Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Vermiculture Technology
what is vermiculture technology. This is what happens. You throw your kitchen scraps in a compost pile. The earthworms breakdown and digest this material and then excrete what is called worm castings. This is what is also called earthworm compost. This natural organic fertilizer is so rich in nutrients that it is sometimes called "black gold". That is vermiculture technology in a nutshell.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
How to Make Your Own Worm Compost System
originated by:Amanda, Krystle C., Jack Herrick
Vermiculture, or worm composting, allows you to compost your food waste faster than you ever imagined, while producing the highest quality compost and fertilizing liquid. Best of all, it's self-contained and nearly odorless!
How to start?
Obtain a worm bin.
# These can be purchased from many online vendors or your local gardening or farm supply store.
# You can build your own. Use rubber storage totes, galvanized tubs, wood, or plastic.
Material: Rubber is cheap, easy to use and durable. Galvanized tubs are somewhat costly but will last forever. Wood will eventually be eaten, and plastic cracks easily, but either will do in a pinch. Some people prefer wooden compost worm bins because they may breathe better and absorb excess moisture[1], which can be hazardous to the worms. Just don't use chemically-treated wood, which may be dangerous to worms or leach harmful chemicals into your compost. 5-gallon plastic buckets now for sale by most hardware stores can be used - especially if you live in an apartment. Clean the big 5-gallon soap buckets thoroughly and let them sit for a day or so filled with clean water before using as a worm
Ventilation is essential.
Ventilation: Your bin should be well-ventilated, with several 1/8 inch (3mm) holes 4 inches (100mm) from the bottom (otherwise the worms will stay at the bottom of the bin and you may drown your worms). For example, you can build a worm bin out of a large plastic tub with several dozen small holes drilled out on the bottom and sides. Untreated wooden bins are naturally ventilated because of structure of wood.
#
* Size: The larger you make the container, the more worms it can sustain. Estimate 1 pound (0.45kg) of worms (1,200) for every square foot of surface area. The maximum productive depth for your bin is 24 inches (61cm) deep because composting worms will not go further down than that.
* Cover: The bin should have a cover to prevent light from getting in and to prevent the compost from drying out. Choose or make a lid that can be removed if your compost is too wet. Use a canvas tarp, doubled over and bungee-corded on, or kept in place with wood. Burlap sacks also work well, and can be watered directly.
# Use 4 old car tires: To make a four-tire wormery, create a base from old bricks or flagstones (must be flat and with as few cracks as possible). Place a layer of heavy newspaper on top of the bricks. Stuff four old tires with newspapers. Pile the tires on top of each other, with the first tire on the Sunday newspaper. Put some scrunched up paper or cardboard in the bottom to soak up any excess liquid. Fill the entire wormery with organic material (semi-composted is best). Add the composting worms (tiger or brandling species are best). Use a piece of board weighed down with bricks as a lid. The lid must be big enough to stop rain getting in. Harvest a tire's worth of fertilizer roughly every 8 weeks (during warm months).
Prepare the box for worms. Fill your bin with thin strips of unbleached corrugated cardboard or shredded newspaper, straw, dry grass, or some similar material. This provides a source of fiber to the worms and keeps the bin well-ventilated. Sprinkle a handful of dirt on top, and thoroughly moisten. Allow the water to soak in for at least a day before adding worms. You can also use Canadian peat moss, which is more expensive but yields a loamier vermicompost.
Maintain your bin. Keeping your bin elevated off the ground, using bricks, cinder blocks, or whatever is convenient will help speed composting and keep your worms happy. Worms are capable of escaping almost anything, but if you keep your worms fed and properly damp, they should not try to escape. A light in the same area will ensure your worms stay put. Sprinkle the surface with water every other day. Feed your worms vegetable scraps at least once a week. Feeding lightly and often will produce more worms (which is good when starting a new bin) and large amounts fed less often will fatten your worms (good for fishing). Add more cardboard, shredded newspaper, hay, or other fibrous material once a month, or as needed. Your worms will reduce everything in your bin quickly. You will start with a full bin of compost or paper/cardboard, and soon it will be half full. This is the time to add fibrous material.
Tips
*
Multiple worm bins, stacked.
Multiple worm bins, stacked.
If you have two bins, it can be a bit easier to get at your compost. Fill one bin and start the next. When you want to get at the compost, move the uncomposted matter from bin one to bin two and use all the finished compost. Bin two, the now-active bin, becomes full and then bin one becomes the active bin again.
Vermiculture, or worm composting, allows you to compost your food waste faster than you ever imagined, while producing the highest quality compost and fertilizing liquid. Best of all, it's self-contained and nearly odorless!
How to start?
Obtain a worm bin.
# These can be purchased from many online vendors or your local gardening or farm supply store.
# You can build your own. Use rubber storage totes, galvanized tubs, wood, or plastic.
Material: Rubber is cheap, easy to use and durable. Galvanized tubs are somewhat costly but will last forever. Wood will eventually be eaten, and plastic cracks easily, but either will do in a pinch. Some people prefer wooden compost worm bins because they may breathe better and absorb excess moisture[1], which can be hazardous to the worms. Just don't use chemically-treated wood, which may be dangerous to worms or leach harmful chemicals into your compost. 5-gallon plastic buckets now for sale by most hardware stores can be used - especially if you live in an apartment. Clean the big 5-gallon soap buckets thoroughly and let them sit for a day or so filled with clean water before using as a worm
Ventilation is essential.
Ventilation: Your bin should be well-ventilated, with several 1/8 inch (3mm) holes 4 inches (100mm) from the bottom (otherwise the worms will stay at the bottom of the bin and you may drown your worms). For example, you can build a worm bin out of a large plastic tub with several dozen small holes drilled out on the bottom and sides. Untreated wooden bins are naturally ventilated because of structure of wood.
