Compost worms vs earthworms is a query we often get from people who want to learn the art of vermicomposting. This process uses special compost worms to make compost from food scraps at home.
Read our detailed guide below to find the major differences between ordinary earthworms and compost worms.
| Earthworms | Compost Worms | |
| Description | Earthworms are segmented annelid worms that burrow deep into the soil. These worms are present naturally in several types of soil. | Compost worms are also segmented worms. They are a special type of earthworms that are not present naturally in the soil. |
| Color | Earthworms are typically reddish-brown in color. | Compost worms have an overall reddish-purple tinge to them. |
| Length | The length of a typical earthworm ranges from a quarter of an inch to six inches long. | The length of an average compost worm is only around two to three inches. |
| Size | Earthworms are usually larger in size. | Composting Worms tend to be smaller in size as compared to earthworms. |
| Rate Of Reproduction | Earthworms generally have a slow rate of reproduction. | Compost worms reproduce at a much faster rate than common earthworms. This also makes them ideal for composting as their numbers will keep on multiplying in the compost bin, enriching it by itself. |
| Preferred Type Of Soil | Typical earthworms prefer moist soil. They thrive best in outdoor garden or yard types of soil. That is why using earthworms for composting is usually not recommended. | The compost worms such as the red wigglers prefer warm environments. They can also tolerate a variety of temperature ranges as compared to ordinary earthworms. |
| Vermicomposting | Ordinary earthworms in compost are not of much use in making compost because these are deep borrowers. In a compost bin, they will move towards the bottom-most part of the bin. You will have to continually churn and rotate the contents of your bin around. | Red wiggler worms in compost are surface-dwellers. They tend to move towards the top of your bin and also bring the organic matter to the top. You will not need to continuously churn your compost bin. |
Main Differences Between Compost Worms and Earthworms
The main differences between compost worms vs earthworms is that earthworms are common annelids that burrow deep into the soil to increase their porosity, whereas compost worms are a special type of worm that digests the organic content of your scraps to make compost out of it.
Compost worms differ from Earthworms in several ways be it their size, color, or function in the soil. Find out more in detail below.
– Type Of Worm
The earthworm is a common inhabitant of many types of soil. It is a segmented tube-shaped worm with a tendency to bury deep into the ground. Compost worms are also segmented tube-shaped worms. However, they are mostly surface dwellers and are found near the surface of the soil or the compost pile.
– Appearance
Earthworms are mostly longer than compost worms with an average length of six inches. They have an overall reddish-brown color. Compost worms, in comparison, have the length of a typical earthworm and measure only up to two to three inches long. Appearance-wise they have a reddish-purple tinge to them.
Earthworms
Earthworms are an essential component of your soil’s ecosystem as they perform three major functions for it. These functions are:
– They Improve The Drainage Of Your Soil
Earthworms are relentless borrowers. They will dig deeper and deeper and create an interconnected network of borrows all over your soil. As a result, the porosity of the soil increases. There is also a great improvement in the providence of water and nutrients to the roots of plants via the soil.
– Improvement in The Availability of Nutrients
Earthworms are notorious for feeding on all sorts of organic matter and microbes present in the soil. Their digestive system then breaks down and digests this foodstuff. Consequently, the excrement they release back into the soil is pretty rich in essential nutrients like Potassium, Nitrogen and Phosphorus.
– They Improve The Structure Of Your Soil
The excrement secreted by the earthworms continually recreates the topsoil of your garden. It holds the particles of the soil together, making it more cohesive and able to hold in water for longer periods.
Types Of Compost Worms
You can use a number of composting worms to make your own compost bin at home. In the coming sections, you will learn about them in detail.
– Red Wiggler: Eisenia Fetida
The red wiggler worm or Eisenia fetida is the worm that is used most commonly for vermicomposting at home or commercially. Making compost using these worms is also called ‘red worm composting’. As compared to the common garden worms, this one prefers the decomposing environment of a compost bin to that of fresh soil.
It also doesn’t bury much deeper into the bin. You will not find a lot of red wiggles in your local soil. However, owing to their rising popularity, these are now easily available in the market, and you can purchase bags full of them from any resourceful home or garden store.
– European Nightcrawler: Eisenia Hortensis
These compost worms like to dig deeper than your average red wigglers and will be found inhabiting the deeper layers of the compost pile. Their affinity for a higher carbon-to-nitrogen ratio means that they are better at decomposing the browns of your pile than the greens.
– The Redworm: Perionyx Excavatus
These are worms that specialize in composting manure as they thrive under loose and wet soil.
– Lumbricus Rubellus
Lumbricus rubellus is another species used to make compost. In appearance, it is often difficult to tell them apart from the red wiggler worms in compost, even though both are separate species and are not known to interbreed.
– Lumbricus Terrestris
Another one among the worms for composting that is often used is Lumbricus terrestris. It makes compost of very good quality, but it is very difficult to breed and often has to be harvested from livestock.
Final note:
Afterward, these worms release their digested fecal matter, called castings, into the soil or the composting bin. These castings are rich in essential nutrients like Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium and add richness to your compost.
Now, take all your organic waste and add it to this bin. Compost typically has two main components: the greens, which include food scraps, grass clippings, etc, and the browns, which include paper, cardboard, etc. Ideally, your compost should have a larger proportion of browns than greens. Always moisten the browns before adding them to the bin.