All About Worms and Vermicomposting

Composting is one of the easiest ways to help the planet—with a little extra effort in sorting your garbage, you’ll be helping your plants grow as well as keeping waste out of landfills. With multiple different types and forms of composting, it’s important to understand the differences as well as which one is best for your wants and needs. That’s why we’ve created this article detailing the in’s and out’s of vermicomposting, rich soil, and more.

What Vermicomposting is and What It Has to Do With Rich Soil

Taking a Look at How Composting Betters Your Garden

The main difference between regular, traditional composting and vermicomposting is how organic matter is broken down—with vermicomposting, worms are added into the mixture to help break down food scraps and organic waste faster. On the other hand, traditional composting is done without the help of worms and is sometimes called “hot” composting. One of the biggest differences in results between these processes is that vermicomposting creates a fine, black compost that is typically called “worm castings”. This type of compost is an all-around great fertilizer that is full of nutrients and minerals.

A great perk of having a Garden Tower® is the built in vermicomposting tube that feeds straight into the soil. You’re not only breaking down organic matter that in turn stays out of landfills, but you’re also allowing the worms to create rich soil in your Tower. Rich soil is exactly what it sounds like—it’s very nutrient dense, making your plants grow larger and healthier as well as being packed with vitamins and minerals.

Why Vermicomposting is the Best Way to Break Down Organic Matter

A Mutually Beneficial Situation For You and Worms

There are a multitude of reasons why vermicomposting is all-together better than any other method of composting. Not only does this process break down organic matter at an accelerated rate, but it also supports the lives of many worms and can be done both indoors and outdoors depending on your climate and living space. This type of composting also requires significantly less maintenance, as the worms do all the work after setup. In comparison, traditional composting is primarily done outdoors and doesn’t produce as high of levels of nutrients due to the lack of worms. 

Additionally, when vermicomposting with the Garden Tower®, you’re able to create nutrient rich leachate or sometimes called “worm tea”. This is a highly nourishing and beneficial liquid that collects in the bottom drawer of the Tower that can be used to rewater plants and supply them with more nutrients than before. With a bit more setup required, your plants will thank you for vermicomposting due to all of the nutritional benefits.

The In’s and Out’s of the Best Composting Practices

Keeping Your Worms Happy and Healthy

Two of the main concepts that you need to know about and monitor when vermicomposting is giving your worms the proper bedding as well as keeping them at a certain temperature. Worms love shredded paper and cardboard as well as any kind of commercial bedding available. Additionally, your worm’s conditions should never go below freezing or over 85°. 

As well as these concepts, what you put in and leave out of your compost is also fundamental to the health of your worms. Your compost should be in a ratio of “browns” (such as the bedding) to “greens”. Some greens that your worms will love include:

• Vegetable scraps (peelings, ends, tops, etc.)
• Non-citrus fruit scraps
• Eggshells and other nutritional supplements

However, there are also some things that may be mistaken as “greens” that should never be put in your vermicompost. Some of these include:

• Manure of any kind or used bedding from animals
• Meats, bones, oils
• Diseased produce,flowers or strong vegetables (onions, garlic, ginger).

By being mindful of what you’re putting in your compost as well as the temperature, your worms will create rich soil which will in turn create more nutritionally dense produce yields.

Where to Start With Vermicomposting

More Information To Keep Your Worms and Garden Tower® Healthy

Now that you know the requirements and benefits of vermicomposting, it’s time to get started. Here at Garden Tower Project, we carry a variety of tools and resources that will help your garden flourish. If you’re looking for one of the most comprehensive and detailed vermicomposting books in the entire world, we have you covered with “The Worm Warming Revolution” eBook. We’ve combined our team’s knowledge and experiences to create the best book on the market for a small cost. Additionally, we offer the Compost Crank Twist™ specifically to help aerate your compost without hurting the worms. No matter your composting needs, we’ve got you covered.