Composting with worms is the proverbial win-win situation. It gives you a convenient way to dispose of organic waste, such as vegetable peelings. It saves space in the county landfill, which is good for the environment. It gives worms a happy home and all the free “eats” that they could want. For those that have gardens or even potted plants, homegrown compost is a great way to feed and nurture plants.
Red worms are excellent at breaking down decaying organic materials, creating a nutrient-rich substance for your garden. These aren’t the type of worm typically found in a yard or garden. Placed directly into a garden with nothing for them to eat, red worms will likely die or move to other areas where they can find food and an environment more suitable for their needs. Dirt alone isn’t enough to keep red worms happy, but a little garden modification makes the garden a suitable place for them. With the addition of plant scraps or composting trenches around the garden, the red worms will not only thrive but will turn the garden soil into a healthy environment for your growing garden.
Red Worms
Red worms, or Eisenia foetida, are sometimes called red wigglers, red hybrid or tiger worms. These worms are the preferred type used for worm composting, also known as vermicomposting. They thrive in shallow environments such as plastic bins, fitted with worm bedding, a little soil and the same types of matter you would use in a standard compost bin: yard clippings and plant-based kitchen scraps. Red worms fall into the “epigeic,” or “upon the earth,” worm category. Epigeic worms are the only type that live along the surface of the soil in decaying matter — they do not build permanent burrows as do other worm types. These characteristics are why red worms are chosen among other worm varieties for worm composting.
Modifying a Garden for Red Worms
If you’d like to add red worms directly to your garden — for instance, if your vermicomposting worm population has expanded so much the worms are trying to escape the bin — creating a suitable environment will encourage them to stay in the garden area. Vermicomposting trenches are like compost bins, only in the ground. Create a trench near the garden plants 6 to 8 inches deep — it can be any length or width. Shred a bunch of corrugated cardboard or newspaper to create a moisture-absorbing layer for the trench, then add some partially decomposed plant matter from the yard. This combination also serves as worm bedding. Add some kitchen vegetable scraps, red worms and a layer of cardboard or yard matter atop that. The worms will enjoy their new environment and recycle the decaying matter into nutrients for your garden plants. Create as many trenches as you like, each near plants so the plants can reap the most benefit from the worms. A simpler version involves placing decaying plant scraps around the garden, then adding worms, but this may be unattractive.
Red Worm Composting for Your Garden
Instead of adding trenches around your garden for the red worms, you can create vermicomposting bins for them, then add the resulting materials directly to the garden. The technique is much the same as the matter added to the vermicomposting trench, except it’s done in a bin with a lid. A few small holes drilled in the bottom of the bin create drainage while holes farther up add ventilation. Add crumbled strips of newspaper and corrugated cardboard as worm bedding, a small bit of soil to help the worms’ digestion and then scraps from yard plants and plant-based kitchen scraps. The red worms will burrow down a bit, eat what’s in the bin and turn it into worm castings, or waste, which is full of nutrients that benefit the garden. Keep the worm bin in a cool, shady area to keep the worms happy. Add more bedding, scraps and a small amount of moisture as needed.