What is vermicomposting?

Vermicomposting is the breaking down of organic material through the use of worms, bacteria, and fungi. In nature, organic matter is decomposed through these organisms. By managing vermicomposting you are essentially speeding up mother nature's process of breaking down organic matter. The end product of vermicomposting is a substance called vermicompost or "worm castings". This is a nutrient rich organic substance that can be added to soil to increase it's organic matter content and available nutrients. A common way to use this process is to build "worm bins"; basically boxes that contain worms. Organic matter is added to the bin for the worms to eat! An advantage of "worm bins" over traditional composting, is that if they are inside during the winter, they allow this process to work all year.

Using earthworms to convert organic wastes is an ecologically safe method that leads to an environmentally safe product. Two types of earthworms are recommended for this, they are: the Red Wiggler or manure worm (Eisensia foetida), and the Red Worm, another manure worm (Lumbricus Rebellus).