Which earthworms are used for composting?   Red Wiggler   European Nightcrawler   African Nightcrawler   Which earthworms for my garden or yard?   Alabama Jumper Where can I raise earthworms?   In a bin   In a compost pile   In a garden or yard What size bin do I use? What kind of bedding do I use?   Shredded newspaper/office paper   Peat or sphagnum moss   Manure   Coconut Fiber Feeding - What, How and How much?   What do I feed them?   How do I feed them?   How much do I feed them? Raising Worms for Bait Harvesting the Vermipost   When to harvest   How to harvest Summary

In today's market, there are three popular types of composting worms, all are epigeic. 

Red Wiggler.  Eisenia fetida (eye SEE nee a   FET i da).  Also known as the manure worm or brandling worm.  This voracious eater is definitely the beginner's choice.  The red wiggler processes large amounts of organic material.  Although this hardy worm will survive temperatures close to 40°F, the optimal temperatures for reproduction falls between 68 °F - 80 °F.  If your needs are strictly composting, this is your worm of choice.  Your pet reptiles and aquarium fish also LOVE this worm.  Buy Red Wigglers >>

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European Nightcrawler.  Eisenia hortensis (eye SEE nee a   hor TEN sis).  Also known as the Belgium nighcrawler or super red, this awesome composter is much larger than the red wiggler.  It has quickly become known for being a great bait worm for it's size and ability to live longer on the hook as well as it's tolerance of salt water.  Like its cousin, Eisenia foetida, this hardy worm will survive temperatures close to 40°F, but the optimal temperatures for reproduction falls between 68 °F - 80 °F.  Raise Europeans if you need a large bait worm as well as a great composting worm.  Buy European Nightcrawlers >>

African Nightcrawler.  Eudrilus eugeniae (you DRIL us   you JEN ee eye).  This is a large tropical worm species that tolerates higher temperatures than it's cousins listed above.  The optimium temperature for growth is a range of 70° - 85 °F. The African nightcrawler is sensitive to colder temperatures and may perish if exposed to temps below 45 °F. This worm is very popular in the southern U.S. because of the lack of freezing temperatures. This is the largest of the three composting worms and produces a lot of compost as well as breeds quickly.  Buy African Nightcrawlers >>

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Alabama Jumper.  Amythus Gracilus .  This is a type of commercially available worm that you can put directly into your yard or garden (they won't do very well in your compost bin!). Alabama Jumpers will thrive in just about any kind of soil, including packed clay, and will aerate and fertilize your yard and garden. These worms are very active, are long and fat, and can burrow through the thickest soils with ease. They have thick skin and are very powerful -- true to their name, they've been known to "jump" off the ground.  When adding to your soil, rake up a pile of leaves, wet it down, then put all of your worms in the middle of the pile. This gives them a "home base" in which to eat and breed. Buy Alabama Jumpers >>

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In a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) or Manufactured Worm Bin

Type of earthworms you will need:
Red Wigglers, European Nightcrawlers, or African Nightcrawlers

The majority of people whom are new to raising earthworms begin raising them in a Do-It-Yourself plastic storage bin or a manufactured worm bin system. The convenience of portability along with the fact that most home composters will not be raising populations in the tens of thousands makes a worm bin system an easy solution.  And for those who are contemplating raising worms on a large scale, the worm bin is a smart way to learn how to raise them in a controlled environment before making a big investment.

Check out the Get Started web page to learn how to build your own do-it-yourself bin. If you don't want to build your own, I also offer an excellent product made from recycled plastic right here in the U.S.A.  It is called the Gusanito Worm Bin and it is an upward migration, multi-tiered system.  For more info, check out the Gusanito Worm Bin web page.

You can put the bin in your garage (if cool), basement, closet, spare bedroom or your porch. If you decide to keep your bin outside, keep it away from direct sunlight.  For those of you living in the south, putting your bin outside may be too hot during the summer months -- the combination of heat and humidity definitely becomes a factor when raising earthworms in a plastic bin that isn't designed to insulate against that kind of weather.

If you decide to keep your worm bin in the garage keep in mind that worms will bake in a closed garage with no air conditioning.   I can tell you from personal experience that earthworms will not do well in a plastic storage container sitting in a hot garage with temperatures exceeding 100° F in the middle of the summer.  Plastic bins are not insulated so the hot ambient air temperature will easily transfer to the contents of your bin.  If you don't have a basement, keep them in a utility or spare bedroom.

