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Vermicomposting

by | 01-05-2014 16:31



Hey! Today i want to share with you guys one of the biggest project in our school.Whether you live in an apartment, are simply short on out door space, or just want to keep all of your organic kitchen waste from ending up in the landfill, then worm (vermi) composting is the answer for you. Furthermore, if you don?t have a garden of your own it should not be hard to find someone who will take the nutrient rich compost and worm tea off of your hands!  
Composting vs. Vermicomposting. What?s the difference? Vermicomposting is soil produced by composting with worms.  ?Red wigglers? are best for the nutrient-rich worm castings or vermicom- post (worm poop) which is the end result of worm composting. They are different from the earthworms and night-crawlers found in your compost pile who live underground and depend on cooler tempera- tures and an extensive tunneling system to survive. These regular earthworms cannot live in a warm bin.  
The benefits... You and your worms will help the environment by reducing the amount of garbage you produce. A medium-sized worm box can process more than 5 pounds of food waste each week.  In return, you get a dark crumbly, earthy-smelling, nutrient-rich humus good for growing just about anything.  
Let?s get started... Choose a bin out of wood, plastic or an old dresser drawer. Bin should be 10?-16? deep with a snug  fitting lid and holes in the bottom or side. Pick a place where your worms will not freeze or overheat, i.e. pantry, kitchen corner, under the sink or garage.   
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To collect worm tea...place a tray underneath your bin to collect any drainage (worm tea).  Aluminum oven pans work well and can be purchased inexpensively at your lo- cal grocery or discount store. Cafeteria trays also work. If you do not have a tray, you can use a couple of paper grocery bags planor a piece of cardboard instead and re- place them periodically, placing them into the bin as addi- tional bedding. Any worm tea that may drain from your bin is very nutrient-rich and your houseplants and garden will love it!  
Type of bedding?. 8?-10? of bedding will provide your worms with a damp place to live. Common bedding in- clude strips of newspaper, shredded cardboard or peat moss (do not use glossy paper or magazines). Moisten the bedding until its as wet as a wrung out sponge. This helps keep them cool and moist and gives them fiber to eat. Add a handful of soil.   
The worms... Worms needed depend of the amount of kitchen waste generated per day.  One pound of worms will easily take care of each half-pound garbage. To add the worms to the bins simply scatter them over the top. They will work their way down into the bedding.  
What can if feed my worms? Your worms can feed on fruit and vegetable waste, stale breed, old rice or pasta, coffee grounds/tea bags.  Foods to avoid are meat and dairy products, citrus fruits and oily or processed foods. Be sure to bury your food scraps in the bedding to discourage molds and fruit flies. Bury the food in a different spots at each feeding.    
The harvesting... You can start harvesting in 2-3 months, you will notice that the bedding has been replaced with rich, dark, worm compost.  It's har- vest time!  Place about a pound of food on one side of the bin.  Wait a few days until the majority of the worms have found the food and use a plastic bag to harvest the worms.  Remove the remaining vermicompost and start the bin using fresh bedding. 
Symptom :
 •Worm bin smells bad.
•Fruit flies. (do not use insecti- cidesit can kill your worms) 
•Worms aren?t eating.  
 •Too few worms.
Problem:
 •Too much food.
 •Too Wet.  
•Sludgy (anaerobic). 
•Food isn?t buried    
•Too much food. 
 •Not enough food
Solution:
•Feed less.
 •Check drainage holes/add dry bedding.
 •Harvest castings. 
•Bury food.
•Cover surface of bedding with a sheet of newspaper.
 •Feed less. 
•Gradually increase feeding
•If problem persists, restart bin. 

** If you guys want me to give more informations, let me know so that i can share more and more with you.