How to Use Compost and Vermicompost in a Regenerative Garden

ByStephen Albert

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Feeding the soil life that feeds your plants

Introduction: Compost as the Heart of Regeneration

In a regenerative garden, compost is more than just a soil amendment — it’s the heartbeat of the system. Compost brings dead matter back to life, transforming kitchen scraps, leaves, and garden waste into humus rich with beneficial microorganisms. When added to soil, compost reawakens biology, rebuilds structure, and balances nutrients naturally.

Vermicompost, or worm compost, goes one step further. It’s made when earthworms digest organic material, producing castings teeming with plant-growth hormones, enzymes, and beneficial microbes.

Together, compost and vermicompost are the foundation of regenerative gardening. They restore fertility without chemicals, strengthen the soil food web, and help plants thrive through biological balance.

What Is Compost and Why It Matters

Compost is decomposed organic matter — a dark, crumbly material rich in nutrients and microbial life. In nature, leaves and plant residues decay on the forest floor, returning nutrients to the soil. Composting simply accelerates this natural process in a controlled way.

Benefits of Compost in Regenerative Gardening

  • Feeds soil life: Microbes and fungi multiply in compost and continue working in your soil.
  • Improves soil structure: Adds organic matter that improves aeration, drainage, and water retention.
  • Balances nutrients: Supplies slow-release macro- and micronutrients.
  • Buffers pH: Helps stabilize soil acidity and alkalinity.
  • Sequesters carbon: Returns organic carbon to the soil instead of the atmosphere.

Compost turns waste into renewal — the essence of regeneration.

What Is Vermicompost and Why It’s Powerful

Vermicompost, or worm castings, is the richest form of compost nature can make. Red wigglers (Eisenia fetida) or similar compost worms consume organic matter and excrete fine, biologically active castings.

Unique Benefits of Vermicompost

  • Highly concentrated nutrients: Contains plant-available forms of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
  • Burst of biology: Loaded with beneficial bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes.
  • Plant growth hormones: Worms add auxins and cytokinins that boost root development.
  • Natural disease suppression: Vermicompost helps plants resist pathogens through microbial competition.
  • No odor or weed seeds: Worm digestion neutralizes pathogens and breaks down toxins.

A handful of vermicompost can inoculate an entire garden bed with living biology.

How to Make Compost for Regenerative Gardening

Composting can be as simple or as sophisticated as you like. The goal is always the same: balance carbon-rich “browns” (dry materials) and nitrogen-rich “greens” (fresh materials).

Basic Compost Recipe

  • Browns: Leaves, straw, shredded cardboard, sawdust.
  • Greens: Vegetable scraps, grass clippings, coffee grounds, manure.
  • Moisture: Damp like a wrung-out sponge.
  • Air: Turn regularly or use a well-ventilated bin.

Hot vs. Cold Composting

  • Hot composting (active): Reaches 130–150°F; decomposes quickly and kills weed seeds.
  • Cold composting (passive): Takes longer but requires less work; ideal for smaller gardens.

Compost is ready when it’s dark, crumbly, and smells earthy — not sour or rotten.

How to Make Vermicompost

Worm composting can be done indoors or outdoors. You’ll need a worm bin, bedding, moisture, and organic waste.

Setting Up a Worm Bin

  1. Container: Use a bin with drainage holes and airflow.
  2. Bedding: Shredded newspaper, leaves, or coconut coir.
  3. Moisture: Keep bedding damp but not soggy.
  4. Worms: Add red wigglers (Eisenia fetida).
  5. Feedstock: Add small amounts of kitchen scraps (no meat, dairy, or citrus).

Harvesting Vermicompost

After 2–3 months, worms will have turned most material into rich, dark castings. Harvest by separating worms from finished compost using light or by moving food to one side of the bin to lure worms away.

Using Compost in a Regenerative Garden

The key to regenerative gardening is to use compost not as a one-time fix, but as an ongoing food source for the soil food web.

