Pros and Cons of Worm Farm Composting

Pros and Cons of Worm Farm Composting covers the common uses for worm farms or vermicomposting and common issues of this method of composting.

Worm farm systems require some of the composting elements listed in 8 Composting Methods, (but not all); carbon and nitrogen to a degree, air, water and worm friendly scraps. The pros and cons are intermingled because what might be a pro to one person is a con to someone else. This method brings with it some great rewards of beautiful composted soil.

Worm Farms Require

Monitoring
Rotating Trays
Emptying
Spreading

Worms need to be added and bedding provided to protect the worms
Worms die from overheating or cold if conditions are not perfect
Produces beautiful juice but this needs collecting or worms can drown
They do produce beautiful worm tea and compost
Only certain foods can be added – No onions, meat, oil, dairy, eggs, citrus
The worms must preferably not be overfed
It takes time to decompose – worms only eat decomposed food
It helps to cut the food into small pieces for quicker decomposition so a little extra work
Weed seeds and tubers are not destroyed as there are no hot areas
Soldier Fly larvae can get in and kill the worms or simply crowd them out leaving your worm farm with no worms. Come winter time when the soldier flies hibernate if it gets too cold (depends on climate) there is nothing to decompose your waste
When trays are full they can be very heavy to rotate and empty
Worms will die if not fed as they cannot move around a garden to find food.
If you go away on holidays you need to get someone to feed them
It is visible and takes up space in your garden – a small space though
Can be great in a garage in a small townhouse with no backyard
For many, worm farming is a rewarding and effective method to breed up worms and compost

So worm farms