Can I Put Compost Worms in My Garden? Is it Okay to Use Compost Worms in My Garden? are the next questions we are going to consider in this gardening guide.
Compost worms are a kind of earthworm that belongs to the genus Composta.
Red wigglers are segmented wiggler worms that are reddish-purple in color and vary in size from 2 to 3 inches in length. They like warm settings but can adjust to changes in temperature.
As a result, they flourish in organic decaying material like rotting plants, manure, and compost. They reside near the surface, where they transport processed materials to the surface.
They will, however, only thrive in a garden if there is enough organic matter for them to consume.
It is not recommended that you distribute compost worms or utilize them in your gardening. It’s better to confine them to the compost bin or area.
Red wigglers are segmented wiggler worms that are reddish-purple in color and vary in size from 2 to 3 inches in length.
Worms in Residence
Composting worms thrive in their own worm house or in a composting container.
It’s simpler to regulate the quantity of food they receive, as well as the habitat’s temperature and moisture conditions.
It’s a wonderful method to make your own fertilizer by having worm farms or compost bins that produce healthy soil.
Even if the worms are maintained in a different place from the garden, you will eventually transfer the worms to the garden when it is time to shift the compost.
Furthermore, there isn’t always enough room for a dedicated worm house or bin.
Here are some suggestions for keeping composting worms and native earthworms alive and healthy in your yard.
Worm Farms / Feeding Stations
Garden worm feeding stations are tiny buckets buried in the garden where you give different kinds of food to the worms, who then return the nutrients to the garden.
It’s a wonderful method to conserve space by keeping the bucket in the garden.
Obtaining a Bucket
So buy yourself a large-diameter bucket or PVC pipe. To keep other pests out, it should have a tight-fitting cover.
Remove the bucket’s bottom and drill holes in the sides to enable the worms to freely move about.
Don’t Forget: Make sure there are no holes in the top few inches of the bucket. You can always buy a ready-made bucket if you can’t make one yourself.
Putting the Feeder in Place
You’ll want to put the worms in a convenient location in your garden, near plants that will benefit from their presence. You may need to transfer the compost to the furthest corners of your garden, or you may need to set up several worm feeding stations.
Wet the earth where you’ll be digging, then make a hole large enough to fit your bucket. The top of the bucket should be an inch or two above ground, but everything else should be buried.
Keep the lid on while you re-encircle the area with some of the previously removed dirt and securely seat your feeder.
The Feeder is being filled.
You’ll need some cardboard after that’s done. Cardboard, to be precise. It’s ideal for bedding.
Toilet paper tubes and egg cartons are the simplest sources of cardboard, but any plain brown cardboard would suffice.
Cut or rip the cardboard into palm-sized pieces, wet it, and place it in the bottom of the bucket, which is now simply your garden soil.
Then, on top of the cardboard, place several wet newspaper balls.
Worms are being added to the mix.
Now it’s time to add your worms. Composting worms are available in feed stores, nurseries, and even bait and tackle shops.
Give your worms additional moist newspaper and maybe some grass or mulch once you’ve placed them in.
Then cover the feeder with a lid and wait a few days for them to settle. You may water the garden as usual, but make sure the space surrounding the feeder is kept wet.
Worms to be fed
You may start adding scraps of food to your feeder after a few days. Fruits and vegetables are OK for your worms but don’t feed them meat or dairy.
If you overfeed them, the feeder will begin to stink as the food rots quicker than the worms can consume it.
Remember to add additional shredded cardboard or chopped straw to the buffer to ensure that the feeder has adequate air.
The Feeder’s Harvest
You may need to empty the feeder if there is more dirt in it than decaying fruits and veggies.
Remove the top half of the cake and put it aside. Then scatter the bottom half around your garden.
Then add additional cardboard and newspaper for bedding, then return the top half of the feeder to the feeder and feed as usual.
Deposits of Food
If a worm farm isn’t the perfect fit for your garden, you may dig smaller food deposits and put kitchen wastes into them instead.
The leftovers will be happily taken care of by composting worms and the local worm population. This method, however, does not operate as well or as fast as a purpose-built feeder.
Mulching
Mulch may be used in your garden in conjunction with any of the preceding techniques or as a stand-alone option.
This is why:
- Mulch nourishes composting worms no matter where they are in your yard, and it encourages additional worms to migrate in as well.
- Lucerne and sugar cane mulches are excellent choices for mulching. Hay, straw, and grass clippings may also be used.
- Wood chips are beneficial, but only when used on top of other mulches since they are complicated and take a long time to decompose.
Other Gardening Tips for Compost Worms
Worms thrive in wet environments, so keep your garden moist for your plants as well as your worms.
Here’s how to do it:
- Having a diverse plant collection will help your worms thrive in a healthy environment.
- Use organic fertilizers instead of chemical fertilizers when fertilizing.
Conclusion
In summary, including composting worms into your garden is an excellent method to help it flourish.
Red wigglers do need certain working conditions, but after you’ve completed the basic setup, these worms will be doing more work than you did.