Composting With Redworms

Worm composting is grabbing attention of many people today. Carried out in the similar fashion as traditional composting, vermicomposting or worm composting makes use of redworms instead of micro organisms. It is best suited for those with closed spaces, wherein traditional composting becomes difficult.

Redworm composting requires a few essentials such as:
• A good worm bin: Although you can build a worm bin for yourself, it is best to buy them as they are professionally made and inexpensive too. There should be enough drainage holes in the bin or else the worms will drown in the wet surroundings.

• Buy redworms from a good and trusted source. There are many stores selling these worms. You can find the nearest store by browsing online.

• Ready the bedding. You can prepare bedding of both the cardboard as well as the newspaper. You may cut strips 1 inch wide for bedding. Once you have readied your bedding fill your half-way up with the bedding and wet it. The bedding needs to be sufficiently damp.

• After the bedding is wet, you can put in the worms and let them be inside for a day or two. After that you can start adding things that you want to compost.

• You can add kitchen waste, scraps and plant waste, into the compost bin, where the redworms will turn all the plant waste and other waste into compost.

• Once the bin gets full with compost, you can remove the compost and use it for your garden or potted plants.

• It is important to separate the worms from the compost once all food has been decomposed or else they will die. The simplest way to do this is to move the finished compost to a side of the bin and the place that is vacated can be filled with new bedding and new plant waste. The worms will migrate to the new plant waste by themselves. You can then take the compost as needed. Commercial bins have simple provisions to separate the redworms from the compost.

In order to avoid any smells will attract other pests do not add any meat or dairy to your compost bin. Also do not any citrus foods or foods such as onions.

When the content of the compost become too acidic, it causes the worms to come out of the bin. In such a case, add garden lime, to cut the acidic content of the compost.

It is important to remember that redworms are live worms and hence require care and proper environment to grow. If proper care is given, a lot of compost can be generated and you will produce many worms!