In a compost pile

Type of earthworms you will need:  Red Wigglers, European Nightcrawlers, or African Nightcrawlers

Hey all of you gardeners out there -- did you know that earthworms are the most efficient composters in nature?   Your pile will be composted ten times faster with earthworms than without them.  One of the advantages of a maintaining a garden compost pile is your vermipost is convienently close to your vegetables.

If you choose to supplement your compost pile with earthworms I recommend using Red Wigglers.  They are definitely the hardiest commericially sold composting worms and reproduce quickly.  To add them to your pile simply dig a hole in the middle of your pile, place your worms in the hole, and cover them up.  You'll want to keep your pile watered, but not soggy as this could make you pile heat up too fast.

When you turn your pile use a pitch fork if you have one.  You will always run the risk of injuring or killing a few worms when you turn your pile, but a pitch fork is less intrusive than a shovel and will keep your losses to a minimum.

In a garden or yard

Type of earthworms you will need: Alabama Jumpers

The Alabama Jumper is a worm that you can add directly to your garden or yard.  

Earthworms, like other animals, have only three basic life requirements: food, water, and protection from harmful agents. Of the three, it is probably the lack of sufficient food is what retards the earthworms population in most gardens and croplands.

Assuming that other soil factors are favorable, any earthworm population will grow only insofar as additional organic matter is incorporated into the soil. This may come in the form of compost, manure, decaying plants, or organic wastes of a wide variety. It may be added to the soil and tilled in, or grown in the soil and then plowed under. Any way it is added, organic matter is essential to encouraging greater numbers of earthworms in the soil. In addition once an earthworm population has been increased, enough organic matter must be supplied periodically in order to maintain that increase.

Ensure that you have plenty of leaves, hay, or any organic material in place before adding these worms so that these critters have a good food supply. Ensure your soil is moist then add worms right before the sun goes down.  Distrubute your worms evenly and cover with soil.

There are several types of bedding that you can use.  I'll outline the most popular types and list some pros and cons of each type.

Peat or sphagnum moss.  This has long been the composter's choice for raising earthworms.  It has excellent moisture retention and is readily available from your local garden or home improvement store.  You will need to moisten the peat before adding to your bin.  Soak until completely saturated, then squeeze until just damp like a sponge.  And... although worms will consume peat, you must add other food such as kitchen scraps or paper because peat has no nutritive value. Pros:  Readily available, retains moisture. Cons: Recognized as being environmentally unsustainable, tends to be acidic. Because peat tends to be acidic, I recommend soaking your peat twice before putting in your worm bin OR adding a cup of lime to the water before soaking (the calcium in the lime raises the pH).  If you use peat, you can also add a 1-2 teaspoons of lime to the kitchen scraps before covering each time you add food to your bin. Crushed eggshells are also a good source of calcium. If you choose to add lime to your bin, make sure you don't buy slaked/hydrated lime. Slaked and hydrated are toxic and will burn your earthworms.  Slaked/hydrated lime is used in making mortar and cement.

Manure.  You can use composted cow, rabbit or horse manure to top off your bin if you use peat as bedding.  The manure already contains loads of microorganisms that earthworms thrive on.  If the manure is dry, use a spray bottle to moisten it. The manure may heat up a bit when watered, but this is temporary.  Earthworms LOVE manure and thrive on the nutrients available within it.  Manure is a natural habitat for composting worms and contain many of the organisms vital to earthworms growth. Pros:  Highly nutritional, often free when obtained from local stables or farms. Cons: It may have strong odor and must be composted before using. There is one potential downside to using manure;  if the animal was given de-worming drugs this could be fatal to your worms.  Any amount of de-worming drug the animal's body did not absorb will be present in their stool.  A good rule of thumb is to only use composted manure that is at least two months old.

Coconut Fiber.  Coconut figer, or coir, is a renewable material that comes from primarily India and Sri Lanka.  It is becoming more popular with organic composters as well as the hydroponic growing industry.   It may be a bit pricier that some other bedding material, but you will be satisfied to know that you are using a renewable of bedding when compared to peat moss.  But, just like peat, your worms cannot survive in coconut fiber alone. Pros:  Clean, odorless, mixes well with other bedding, retains moisture well, renewable source. Cons: More expensive than other bedding material, more difficult to obtain.

