When it comes to composting with red wigglers, there are four essentials that should always be taken into consideration, and these would be the worm composter, the bedding materials, the organic food scraps, and the compost worms. Now without these four components, vermicomposting won’t work as efficiently as expected. So how does one get started on a red worm composting project? Read further of this article to find out more.
Starting and getting into worm farming can be easy. You can start by getting yourself a container with a lid for which you will use as a worm bin (make sure that it’s also opaque as worms prefer to be kept in the dark, as they’re also very sensitive to bright lights). You can either buy one from the hardware store or make a D-I-Y composter. You can also choose to recycle an old trash bin or use an old Rubbermaid tub and have this turned into a make-shift bin. Now as soon as you’re done prepping your container, drill a few holes around it (near the top and bottom areas only). These holes will be the ones that will let air into the worm bins, and where excess water will be drained out from. This will ensure proper drainage and ventilation for the right bin upkeep.
For your red worm composting bin, your next step would be is to prepare the bedding materials. Keep in mind that your red worms for composting will need a comfortable place to stay in. Since the worm bin will their new home, you’ve got to make sure that it’s as close as their original habitat. So always keep the bedding fresh and moist (shouldn’t be soaking wet though) especially if it finally needs some changing. You can also put in organic scraps such as strips of presoaked newspaper or cardboard, eggshells, grounds from your coffee, some rotten leaves, straw, coconut coir, and even some loose soil. But before adding in your worms into this new structure, make sure that you dampen the bedding first. You can avoid overwatering it by spraying some water over it.
Now you can also opt into buying or building a few more worm composting bins. It’s up to you how many worms (should you also choose to use european nightcrawlers or super red worms instead of red wiggler worms) you intend to raise and breed. But no matter how many bins you use, the same process goes for each bin. But besides that, make sure not to forget the food supply for your worms. You can put in the following organic wastes into your worm’s bin: peels from vegetables and fruits (except those that are citrus-based), newspaper strips, days old animal manure (those of plant-eating animals only), eggshells, tea bags, coffee grounds, and even bread. Now there are also foodstuff that you should avoid feeding your worms, and these are meat, seafood, poultry, dairy, and other oily, salty and spicy stuff.
Of course, don’t forget to put inside your composters your red worms. You won’t be able to compost without them! Red wiggler worms have always been the best choice when it comes to vermicomposting. And since they work efficiently, they’re also very prolific breeders. So you can also be assured that when you care for these worms the right way, they will also be able to reward you with more batches of worms. So get into red worm composting today, and enjoy the many wonders that it offers.
Red worms for composting can be very rewarding to have especially when you use them. Through this natural process, you can also expect to reap nothing but healthy worms and natural red worm compost.
