Vermicomposting - I’ll Offer Some Thoughts

Thursday, December 03, 2009

In the past I have read stories of worm survival, worms in compost in a small tub, placed in the freezer to cool before going on a trip to a new home, being forgotten etc. The eggs, we are told, hatched well. I’ve not performed this experiment myself.

Two winters ago I built a tower vermicomposter for my old balcony, left it outside all winter, and mid-spring found a colony of worms.

The theory is that as the worms environment gets colder (winter) or drier (lack of moist vegetable matter), the worms sense this and accelerate their breeding, laying eggs before the worms die. The worms die, but the eggs survive, and hatch once the environment gets warmer or moister.

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