Questions tagged [vermicomposting]

Using worms to produce compost

Vermicomposting uses worms to produce compost, typically from vegetable food waste, bedding materials, and worm casts (vermicast).

Vermicompost is considered an excellent nutrient-rich fertilizer.

Vermicomposting typically uses red wigglers, white worms, or common earthworms.

Small scale vermicomposting units are available for home/kitchen use. These are generally much smaller than a home outdoors compost bin, but they work quickly and usually produce a higher quality product.

Use this tag for all questions about vermicomposting.

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Can composting worms be used to remove live weed seeds?

In vermiculture, if you put organic matter with live weed seeds into your worm farm, do the worms eat the weed seeds? It seems like they would, as seeds tend to be nutritious, and worms are animals, but I don't know. I don't actually have a worm…
Brōtsyorfuzthrāx
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Can my worms eat wood?

It has been months since I put the worms in my pot. A bug ecosystem has been established and I bet those worms are reproducing fast. The bugs mostly come for the food I give them. Only a few like a red queen ant(which shouldn't be a fire ant but…
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Measuring soil and compost for NPK

Folks, I'm trying to measure soil and compost for use in home gardening of vegetables and herbs. My goal is to use compost primarily, and augment it as necessary. The compost is mostly vermicompost, though I do have some residual of the other…
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What is the radius of a red wriggler earthworm for worm tubes?

I'm researching putting a worm tube in my fruit-tree orchard as per this article but before I do so I'm trying to find out what radius the red wrigglers (the worm type I plan on using) will travel from the tube to calculate if nearby trees will…
Guy
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How can I kill moths that have infested my vermicomoposting worm food?

Pardon this being a bit of a stretch for gardening, it's the closest StackExhange I could think of. I keep worms for vermicomposting and in addition to food scraps and browns I supplement their diet with a "worm food" product. It's a purchased…
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What's the mineral composition of the bract leaf of a linden tree like for composting

The only leaves available to me at this time of year "July" is the little tongue shaped "bracts" of the Linden or lime tree. The function of these bracts I believe is to protect the tree flower and seeds. It's just that the leaves are very pale and…
Michael Sherpa
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What are proper methods to remove ripe humus from pile

So assuming I have a ripen pile of humus, I'd now like to remove the humus but don't know if I should keep in mind any type of cautions and techniques. Some people have a proper door in the bin that allows to remove from the lower part of the bin,…
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How can I encourage my indoor vermicomposting bin to produce more dirt?

I have an indoor vermicomposting bin. It has served me well for 3 years. Since the bin is indoors, and I live in a small apartment, I'm fairly cautious with feeing the worms. I don't want to overwhelm my red wigglers or cause anaerobic decay. But…
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Can you put a vermicompost bed in-ground next to a Schinus molle/areira tree?

I received some red worms that I am currently keeping in a plastic container. I would like to make a hole in the ground and keep them there, lining the hole with something breathable so the worms stay there. The issue is that where I want to make…
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How to check quality of vermicompost?

I know it must be really hard without proper equipment to check the quality of vermicompost, but is there, still, another way to test the quality? To me, this doesn't look like vermicompost at all. It feels like soil mixed with some white seeds-like…
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Small white worms in the garden compost

It's been a couple of weeks that I've started to recycle our kitchen scraps (vegetables, fruits, coffee grounds, paper towels) in our garden. I've been reading various instructions over the internet and have tried two slightly different approaches…
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Low-maintenance vermicomposting in a tall bin?

Most vermicomposting instructions I've found use either a shallow bin, or a stack of shallow trays. I'm looking for an effective but low-maintenance approach, and I won't need to harvest the compost very often. I'm wondering: What if I simply use a…
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How many air holes for 100gal vermicomposter?

I'm fixing to start my vermicomposter. I'm using a damage 100gal Rubbermaid horse water tank. I'd like to know how many and of what sized hole to drill in the side for air. I figured maybe use a .25" bit to drill a hole every 6", all the way around…
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