After you have fed your worms
for three to six months, you’ll see some worm compost in the bottom of
your bin. You can harvest what’s there,
or wait until your bin is nearly overflowing. No
matter which method you use, some worms will remain
in the compost. Worms put in the garden with the compost
will not live long, but your main goal is to reserve
enough worms to re-start your bin. You can’t
save every worm! Here are a few methods for separating
the worms from the compost.
Method #1:
Most of the uneaten food, bedding and worms will
probably be in the top third of your bin. Remove this material, worms and
all, and put it aside to start a new bin. Remove the
remaining material from the bin for use as worm compost. Put
the uneaten food, bedding and worms back in the bin,
and resume feeding and maintaining your bin.
Method #2: This method works
only in bins over three feet long. Move the contents
of your worm bin to one side, place fresh bedding in
the empty space and bury your food wastes there for
a few months. Harvest the other side after most of
the worms have moved into the new food and bedding.
Method #3:
Spread a sheet of plastic out under a bright light
or in the sun. Dump the contents of the worm bin
and build a few cone shaped piles on the sheet. Gently
remove the top layer of each pile until you see worms. To escape the light, the
worms will dive deeper into the piles. After
repeating the process every 20 minutes or so for a
few hours, you will be left with a wiggling pile of
worms. Save your compost and return the worms to their
bin and fresh bedding immediately.
Using Your Worm Compost
Using your finished product
will help your plants thrive by adding plant growth hormones,
beneficial microorganisms, humus and nutrients to the
soil. Vermicompost is
lumpy and clay-like when removed from the bin. Let
it sit in a plastic bin or bag away from rain and sun
for 1-4 months and it will transform into a fine-grained
product! Sprinkle a layer at the base of indoor
or outdoor plants, making sure compost is not piled up
against plant stems. Cover with soil or mulch. You
can also blend worm compost up to 20% into potting mix
or garden soil.
Home Composting Basics