Composting with worms allows for smaller composting systems since the activity isn't related to the mass of the pile.
For apartment dwellers and those with small yards, composting can be a difficult if not impossible proposition. Standard guidelines are that a compost pile needs to be 3 ft by 3 ft by 3 ft in order to heat up and decompose quickly. Plastic backyard compost bins may be a little smaller, but the process usually is slow.
What's the solution? Composting worms allow for a compost bin of any size and can even be kept in the house. Composting worms eat fungi and bacteria produced by rotting vegetative matter and produce lovely, nutrient rich compost. In fact vermicompost, compost made by worms, is higher in nutrients than compost produced by bacteria and fungi.
Composting worms work quickly and can turn a 18 gallon bin of kitchen waste into compost in about 3 months, depending on the number of worms at work. What's more, worm bins stay active, thanks to the worm's activity level. The traditional compost pile will slow way down in decomposition activity due to the amounts of material available, outdoor temperature, and moisture in the pile.The aforementioned 18 gallon bin is a good size for the average family to recycle kitchen wastes. More bins can be added if desired and stacked one upon the other to save space.
A small worm composting bin can be created from a plastic, stackable bin with a lid. Be sure to use an opaque plastic bin, because worms cannot tolerate light.
Add several inches of shredded newspaper, paper, cardboard, or cardboard egg cartons. Add about a once inch layer of kitchen scraps. If possible, cover the bin for a week before adding worms. Add red wiggler worms. Cover with another several inches of newspaper. Close the bin. The worm bin is now started.