#
* Size: The larger you make the container, the more worms it can sustain. Estimate 1 pound (0.45kg) of worms (1,200) for every square foot of surface area. The maximum productive depth for your bin is 24 inches (61cm) deep because composting worms will not go further down than that.
* Cover: The bin should have a cover to prevent light from getting in and to prevent the compost from drying out. Choose or make a lid that can be removed if your compost is too wet. Use a canvas tarp, doubled over and bungee-corded on, or kept in place with wood. Burlap sacks also work well, and can be watered directly.
# Use 4 old car tires: To make a four-tire wormery, create a base from old bricks or flagstones (must be flat and with as few cracks as possible). Place a layer of heavy newspaper on top of the bricks. Stuff four old tires with newspapers. Pile the tires on top of each other, with the first tire on the Sunday newspaper. Put some scrunched up paper or cardboard in the bottom to soak up any excess liquid. Fill the entire wormery with organic material (semi-composted is best). Add the composting worms (tiger or brandling species are best). Use a piece of board weighed down with bricks as a lid. The lid must be big enough to stop rain getting in. Harvest a tire's worth of fertilizer roughly every 8 weeks (during warm months).
Prepare the box for worms. Fill your bin with thin strips of unbleached corrugated cardboard or shredded newspaper, straw, dry grass, or some similar material. This provides a source of fiber to the worms and keeps the bin well-ventilated. Sprinkle a handful of dirt on top, and thoroughly moisten. Allow the water to soak in for at least a day before adding worms. You can also use Canadian peat moss, which is more expensive but yields a loamier vermicompost.
Maintain your bin. Keeping your bin elevated off the ground, using bricks, cinder blocks, or whatever is convenient will help speed composting and keep your worms happy. Worms are capable of escaping almost anything, but if you keep your worms fed and properly damp, they should not try to escape. A light in the same area will ensure your worms stay put. Sprinkle the surface with water every other day. Feed your worms vegetable scraps at least once a week. Feeding lightly and often will produce more worms (which is good when starting a new bin) and large amounts fed less often will fatten your worms (good for fishing). Add more cardboard, shredded newspaper, hay, or other fibrous material once a month, or as needed. Your worms will reduce everything in your bin quickly. You will start with a full bin of compost or paper/cardboard, and soon it will be half full. This is the time to add fibrous material.
Tips
*
Multiple worm bins, stacked.
Multiple worm bins, stacked.
If you have two bins, it can be a bit easier to get at your compost. Fill one bin and start the next. When you want to get at the compost, move the uncomposted matter from bin one to bin two and use all the finished compost. Bin two, the now-active bin, becomes full and then bin one becomes the active bin again.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
IT STARTED OF A DREAM
In 2007 I started to dream of a productive life in aging years wherein I will be retiring from my job as Campus Minister in one of the Catholic Schools in Davao City. I thought it I was in crises but my dream was a healthy sign of generativity according to my age.
A family friend of mine, Irog and Linda Margate started Vermi Culture. After making a simple research to how this vermi be raised or cultured with the help also of my good neighbor Dodong and Nancy Braga I was encouraged also to culture. I put up two big junk plastic basin as my initial cage. Since I was new then of this thing I don't make serious follow-up of watering my vermi that made their place dried up often times.
In other hand I keep telling my friends that I am culturing Vermi at my backyard and the funny is that informing people that soon I will be selling at the price 500 pesos fer kilo.
Deep within me, I have that belief that Vermi Culture is a promising hobby and recreation during week ends aside from my passion in gardening.
The 100 pesos initial capital that I started is multiplied more than ten times for I was able to sold Vermi or earthworms worth P1.200.00 to my friends.
Aside from the amount that I raised from the Vermi(worms), week ago a friend came and
asked for Vermicompost that turned to organic fertilizer. I am producing an organic and chemical free veges from my Urban Organic Garden.
http://farmvermi.blogspot.com
A family friend of mine, Irog and Linda Margate started Vermi Culture. After making a simple research to how this vermi be raised or cultured with the help also of my good neighbor Dodong and Nancy Braga I was encouraged also to culture. I put up two big junk plastic basin as my initial cage. Since I was new then of this thing I don't make serious follow-up of watering my vermi that made their place dried up often times.
In other hand I keep telling my friends that I am culturing Vermi at my backyard and the funny is that informing people that soon I will be selling at the price 500 pesos fer kilo.
Deep within me, I have that belief that Vermi Culture is a promising hobby and recreation during week ends aside from my passion in gardening.
The 100 pesos initial capital that I started is multiplied more than ten times for I was able to sold Vermi or earthworms worth P1.200.00 to my friends.
Aside from the amount that I raised from the Vermi(worms), week ago a friend came and
asked for Vermicompost that turned to organic fertilizer. I am producing an organic and chemical free veges from my Urban Organic Garden.
http://farmvermi.blogspot.com
IT STARTED OF A DREAM
In 2007 I started to dream of a productive life in aging years wherein I will be retiring from my job as Campus Minister in one of the Catholic Schools in Davao City.
I thought it I was in crises but my dream was a healthy sign of generativity according to my age.
A family friend of mine, Irog and Linda Margate started Vermi Culture. After making a simple research to this vermi be raised or cultured with the help also of my good neighbor Dodong and Nancy Braga I was encouraged also to culture. I put up two big junk plastic basin as my initial cage. Since I was new then of this thing I don't make serious follow-up of watering my vermi that made their place dried up often times.
In other hand I keep telling my friends that I am culturing Vermi at my backyard and the funny is that I
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