Vermicomposting- What a Can of Worms!
We recycle water, recycle paper, recycle old automobile tires, even recycle used computer printer ink cartridges. Why shouldn’t our friend, the worm, join the crusade? However, we will need to look at its cousin, the common
red worm,
 Eisenia foetida, to do the job. Also known as the tiger worm, brandling, angle worm, manure worm, or red wriggler, the
red worm
lives in a different ecological niche than does the common earthworm burrowing in garden soil. You can find the
red worm
making its home near the surface in areas of high concentration of organic matter, such as what might be found in pastures, leaf mould, or underneath a compost pile. Another breed of
red worm,
Lumbricus rubellas, can be used in worm composting as well.
The art of worm composting is known officially as Vermicomposting.
Let us start with a description of the components needed for vermicomposting. Of course, the most important item is a large supply of worms which will leave worm castings (dung). Also essential is a fair amount of decayed organic material. In an optimum scenario, worms have the ability to eat up to their own weight of organic waste in the course of one day. Although they consume the organic matter, the true nourishment comes from the micro-organisms to be found inside the worms, busily eating away. Strange but true, the worm casts have eight times as many organisms as their food does. These micro-organisms encourage healthy plant growth; the castings do not have any injurious disease pathogens, |
To See More Info/Buy >>>
Redworms
Over 500 red worms - $34.95
Over 1,000 red worms - $44.95 |
which have been reliably destroyed in the worms’ gut. This is literally an instance of vermicomposting having its cake and eating it, too. A big cheer for the
red worm!
About 1,000
red worms
are needed to start your compost heap on its way to fame and fortune in Fertilizerland. Worms reproduce at an incredibly rapid rate; within a month, your initial 1,000 worms will have doubled their numbers to 2,000 (and they thought rabbits reproduce at the speed of light!). Under ideal situations, one pound of worms (1,000 worms) can multiply to 1,000 pounds (one million worms) in the space of one year but, to be more realistic, one pound will probably increase itself to 35 pounds during that same time. The reduced numbers are the result of the hatchlings and capsules (cocoons or eggs) becoming nonviable when the vermicompost is harvested.
Adult
red worms
put out two or three capsules per week, each capsule producing two or three hatchlings after approximately three weeks. Beginning life at only half an inch long, the hatchlings resemble miniscule white threads which develop so quickly they are sexually mature in four to six weeks, ready to make their own capsules. By the age of three months, our original hatchlings have become grandmas and grandpas.
In order to survive, red worms must have a source of hydration on a steady basis. They also need a constant reserve of food. A hungry and thirsty
red worm
is a
dead
red worm.
Remember to feed them daily. They cannot display their hunger and/or thirst such as a dog or cat might, so you must learn to fulfill their needs on a scrupulously kept schedule. What goes in must come out. Feed and water your worms well and their castings will make fine compost for you.
Some of the best foods for red worms are:
- Rabbit manure.
- Manure (every type but human but allow poultry manure to age a minimum of six months to a year before using).
- Food scraps.
- Shredded cardboard and newspaper.
- Powdered worm food. Purina actually markets a worm food called “Worm Chow.” What’s next? “Aphid Ambrosia”? “Butterfly Broth”? The possibilities buggle [sic] the mind.
Some closing thoughts:
- Also called “compost worms”.
- Live two to five years unless there is an untimely meeting of worm to the sole of a boot.
- Makes two to five cocoons per week - four is considered normal under good conditions.
- Two to three worms hatch (the “hatchlings”) from each cocoon.
- 45-day hatch time.
- A span of six weeks takes the worms from hatchlings to adult breeders.
Watch where you step after the next rainstorm. You may be squashing someone’s mom!
For more on
composting and an array of tools and materials, see our
Composting Section.
©2007 Niftygarden.com
No reprints or any commercial usage without written permission.