Vermicomposting nmcomposters.org John Zarola
Vermicomposting
nmcomposters.org John Zarola
General Overview• Composting compensates for aridity
• Which worms
• The science ‐ organizing worm environment
• Setup choices
• Care & Maintenance
• Harvest castings
• Benefits
Ways with Worms• Predetermined mind set ?
• Be open minded – lots of choices
• Proceed slowly. No hurry to decide.
• Family discussion
• Small start
• Keep perspective.
• Remain peaceful
Worms as Food
Worms as Food
Fishing baitAquarium food
Plant Nutrient Recycling – Slow in Desert
⬅� Photosynthesis
⬅ DecompositionComposting compensatesFor moisture lack
⬅ Nutrients absorbed
Home Composting• Compensates for aridity
• Manages moisture
• Recycles plant nutrients back to the soil
• Provides a continuous product ‐ humus
• Avoids landfill
• Provides satisfactionOutdoor Worm Bin
Mary Appelhof, 1936 ‐ 2005
Michigan, USA, 70’s Revised ‐ 2017
Vermiculture & Vermicomposting
• Organizing and managing worms so that they decompose organic material.
• Collecting vermicast➔ soil amendment
• Recycling which keeps giving back.
Advantages of Vermicomposting
• Appropriate year round: indoors or outdoors
• Adaptable for those with physical limitations
• Supervised children enjoy it
• Inexpensive equipment, little labor required
• No turning, no odor, little water used
• Great recycling partners
Advantages
• Setup may be of any convenient size
• Adaptable for small spaces
• Quiet, peaceful, educational ‐ kids
• Produces soil amendment & cash crop
• Recycling rather than landfilling /disposal
• Intelligent
At Ease with Composting Worms • Follow the science
• Many approximations
• Many anecdotes
• Avoid environmental extremes
• Maintain aerobic conditions
• Maintain correct moisture
• Sensitivity to living creatures
Commonly Used Home Composting Worms
• Red wigglers ‐ Eisenia fetida, Eisenia andrei,
Eisenia lumbricus. – all are red worms.
• Sensitive to light: spasm, wiggle
• Sold as composting worms by the pound or count
• Easily to adapt to containment
Composting Worms• Easy to domesticate to containment
• Easily reproduce under proper conditions
• Consumers of dead & decaying organic material
• Do not consume living plant tissue
• Dwell near soil surface under plant litter, manure & compost piles
• They are called Epigeic
Composting Worms are Epigeic in Nature
* Soil‐litter interface
* Ingest decomposing organic material
* No deep burrows
Composting Worms – Red Wigglers
• Light red ‐maroon in color
• Adults: 2‐ 4” long
• Absorb oxygen thru mucous layer
• Cold‐blooded: body temp. varies w. bedding temp
• Adults breeders are
• Hermaphroditic: eggs & sperm
In nature – Red Worms ingest:
• Soil particles and
• Decomposing and dead OM which contains:
• Carbohydrates, nutreints
• Soil microorganisms:
• Bacteria, fungi
• Omnivorous detritivores
Composting Worms
• No teeth, no tongue ‐ Prostomium
• Ingest decomposing organics thru muscular action
• Digestion: * mechanical – crop > gizzard * biochemically – enzymes* microbially ‐ enzymes
• Castings – Vermicast = manure
• Non invasive species
Worm Anatomy ‐ Gizzard
• No teeth ‐muscular ingestion
• Gizzard: mechanical grinding
• Enzymes: biochemical decomposition
• May add some grit: soil, ground egg shells to setup
Mature Composting Worms ‐ BreedersHave a clitellum
⬅ Mating produces egg cocoons
Worm Eggs Transferred to Homestead
Environmental Science – Worm Care • Air / oxygen / ventilation
