grit to “chew” food)

Limit these:• Tomatoes, onions (acidic)• Banana (fruit flies) and orange peels (acidic)• Bread, crackers, etc. (can get moldy)

What NOT to feed worms

DO NOT Feed Worms:• Meat, bones• Fish, chicken• Cheese, yogurt, other dairy products• Oily foods: butter, salad dressing, mayo• Salted foods: peanuts, potato chips• Sugary foods: cookies, candy• Pet wastes or pet bedding

• PINEAPPLE! (Toxic!)

Eggshells:

• Provide grit needed to chew food• Provide calcium carbonate worms need to reproduce• Rinse with hot water and air dry: brittle• Crush by hand, with rolling pin, glass jar, or mortal and pestle

• Leave a few intact: worms like to hide inside, and the shells will last a long time.

Feeding worms

• Red Wigglers can eat ½ their weight in food every day.

• BUT! Don’t overfeed! Start with small amounts• Cut hard foods up small• Sprinkle eggshells, corn meal, or sand on top of

food• Feed small amount 2-3x /wk• Rotate feeding spots

Use a numbered grid, or mark

last feeding spot with plastic

spoon or pencil

What’s that in my bin?

• Sprouts: will be consumed

• Mold: will be consumed (limit bread)• Insects: part of the ecosystem, expect them

– Mites: tiny, round, dark, fast moving (Too many? Dry out bin)

– Springtails: tiny, light color, jumpy, (Too many? Dry out bin; limit coffee grounds)

– White worms/ pot worms: tiny white worms (Too many? Soak bread in milk, leave in overnight, then trash bread)

Potential problems• Fruit flies: bury food in newspaper.

– limit fruit, add more paper?– fruit fly trap: iced coffee cup

• Odor: anerobic conditions? – gently stir up contents, fluff bedding

• Odor: too much food?– Stop feeding for 5-7 days

• Odor: worms upset/ adjusting?– Red Worm called “Stink worm”

• Too wet – Add dry bedding

In 4-6 months: harvest time!Castings are toxic after several months: remove!

1. Stop feeding for a week.

2. Gently push finished compost to one side.

3. Put fresh food and bedding only in empty side; worms will move to food and bedding.

4. After 2 weeks, remove finished castings

Harvest time

If you still have worms in the finished compost, here’s how to sort them out:

1. Under a bright light, make cones with finished compost (about 6” high.)

2. Worms will move to bottom.3. Remove top of each cone,

reform cone, continue.4. As you get to the bottom of

each cone, you will have to separate worms.

5. You’ll have some old castings in new bin w/ worms.

Worm castings/ compost has many uses. Save $ on fertilizers, potting soil, topsoil.

• Fertilizer for potted plants: 3 parts potting soil to 1 part castings (no worms, eggs)• Worm Compost Tea: Gather worm castings, burlap, and a bucket of water.  Take the burlap and form a sack.  Fill sack with worm castings, and place sack filled with castings in the water.  Let soak overnight.  Water your houseplants and gardens.• Transplanting plants in garden: mix w/ soil

For more information

Books:Worms Eat My Garbage by Mary Appelhof

www.wormwoman.com– Also see “PeeWee” kids books

Links:www.wormwoman.com www.calrecycle.ca.gov/Vermi (Interactive, games)

www.cityfarmer.org/wormcomp61.html http://homepage.mac.com/cityfarmer/

PhotoAlbum23.html

One more thing:

Don’t be a litterbug!

Be a part of the solution! Connecticut River Watershed Council’sSource to Sea Cleanup: October 1, 2011www.ctriver.org

Questions? Amy DonovanProgram DirectorFranklin County Solid Waste Management District (413) 772-2438amy@franklincountywastedistrict.org www.franklincountywastedistrict.org