Vermiculture

So you want to compost but have very little outdoor space, do not want to spend 4-5 weeks waiting for compost and you’re on a tight budget?  Then Worm Composting or Vermiculture is the way to go!

Worms are not exactly first thing that comes to mind when one thinks about compost.   They are in the ground,  appear a bit slimey and squishy.  However, worms are a very useful element in making nutrient rich compost to fertilize your garden.

Worm Compost or Vermicompost is more rich in nutrients than the compost from a regular backyard composter. It also performs better as a planting medium than a commercial potting mix with added nutrients. Worm castings, which are produced from vermicomposting, also hold moisture better than plain soil and contain worm mucus which allows for the prevention of nutrients being washed away at first watering.

The best worms to use in vermiculture are red wigglers or Eisenia foetida. These worms live well in highly populated conditions and they don’t burrow. Red wigglers will eat about half of their weight in food a day. That means if you have one pound of worms you can feed them a half pound of food per day. Also, your worm population will double in size about every three months, but they will not overpopulate your worm bin. Red wigglers are self regulating, so they know when there isn’t room for more.

Worm castings, worm poop, black gold or whatever you want to call it, all consists of the same thing: highly concentrated, nutrient-packed fertilizer that you can use for your garden and house plants.  Click the jump below for information regarding the benefits of worm composting.

The Benefits of Worm Composting:

• Improves the physical structure of the soil
• Enriches soil with micro-organisms
• Microbial activity in worm castings is 10 to 20 times higher than in the soil and organic matter that the worm ingests
• Improves water holding capacity
• Enhances germination, plant growth, and crop yield
• Improves root growth and structure
• Reduces amount of waste going to landfills

Worm Composting vs Composting:

• Worms create a compost material that is far superior than any compost that is produced without their assistance.
• The compost material that is created by worms is smaller than 2 microns.
• Vermicompost added to soil creates a material that has better water retention, aeration, drainage and stability.
• Vermicompost contains more antiobiotic properties against pathogens than regular compost and higher amounts of natural plant growth hormones.
• Worms have the ability to reduce all bacteria that is pathogenic to animals and people.

Equipment:

Worm Factory 360

Eco-Outfitter offers a wide variety of Worm bins, available in different colors and multiple tray configurations.  Composting via a worm bin is very simple.  Simply fill the bottom tray with organic waste, once that is filled with compost, the worms will migrate upwards to the next tray with waste.  Thus, you can remove the bottom tray, empty the compost and refill it with more waste.  As the cycle continues, moisture will trickle down in the bottom of worm bin.  Most bins have a tap, allowing you to drain and collect this nutrient rich compost tea.

For a great deal on compost bins, check out our new Worm Factory 360 it has all the tools you need to start composting right, all you need to add are the worms and waste.  You can also purchase worms and coconut coir bedding in our vermiculture area.

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