Worm castings, otherwise just known as worm poo, are a pretty magical substance. Think better root structure (which means more robust plants), pest control, soil porosity (like water and nutrients can make it to the roots which have more room to grow and penetrate the soil), organic nutrient delivery, no risk of burning (like you'd have with synthetic fertilizers) and so on.
So given all of those bonuses and the relatively small scale operation required for keeping worms, we decided to try vermicomposting (the fancy word for worm keeping) in the test garden so that we could harvest our own worm castings, make worm casting tea and, you know, take on about 500 new pets without having to relocate to a multi-acre farm site since those don't really exist within the confines of Santa Clara County.
Last weekend we harvested our first full batch of castings from our single worm bin operation and thought we'd show you the goods that will be available for purchase along with our vegetable seedlings later this spring and - if you're considering starting up a worm operation, or you have one going and haven't harvested yet, here's a little step-by-step that should help you on your way to raking in all that poo goodness.
Hey - poo can be good.
How to Harvest Worm Castings
There are actually a few ways to do this, but we're using a method that involves hand sorting. This is good if you have a decent outdoor area with good light and want to hold on to as many worms, their cocoons and castings as possible.
We are greedy, so this is how we do it.
Before you decide to harvest your worms, let them go without their weekly meals for at least a week so that you don't have to sort out too much unprocessed food.
We are greedy, so this is how we do it.
Before you decide to harvest your worms, let them go without their weekly meals for at least a week so that you don't have to sort out too much unprocessed food.
Materials
Plastic sheeting - about 6' square
One 5 gallon bucket
Another container for your separated worms
About one pound of food scraps
Enough shredded newsprint (black and white stuff only, please) to build a 2-4" layer on the bottom of your bin
Water to wet your newsprint
Patience. Oh so much patience.
Harvesting
1. Set up your harvest area with the plastic sheeting, new bedding at the ready, food for the apres-sorting feast back in the bin, a water source and your containers for castings and worms.
2. Turn your worm bin over onto the center of the plastic and sort your worms into many (we had a dozen) pyramidal piles.
3. Wait about 10 minutes so that the worms can all travel to the bottom of the piles (they don't like the light) and then go from one pile to the next scooping off the top of the piles into your castings bucket and the worms into your worm container.
This is a good time to set up your bin anew by putting the bedding material in the bottom of the bin (we used shredded paper and tissue), wetting it until it's the consistency of a damp sponge and setting it near your sorting operation.
About those piles: you can revisit the piles after one pass through to make sure you got all the worms out or just do all of the sorting the first time through.
If you come across any unprocessed food scraps, just chuck them back into the awaiting bin full of new bedding.
4. When you're done sorting (and this can take a while, especially if it's not very bright where you're working and the worms take their sweet time heading for the basement), empty your worms into the new bin, add food to one corner and cover everything (worms and all) with a fresh cover layer of shredded paper.
Add the cover and then stow it away in its safe spot - somewhere shady, cool and protected.
And with those amazing worm castings, you can either spread them on your crops and plants as a side dressing (a few handfuls for every 50 square feet or so) and water them in, or you can make worm casting tea.
Make worm casting tea
In your 5 gallon bucket, add a handful or two of worm castings. Fill the bucket about 3/4 with water and let steep for up to 2 days. Strain the liquid through cheesecloth into a garden sprayer or watering can and use it within 48 hours by spraying directly onto the leaves and soil of your plants. You can also use the strained castings as a diluted top dressing for the soil.
Channel your inner Native American and waste nothing! Not even poo.
Another container for your separated worms
About one pound of food scraps
Enough shredded newsprint (black and white stuff only, please) to build a 2-4" layer on the bottom of your bin
Water to wet your newsprint
Patience. Oh so much patience.
Harvesting
1. Set up your harvest area with the plastic sheeting, new bedding at the ready, food for the apres-sorting feast back in the bin, a water source and your containers for castings and worms.
 |
| Sorting area |
 |
| Bin - pre-sorting |
 |
| New bedding all ready to go |
2. Turn your worm bin over onto the center of the plastic and sort your worms into many (we had a dozen) pyramidal piles.
 |
| Overturned worm bin. Mmmm... |
 |
| Pyramidal piles with worms racing to the bottom. |
3. Wait about 10 minutes so that the worms can all travel to the bottom of the piles (they don't like the light) and then go from one pile to the next scooping off the top of the piles into your castings bucket and the worms into your worm container.
 |
| These were some unprocessed snacks that went right back into the bin. |
This is a good time to set up your bin anew by putting the bedding material in the bottom of the bin (we used shredded paper and tissue), wetting it until it's the consistency of a damp sponge and setting it near your sorting operation.
About those piles: you can revisit the piles after one pass through to make sure you got all the worms out or just do all of the sorting the first time through.
If you come across any unprocessed food scraps, just chuck them back into the awaiting bin full of new bedding.
 |
| This whole corner went back into the bin. Next time we'll hold out on the meals for longer than a week. |
4. When you're done sorting (and this can take a while, especially if it's not very bright where you're working and the worms take their sweet time heading for the basement), empty your worms into the new bin, add food to one corner and cover everything (worms and all) with a fresh cover layer of shredded paper.
 |
| We sent the worms back with some of their castings, too. To make it homier. Also because it's tedious work otherwise. |
 |
| Apres-sorting feast. |
 |
| New cover layer tucking in our wiggly friends. |
Add the cover and then stow it away in its safe spot - somewhere shady, cool and protected.
And with those amazing worm castings, you can either spread them on your crops and plants as a side dressing (a few handfuls for every 50 square feet or so) and water them in, or you can make worm casting tea.
Make worm casting tea
In your 5 gallon bucket, add a handful or two of worm castings. Fill the bucket about 3/4 with water and let steep for up to 2 days. Strain the liquid through cheesecloth into a garden sprayer or watering can and use it within 48 hours by spraying directly onto the leaves and soil of your plants. You can also use the strained castings as a diluted top dressing for the soil.
Channel your inner Native American and waste nothing! Not even poo.
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