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Vermicomposting: Letting worms do the dirty work

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Homemade. Depth. Surface area. Getting Started. Bin. Style. Moisture ... pet ... Remove uneaten food. Smell. Except for harvesting, it takes less ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Vermicomposting: Letting worms do the dirty work


1
Vermicomposting Letting worms do the dirty work
Anne Kolaczyk Purdue University Master Gardener
2
Vermicomposting
  • Composting worms eat decaying organic matter and
    turn it into worm castings (worm feces). The
    result is vermicompost, a mixture of worm
    castings and composted material such as the
    bedding in bin.

3
Why do it
  • Ecologically responsible
  • Reduce waste in landfills and sewage treatment
    plants
  • Provides valuable additives for your plants
  • Saves you money
  • Worms for fishing

4
Composting bins
  • Ready made
  • Layers
  • Drainage
  • Homemade
  • Depth
  • Surface area

5
Getting Started
  • Bin
  • Style
  • Moisture control
  • Aeration

6
Bedding
  • Cardboard
  • Newspaper
  • Coconut fiber
  • Old leaves
  • Wood chips

7
Seeding
  • Need a microbial rich substance to start the bin
    off.
  • Compost
  • Vermicompost
  • Manure
  • Dirt
  • Nothing too fresh though! You dont want to
    generate heat from the seeding substance.

8
Worms
  • Not all worms are equal!
  • Composters, not earthworkers
  • Redworms Eisenia foetida
  • Full density is 1 lb per sq ft of surface area

9
Worms, worms
  • Worms become mature at 10 weeks
  • Will produce 2 to 3 cocoons a week
  • Each cocoon holds 2-5 babies
  • Cocoons take 3 weeks to hatch

10
And more worms
  • In 6 months, 8 worms will multiply into 1500 if
    conditions are right
  • They will stop breeding if there is not enough
    food or space.

11
Food scraps
  • 1/2 lb of food per sq ft of surface area
    (assuming full worm density) per day
  • kind
  • Vegetable scraps
  • Egg shells
  • Coffee grounds
  • Bread
  • Plant waste
  • No meat or bones
  • No pet waste

12
Second course
  • Worms eat the microbes that feed on the decaying
    food, not the food itself.
  • Food wont attract them until it starts to spoil.
  • Consider pre-composting food

13
Yum, yum week 1
  • A shell of a watermelon added to the bin

14
Yum, yum week 2
  • That same shell after 10 days

15
Yum, yum week 3
  • Same shell after 20 days

16
Care
  • Add food
  • Maintainmoisture
  • Harvest castings

17
Harvesting Methods
  • For compost and restocking
  • Hand Sort
  • Halving
  • Bag trap
  • For compost only
  • Dumping
  • For fishing worms
  • Hand sort and remove largest

18
Points to remember
  • Composting worms dont do well out in your garden
    unless your soil is rich in humus. They need
    compost for food!

19
Inside or outside?
  • Inside
  • Space limitations
  • Bugs
  • Smell
  • Outside
  • Weather
  • Animals
  • Size

20
Outside for me
  • I bought a Rubbermaid deck bin. Holds 10 cubic
    feet.
  • Placed on north side of house where it got very
    little sun.
  • Positioned near electrical outlet.

21
Preparation
  • Assembled bin
  • Placed on styrofoam insulation sheet
  • Drilled holes in sides for ventilation
  • Covered holes with screening using glue gun to
    keep out bees

22
Winterizing
  • Place large covered bucket or container in middle
    of bin. Fill 2/3 with water.
  • Put birdbath heater into water. Cut hole in cover
    for the cord. If extension cord is needed to
    reach outlet, wrap joint securely with plastic.
  • Fill worm bin with bedding so it almost reaches
    top.
  • Wrap sides with sheets of styrofoam insulation.
  • Cut piece of foam insulation to lay on top of
    bedding.
  • When temperature falls below freezing, plug in
    heater. It should create a core that is not
    frozen where the worms will gather.

23
Winter feeding
  • They should keep eating
  • Less amount perhaps

24
What makes worms THRIVE?
  • T temperature
  • H H2O
  • R recycle organics
  • I invertebrates
  • V ventilation
  • E environment and pH

25
What makes worms CRAWL?
  • C change of habitat
  • R rain
  • A absence of air
  • W water
  • L lack of food

26
Lets get real
Concerns Solutions
Worms in the house They stay put, honest!
Bugs, extraneous Fruit Flies Soldier Fly Larvae Slugs Freeze scraps Bury in bedding Vinega or wine traps Dont bring in yard waste
Bugs, part of process Spiders Mites Micro-organisms They help the decomposition process. No way to eliminate them, but they stay with the composting material. Wear gloves if they bother you.
Mold May mean bin needs better aeration. Wont hurt process or worms.
27
More reality
Concerns Solutions
Mushrooms Come from wood chip bedding. Just bury into bedding.
Smell Properly maintained bin has little smell. Stop feeding for a week. Change some of the bedding. Remove uneaten food.
Time Except for harvesting, it takes less than 1/2 hour per week
Children/Pets Great learning tool for kids. Closed bins keep pets out.
28
Uses
  • On house plants
  • In outdoor gardens
  • Very high in nutrients
  • Compost tea

29
Lets compare
Bin composting Vermicomposting
Space limitations
No outdoor space available
Large quantity of waste to compost
Limited time to spend
Pathogen control
Ewww! factor
Ecologically responsible
30
Just do it!
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