Is your kitchen trash smelling funky? Is that recycling bin overflowing with paper you keep meaning to get rid of? You’re not alone—food scraps and paper waste make up nearly one-third of the garbage in the average American household. That’s a lot of waste heading to the landfill… but there’s a better (and honestly, way cooler) solution: worm composting.
Worm composting, or vermicomposting, is an easy and effective way to turn your food scraps and paper waste into nutrient-dense compost that your garden will love. Here’s everything you need to know to get started.
What Is Vermicomposting?
Vermicomposting is the process of using worms to break down organic waste. These little composting champions happily eat half their body weight in food scraps each day, digesting the waste and leaving behind castings—aka worm poop—that are rich in nutrients and microbial life.
Compared to traditional composting, vermicomposting works faster and creates compost that’s even more nutrient-rich. Worm castings are:
- 5x richer in nitrogen
- 7x richer in phosphate
- 10x richer in potassium
- 3x richer in magnesium
They also contain beneficial enzymes and microbes that help soil come alive and support healthy, vibrant plants.
How Does Worm Composting Work?
Worm composting is pretty simple. All you need is:
- A worm bin (stacking bins work great)
- Bedding material
- A steady supply of food scraps
- A colony of composting worms (usually red wrigglers)
You’ll place your food scraps in the top layer, encouraging the worms to stay near the surface while they eat and break it all down into castings. Once a layer is full, you add a new tray on top with more bedding and food. The worms will naturally migrate upward, leaving behind rich compost below.
Best Commercial Worm Bins
If DIY isn’t your thing, there are several excellent ready-made worm composting systems available. These options are highly rated and easy to use:
These systems are stackable, ventilated, and perfect for small spaces.
How to Make Your Own Worm Bin
Prefer to DIY? Making your own worm bin is affordable and customizable. Here’s a basic setup:
- Use two plastic storage bins that nest together
- Drill small drainage holes in the bottom of the inner bin
- Elevate the inner bin with wood blocks or similar spacers to allow for drainage
- Drill ventilation holes near the top of the inner bin (small enough so worms can’t escape)
- Only the inner bin needs a lid—make sure it’s ventilated!
This setup works well indoors or out (just keep it out of direct sun and freezing temps).
Setting Up Your Worm Bin
Once your bin is built or purchased, it’s time to prepare it for its new inhabitants.
Step 1: Get the Right Worms
Not all worms are created equal when it comes to composting. Skip the earthworms from your garden and get red wrigglers (Eisenia fetida). These worms thrive in shallow, high-organic matter environments like your bin.
You can buy red wrigglers from:
- Local bait shops
- Garden stores
- Online retailers
- Or check findworms.com to locate local sellers
Start with 1 pound of worms (about 800–1,000 worms) for most home-sized bins.
Step 2: Prepare the Bedding
Worms need a cozy environment to thrive. The bedding should be fluffy, moist (like a wrung-out sponge), and breathable.
Great bedding materials include:
- Shredded cardboard
- Shredded newspaper or printer paper
- Peat moss
- Commercial worm bedding
Fill the bottom layer about 2/3 full with fluffed, moistened bedding. You can add a few handfuls of garden soil to introduce beneficial microbes.
Step 3: Prepare the Feeding Tray
Start by laying two sheets of dry newspaper at the bottom of the feeding tray (the top bin). Add a layer of moistened bedding and then 2–3 cups of food scraps in one corner. Good food scraps include:
- Fruit and veggie peels
- Coffee grounds
- Tea bags (without staples)
- Cooked pasta or rice (unsauced)
Avoid:
- Meat, dairy, bones
- Oily or spicy foods
- Citrus
- Vinegar
- Processed sauces
Top it all off with a moist newspaper layer to keep in moisture and reduce smells.
Step 4: Add the Worms
Gently place your worms and the bedding they came in on top of the food tray. Expect them to take about a week to settle in. To discourage escapees in the early days, shine a light over the open bin—worms hate light and will burrow down to safety.
Growing Your Worm Bin
As your worms eat and reproduce, you’ll eventually need to add more trays. When the current top tray is mostly full of castings, add a new one on top with bedding and fresh food scraps. The worms will migrate upward through the holes, leaving finished compost behind.
Harvesting Vermicompost
After 3–4 months, your bottom tray should look like dark, crumbly soil with very little recognizable food or bedding. That means it’s ready!
Here’s how to harvest:
- Remove all trays from the top and unstack your bin.
- Place the bottom tray (full of castings) on top and leave the lid off for 24 hours.
- Worms will migrate downward to avoid the light.
- Once the worms have moved out, scoop out your vermicompost and store it for garden use.
That empty tray can now become your new feeding layer!
How to Use Worm Castings
Worm castings are gentle and powerful. They won’t burn plants, and you can use them just like any fertilizer:
- Mix into garden beds before planting
- Blend into potting mix for seedlings
- Top dress around the base of plants
- Use around trees, shrubs, flowers, and veggies
Make Compost Tea from Worm Castings
Want to stretch your worm compost even further? Make compost tea—a liquid fertilizer packed with beneficial microbes.
Here’s how:
- Add 2 cups of worm castings to an old sock or stocking.
- Place in a 5-gallon bucket of water (ideally rainwater or dechlorinated tap water).
- Add 2 tablespoons of molasses to feed the microbes.
- Let steep for 24 hours, stirring occasionally.
Use the resulting tea to water your plants or as a foliar spray. It helps plants grow stronger and resist pests and disease.
Troubleshooting and Tips
- Don’t worry about harmless critters like pillbugs, springtails, or millipedes in your bin. They’re part of the ecosystem.
- Watch out for pests like ants, centipedes, or fruit flies. Trap or relocate as needed.
- Avoid non-compostables like plastic, rubber bands, foil, or glass.
- Keep the bin moist, not soggy. A dry bin stresses worms; a soaked one can drown them.
- Don’t add pet poop or raw manure. Too much nitrogen can overheat the bin and kill your worms.
- Keep cats out! They might mistake your bin for a litter box.
Final Thoughts
Worm composting is one of the easiest and most rewarding ways to turn your kitchen waste into garden gold. Once you’ve got your system set up, your worms will do the heavy lifting—leaving you with rich, fertile soil and less trash headed to the landfill. It’s a win-win for your plants and the planet.
Ready to get started? Gather your bins, find some red wrigglers, and let the composting magic begin!