Basic Compost Pile Verses Worm Compost Bin

What's the difference and what are the benefits?

Worm composting has several benefits over regular outdoor composting and differs significantly. While outdoor composting is a great source of added nutrients for your plants, you are not getting everything out of it that is possible. With a worm bin, you are able to contain 100 percent of the nutrients whether it be in the castings, or by capturing the worm tea that drains from the bottom of your bin. In an outdoor pile, this is not possible as the worm tea is washed into the ground and while the nutrient rich soil you are producing is still better than normal soil, it contains less than half the benefits of a worm bin. The outdoor compost pile is active during the summer months and will lay dormant during the winter months and a worm bin will be active continuously. Worm bins can be used indoors or outdoors and is a clean healthy environment that is controlled by what you put in it. For those who raise organic vegetables, worm castings are superior to regular compost for several reason's as well. You will be reducing the chance of outside elements such as animal waste and parasites getting into your vegetable garden and you will see an increase in crop productivity.

Worm castings contain five times more nitrogen, seven times more phosphorous and eleven times more potassium than ordinary soil. These are the main minerals needed for plant growth. Worm castings on tomato crops have shown a 33% increase in productivity. Not only in amount of food produced, but also resulting in a much better soil content for future crops.