1. As a Soil Amendment

  • Mix 1–2 inches of finished compost into the top few inches of garden soil.
  • Apply before planting or when refreshing beds between crops.
  • This boosts microbial life and improves soil texture.

2. As a Mulch

  • Spread a 1–2 inch layer of compost on top of the soil around plants.
  • Cover with straw or leaves to protect moisture and life.
  • Over time, rain and worms incorporate the compost into deeper layers.

3. As a Compost Tea

  • Steep 1 part compost in 5 parts non-chlorinated water for 24–36 hours (with aeration).
  • Strain and apply as a foliar spray or soil drench.
  • This introduces beneficial microbes directly to roots and leaves.

Using Vermicompost in a Regenerative Garden

Because it’s so concentrated, vermicompost is best used sparingly and strategically.

1. Seed Starting and Transplanting

  • Mix vermicompost into seed-starting mix (10–20% by volume).
  • At transplanting, place a tablespoon in each planting hole to boost root establishment.

2. Topdressing

  • Sprinkle a handful of vermicompost around the base of established plants.
  • Water well to wash microbes into the root zone.

3. Vermicompost Tea

  • Brew like compost tea (1 cup castings per gallon of water).
  • Use immediately to apply live microbes to the soil.
  • Great for seedlings and stressed plants.

Combining Compost and Vermicompost for Maximum Regeneration

The most resilient regenerative systems use both compost and vermicompost together:

  • Compost builds bulk organic matter and feeds the whole soil community.
  • Vermicompost inoculates soil with high-density microbial life and plant-growth stimulants.

How to Combine Them

  • Use compost as a base mulch or amendment.
  • Add vermicompost as a biological inoculant.
  • Brew blended compost teas for biological diversity and nutrition.

This combination restores both structure and function to depleted soils — the essence of regenerative gardening.

When and How Often to Apply

  • At planting: 1–2 inches of compost before seeding or transplanting.
  • Midseason: ½ inch compost mulch around growing plants.
  • Vermicompost: Every 4–6 weeks in small doses or as tea applications.
  • Fall: Thick compost mulch (3–4 inches) to protect soil over winter.

Soil is a living system — regular, gentle feeding keeps it thriving.

Signs Your Compost Program Is Working

  • Soil becomes darker and easier to work.
  • Earthworms and fungi increase.
  • Plants grow stronger, greener, and more resilient.
  • You need less fertilizer and water.
  • Compost and mulch break down rapidly between seasons.

Healthy compost equals living soil — and living soil equals regeneration.

Conclusion: Feeding Life, Not Just Plants

Using compost and vermicompost in a regenerative garden isn’t just about recycling waste — it’s about rebuilding ecosystems. Every handful of compost adds billions of microorganisms that partner with your plants, strengthening the web of life beneath your feet.

By feeding the soil, not the plant, you create a self-renewing system — one that improves with every season. Composting turns decay into fertility, and vermicomposting magnifies that life. Together, they embody the principle at the heart of regenerative gardening: life creates life.

Regenerative Gardening Learning Hub

🌿 Start here: The Complete Guide to Regenerative Gardening and Farming

1️⃣ Soil Health and Living Systems

2️⃣ Biodiversity and Polyculture

3️⃣ Carbon Sequestration and Organic Matter

4️⃣ Water Stewardship

5️⃣ Perennial Crops and Permanent Systems

6️⃣ Animal Integration

7️⃣ Human and Community Connection

8️⃣ Regenerative Design and Planning

9️⃣ Inputs and Outputs: Closing the Loop

10️⃣ Case Studies and Personal Experience

Stephen Albert is a horticulturist, master gardener, and certified nurseryman who has taught at the University of California for more than 25 years. He holds graduate degrees from the University of California and the University of Iowa. His books include Vegetable Garden Grower’s Guide, Vegetable Garden Almanac & Planner, Tomato Grower’s Answer Book, and Kitchen Garden Grower’s Guide. His Vegetable Garden Grower’s Masterclass is available online. Harvesttotable.com has more than 10 million visitors each year.

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