• Water / moisture
• Shelter / Dark
• Temperature
• pH
• Nutrition
• Manage castings
Similar to Pet Care
Worm Care ‐ Environment
• Oxygen: absorbed thru mucous layer
• Moisture: ± 60% in bedding similar to coffee grounds
• Shelter: Dark ‐ avoid direct sun, wind, vibration
Worm Care ‐ Environment• Temperature: ideal in bedding ‐ above freezing to 85F
• pH: 6 ‐7 ventilation & moisture
• Nutrition: chopped, shredded organic material
• Manage Castings: collect / harvest
Worm Environment ‐Moisture • Moist, not soggy, not dripping wet like coffee grounds
• Bottom drainage
• Add dry to wet
• Do not compact additions
• Fluff the bedding
• Avoid food build up
• Avoid standing liquid in setup
Worm Care ‐ containers
• Indoors / outdoors
• Container environment
• Container locations
• Many Choices
• Consider options
Vermicomposting Setup Containers
StackedBins
Flow thru
Containers ‐ManyCan O Worms➞The Worm Inn↴
The Worm Farm / Café ➞
Vermicomposting: Locations & ContainersIndoors ‐ homemade
Bin Drainage
Leachate
Locations & Setups
Indoors ‐manufactured
Worminn.com
Worm Factory
Hungary Bin flow thru
Flow – thru setups =Easy access harvesting
Hungry Bin
Locations & Setups: above & in the soilOutdoors ‐ covered
Temperature in Bedding
• Ambient air ≠ bedding temp.
• Bedding is denser than air
• Bedding temp. changes slowly
• Day: 50 ‐ Night 25
• Soil, etc. insulates bedding
• Worms ingest CHO’s = heatTijeras, NM
Containers in the Soil
• Bottom – open drainage
• Top – covered
• Surrounding soilinsulates contents
• Happy worms
• Quick dump and run
• Less digging
Wormery in the Soil
Amends soil on the spot• Liquid drains downward
• Soil moderates temp. fluctuation
• Harvest when ¾ full
• Start again
• Move location
Locations & Setups – container in hole
• Dump and Done
• Less digging
• Covered
• Soil insulates
Worm Environment Issues ‐ Odor• Compaction of wet organics
• Anaerobic conditions ➜ unpleasant odors, acidity
• Add dry material : leaves, paper products
• Fluff the bedding
• Harvest regularly
• Patent ventilation & drain holes
• Avoid standing liquid
• Avoid feedstock build up
Environment ‐ avoid standing liquid
• Red worms are not aquatic creatures.
• Absorb oxygen mucous layer on skin.
• Anaerobic situation: odors and acids ‐ stress
• Patent drain holes / spigot
• Add dry material: brown leaves, paper shredded
• Fluff up bedding. Uncover. Air out the bin.
Worm Environment ‐ Issues May move, escape from imbalances:
• Too hot – avoid direct sun
• Too wet : odors, oxygen, pH >
• Too acidic – organic acids form
• Overpopulation – divide
• Low food supply
• Vibration
Worm Environment Issues
Over population
Mass Migration
Worm Bin Issues
• Flying insects ‐ screen over ventilation holes
• Fruit flies – freeze scraps, yellow sticky traps
• Insects – arthropods – beneficial
• Pot / white worms ‐ OK Screen over holes
Self Protection: environment issues
• Too cold, too hot move deeper
• Too cold, too hot, too dry
• Move, escape
• Aestivation / dormancy
• Until conditions improve
Aestivation / dormancy ➜
Worm Nutrition – Decomposing & Decomposed
Organic material ‐ plant: fruit, veggie ‐ scraps & pulpgrains, grass, leaves, garden clippings, paper products, natural fibers
Organic material – animal:manures ‐ outdoorshair, feathers, fur
Environmental Synthetic Chemicals
• They are everywhere
• Some are hidden in products
• Do best to avoid them
• Microbial enzymes to biodegrade them ?