It is always a good idea to "turn" or "fluff" your bedding at least once a week.  You can do this by digging down to the bottom and bringing the bedding to the top.   This ensures that plenty of air is in contact with the contents of your bin.  You want your bedding to have plenty of oxygen so decomposition remains accelerated, plus it makes it easier for your worms to crawl through it.

What do I feed them?
The earthworm is an eating machine. It literally eats the earth as it burrows through it.  Material that is too large to ingest it pushes aside with its "head" (prostomium). Worms don't have teeth, so the material they eat is first moistened in their mouth then passed into their gizzard which acts like teeth and grinds the food. The food is then passed to their intestines which absorb the nutrients contained within. Whatever the worm doesn't digest is then passed out of their bodies as nitrogen rich worm castings.

An important fact to know about feeding your earthworms is that they thive on the microscopic organisms that live on the decomposing organic matter they ingest.  These organisms include a variety of algae, fungi and bacteria that are essential for the worm's growth.

When it comes to kitchen scraps, worms will consume just about everything you do, with the exception of a few.  I outlined below the biggest "don'ts" -- anything else that is not listed should be ok to add to your bin.  If you are unsure, the best rule of thumb is don't use it.

To make your scraps easily consumable for your worms, be sure to chop up, grind down, or boil.  Remember, it takes time for food to break down, especially items such as raw veggies like broccoli and carrots.  Chopping the food gives it greater surface area for microscopic organisms to attach themselves too and boiling will soften and break down fibrous material, making the food more readily available to your worms.

How do I feed them?
When you feed them, don't distribute the food evenly throughout the bin. Instead, put the food in the corner about halfway down into the bin. Then cover and check back in a week. You will notice that a lot of your worms will have gathered in the area you put the food! When the food is almost gone you can repeat in the opposite corner of the bin.

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A quick note about overfeeding -- too much kitchen food packed together may become anaerobic and heat up your bin.  If you notice that your worms seem to be trying to escape your bedding may be too hot.  To cool it down, remove some of the decomposing food.  Remember, the smaller your kitchen scraps are, the faster they will be consumed. Another clue that you have too much kitchen scraps is if it begins to stink.  If your bin becomes smelly simply remove some of the scraps, or redistribute half to the other side of your bin.

If you are raising larger worms such as European or African Nightcrawlers for fishing bait, you will want to approach growing your earthworms like a farmer.  Simply feeding them your kitchen scraps won't be enough to get them as big and fat as you'll want.  You'll need to feed them a steady diet of food such as manure and grains.  I recommend seeing if your local feed store carries Purina Worm Chow.  If they don't carry it or can't order you any, try the Rabbit Chow.  Chicken laying mash or corn meal works, too.  I've also heard of a guy that uses spent grain from a local micro brewery.  Remember, raising big, fat bait worms will take more focus on your part when compared to just raising them for composting.

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When to harvest
After about 3-4 months you will notice that most of the original bedding has been converted into a rich, dark earthy material.  This dark material is the worm castings, also known as vermipost. When most of the original bedding has been consumed it is time to move your worms into a fresh bin of bedding.  

How to harvest
So now that it is time to harvest your worm castings you will need a tarp or sheet of plastic large enough to pour the contents of your bin upon. Choose and area with a good amount of indirect light, empty your bin onto the tarp, then separate the big pile into several smaller piles. Give the worms about an hour to crawl to the bottom of the each pile (if you do this under direct sunlight cut you wait time in half).  Then carefully scoop up the "wormless" vermipost and place its own container.  Now take your exposed worms and put them in a freshly bedded bin.  It may be a little cumbersome at first, but you will get faster with practice.

When harvesting, if there is food in your bin that has not been eaten just add it to the fresh bin.

Raising earthworms takes a bit of patience and care.  Remember, they are living creatures that require cool, moist bedding and food they can digest.  If you follow the tips I've given you, you shouldn't have any problems.  The biggest mistake that beginners tend to make is overfeeding.  If you're unsure, give a little less, pay attention, and feed them more when necessary.