When people ask, “What is vermicomposting?” I tell them that vermicomposting is the fancy word describing the process of using worms to break down food scraps and other waste products and convert the organic material into the dark, nutrient-rich and earthy vermicompost, or worm castings, coveted by gardeners.
Stated more simply: Vermicomposting is the process of converting plain old garbage into rich “black gold” worm castings for gardeners without the use of chemicals or anything damaging to the Earth.
Normal composting of organics can occur slowly, but it entails lots of physical labor to help the reaction along, and it results in the objectionable odor that is the inevitable byproduct of decay. Composting with the help of worms is very easy, and only takes about a half hour per week, at most. Vermicomposting also produces a higher quality final product with more nutrients than traditionally produced compost. For more on this, see Why Red Worms?.
The twist – or the wiggle – in vermicomposting is the role of the Red Wiggler worm.
The worms’ assignment is simply to eat and excrete, speeding up Mother Nature’s breakdown by digesting their organic food into rich, dark worm castings packed with nutrition for vegetable plants and flowers.
The use of worms in the process is an ecologically sensitive, safe and beneficial method that results in an environmentally healthy product. It works because every day, each of the worms will tirelessly eat away approximately their own body weight in waste, producing a trail of worm castings in their wake.
So the question should not be, “What is vermicomposting?”
The question is, “Why aren’t we all doing it?”
Our blog contains a lot of information to help you figure out if worm farming is right for you. If you think you’re ready to give it a shot, check out our Beginner’s Guide to learn what you need to do to get started on your own worm farming project today!
Article by Donny B
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