The Facts About Worm Composting

You can buy a worm composting kit and some local authorities even give them away as part of their recycling initiatives. They can work very well but the thing a lot of people don’t realize is that you need to treat the worms as pets. Tiger worms, or brandlings, the type sold for bait in fishing shops, are the ones used for composting.

First thing to know is that they don’t like the cold, which means you can’t leave your bin outside unprotected for the winter. You need to feed them regularly. They like vegetable waste, which is fine if you cook fresh vegetables everyday. They hate oranges. Garden waste is ok in moderation, but if you put lawn clippings in the bin, it is likely to overheat and kill them. Anything that’s a bit woody or has been sprayed is a no, no.

If you feed them right – fresh, little and often – it’s a very nice way to turn your kitchen waste into plant food. Neglect them, overfeed them, let them get too wet, too dry, too cold or too hot and you’ll be left with a bin full of rotting rubbish and dead worms.