Vermiculture—Worm Ranching Is All the Rage

Dig into worm farming!

Vermiculture? You bet. Also known as vermicomposting, this process offers a fun, on-site and relatively easy method of transforming organic matter from the kitchen and garden into rich soil. Worms are useful in aerating soil—just dig a hole in your raised bed and you’re sure to come across a little guy doing his earthly work—and thrive by converting organic plant and food material into compost.

The cycle of worm raising—providing wigglers with nutrients, collecting their waste and adding the by-product (castings) to feed your plants, vegetables, flowers and herbs—is actually fairly intuitive, even for those with no farming attributes whatsoever. With a few inexpensive tools and the need to feed, you can start feeding those hungry worms almost immediately. Get a head start this fall, and come spring, you’ll have piles of new, rich compost ready to add to your flower and vegetable beds.

Worm Ranching 101—Necessary Items to Get Going

So, what do you really need to get started on your new worm ranching endeavor? Before heading to Urban Farm Store to pick out a pound or two of red worms (Eisenia fetida, the best worms for vermicomposting), you’ll need an aerated container (worm bin), bedding such as shredded newspaper or cardboard, coconut husks, or straw), a small amount of soil (organic, please) and the proper amounts of moisture and temperature in exactly the right location. (Refrain from inquiring about the great heat wave that took out countless brave worms a few summers ago—it still stings.)

Worm bins can be almost any type of container that allows for air and moisture to pass through it. There are fancy pants, multi-level worm condos (mine was a housewarming gift from pals years ago who purchased it at Portland Nursery), and there are basic composting bins that you find at Metro or even a medium utility bucket with holes poked in its sides and bottom, or a simply constructed box that also do the trick.

Once you land on a proper bin for your worms, find the best location for it in the yard—the side yard out of the sun, near your other garbage cans or by the potting shed will do. (The multi-layered worm condo comes with easy-to-follow instructions that are slightly different from this technique and some people keep this compact contraption in their basement, garage, or greenhouse for easy access and protection from the elements.) Layer the shredded newspaper at the bottom. Add enough water to moisten the newspaper—but don’t over-soggify it. Sprinkle some rich organic soil on the newspaper.

Add your pound of worms. Each week, you’ll add your organic kitchen scraps—veggie and fruit scraps, (I add grass and flower remains, too) primarily, though many people (not the purists, mind you!) add egg shells, coffee grounds, tea leaves and recycled papers and cardboard. One vermiculture veteran I know sneers at those who add melon or tomato seeds. That’s a bit hardcore for me, but it’s important to note that meat and dairy items, and highly processed food waste, are not recommended for use in a worm bin. At all. Period. Worms don’t eat that stuff and it’ll attract unwanted, menacing critters like rats and opossums to your yard—and then you’ll have to adopt a big dog from the Oregon Humane Society to keep the wildlife away and the cycle of life you wanted to promote is all of a sudden speeding away in an entirely different direction…

The Process

It takes about four to six months to “grow” really great worm soil to then use directly in your garden to feed and grow healthy plants. When you add your organic kitchen waste to the worm bin, bacteria and other naturally occurring organisms break down the food for your worms to eat. The worms also eat the bedding and bacteria, turning it into nutrient-rich matter called humus. Look it up—your garden needs this ingredient!

Contrary to popular opinion, worm bins don’t smell. You need to be on top of your system, however, and not add undesirable items (again, the dairy and meat waste sitch. Don't do it.), and to not overload your worms with too much food to churn.

Your worms will reproduce, too, if happy. If you’re really into inspecting the whole process, you might be lucky enough to discover cocoons in the worm condo. After a few months, you’ll end up with heaps o’ worms! You don’t have to worry about having too many, though, as you’ll want to set some free in your raised beds in the parking strip to help aerate the soil for summer plantings, too.

The Cycle of Life—Of Worms

It’s simple, right? Gather worms. Provide them a nice house, bedding, and food. Offer your vegan table scraps to your hungry guys who then transform the waste into desirable matter. Use that soil to grow food and flowers in your own garden (and, to share with neighbors—worms, compost, and nature’s bounty!). You’re not only helping the environment, engaging in a fun-spirited learning activity, but eliminating unnecessary garbage each week to produce rather than waste. And so the cycle continues…

Local Vermiculture ResourcesGrowing Gardens

• Growing Gardens  A great site to cruise for all sorts of tips on everything you might need to unleash your inner urban farmer.
• Metro  Guidelines for building your own worm bin—easy peasy!
• Pistils Nursery  Red Wigglers, castings and Vermicomposting supplies.
• Portland Nursery (Mt Tabor and Powellhurst-Gilbert locations)  Find special events like worm bin set up and composting, purchase supplies, and gather tips and additional resources.
• Urban Farm Store  Everything you'll need for vermicomposting, and more!