• Better living thru chemistry is
• Problematic
Paper Products OK: News paper, egg cartons,
paper towel, napkins,tissue, bags, coffee filters, shredded paper, brown wrapping papercardboard, moulded packing forms
Avoid: glossy, slick, colored ‐magazine paperWax or plastic coated paperParty paper wrap Contaminated w. chemicals ‐ oils, paint
Not sure: – leave it out, then do some research
Organizing Organics
Food scraps + paper products
Chop before you drop
Nutrition: OK • Moldy food Bread crumbs ➜
• Egg shell crush & grind
• Banana peels ‐ chopped
• Manures – outdoor setups
Pre Composting the Additions• Manures – safety
vermicides
• Uniform feeding
• High microbial content
• Decreased odor potential.
• Bokashi bucket contents
• Compost is stable
• Reduce biocides
Pre Composting –Bokashi bucket method
• Storage, holding, fermentation
• Contents acidic
• Usually added to soil
• Aerate first, before adding
• Small amounts
• Observe
Worm Environment ‐ Nutrition
• Chop before you drop – smaller decomposes better
• Avoid excess food build – up odors
Worm Environment – Adding Material• Strip feeding
• Vary location
• Rotation location
• Avoid OM pileup
Note what is consumed in a time period,
Then adjust.
Worm Environment
• Organics added on top ➜
• Decomposition evident ➜
• Avoid OM build up
Worm Environment – Excess Material ?
• Set up another bin
• Freeze it
• Dry it
• Add to compost pile orBokashi bucket
• Donate to community garden
• Avoid overfeeding
Multiple Indoor Bins
Unlimited Choices
Odors: above and below • Avoid build up of OM.
• Avoid overfeeding
• Chop before U drop
• Consume one additionbefore adding another
• Avoid build up of vermicast
• Harvest regularly
• Avoid standing liquid ‐ can’t breathe
Avoid Using or Adding:
• Containers that once held chemicals
• Chemicals – biocides, vermicides: manures
• Treated wood products
• Glossy colored paper
• Coated paper – waxed / plastic coated
• Manures with residual de‐worming medication
Avoid Adding:
• Inorganics: glass, metal, plastic, styrofoam
• “Scented” organics: meat, fish, dairy, butter, lard, margarine, nut butter, mayo
• Small amount: OK – mix with other organics
• Note: citrus, raw onion, broccoli ➜ possible odor
• Dry then add. OK outdoors.
Leachate from Setup
• Liquid drains down
• Empty regularly, frequently
• May become anaerobic ➜
• Foul odor
• Acids & alcohol
• Aerate & dilute: 1:10 – 1:100
Bin Harvesting
Focus feeding in one area for 14 days prior to harvest.
Vermicast – Benefits Soil
• Contain humus
• Residual nutrients
• pH: 6 – 7
• Beneficial microorganisms
Vermicast Benefits
• Buffer soil pH
• Absorb water/sponge
• Help improve soil structure ‐ tilth
• NPK: about 1:1:1
Castings – Soil Amendment
Sensible Measures• Wear gloves, cover wounds
• Avoid touching face
• Tetanus booster
• Scrub hands
• Wash veggies
Decisions
• You, your family, situation, collaboration
• What container ? Size ? Indoors / outdoors ?
• Follow the science # 3
• Keep it simple – start small
• Practice makes perfect
• Contact us for help
Worms are Fine Pets
• No barking, meowing – quiet, peaceful
• No dander, no hair, no fur, no claws
• No special food
• No bathing or brushing
• No biting
• No Vets
Worms as Pets
• No shots, no tags
• No walking, no training
• May be left alone while on vacation
• And their poop is useful
Bin Setup• Pick / make or manufactured container ‐ opaque
• Lid
• Drainage
• Ventilation
• Moist bedding
• Storage location
Bin Set Up – Many Container Choices
Sterlite, latch carry, stackable
12 gallon
23” x 18” x 9”
$10.00 – amazon
Family – 2 people
Bedding for Red Worms • Organic material – often carbonaceous
• Shredded paper products
• Shredded brown leaves
• Coconut coir, peat moss, chopped straw
• Soil & compost blend
• Nutrition source as it decomposes
• Moist and safe place to exist
• 4 – 6” deep ