Part of the compost program at EACGC involves worms. Inside our Blue Worm Hutch, located in the northeast area of the garden, we maintain two worm towers. The worm team welcomes visitors to observe the weekly worm feeding time, Wednesdays at 4PM. And we are glad to arrange times for worm composting demonstrations for school groups or scout groups. Email us at eacgcinfo@gmail.com
What is worm composting? Also known as vermi-culture or vermi-composting, it is a process in which worms and other micro-organisms break down and decompose food waste into a nutrient rich humus.
In our bins, red wigglers worms, Eisenia fetida, ingest bacteria as food scraps decompose, and their waste material (worm castings) is used in multiple ways to improve soil nutrients, texture, and ultimately plant health and our own nutrition. Worm castings can be buried in the soil or spread on the surface as a “side dressing” to feed plants.
Worm castings are a natural fertilizer; it can contain:
- five times the nitrogen
- seven times the phosphorus
- three times the magnesium
- eleven times the potash
- one and a half times the calcium
as is normally found in the top six inches of soil. (Source: https://dpw.lacounty.gov/epd/sg/bc_bins.cfm)
Red Wiggler Worms can be fed many types of food waste and garden waste. They eat about half their body weight in food waste per day.
- Vegetable Waste
- Fruit Waste - Non Citrus (Apples, grapes, bananas and peels, plums, peaches, pumpkin)
- Powdered and Cleaned Egg Shells
- Coffee Grounds (Filters too) - An excellent worm food, but in moderation
- Cardboard and Newspaper - as bedding
- Tree Leaves – in moderation
- Garden Waste - Bean stalks, pea vines, beet tops, chopped up
- Stale bread, pasta, rice (without too much salt or oil).
Worm composting bins are available from LA County Public Works (Smart Gardening Program), and they are very easy to set up. Consider using worm composting to recycle your food waste. It can help save money on soil amendments and fertilizer, keep food waste out of the landfill, and provide nutrients for plants and trees in your yard, garden, and house plants.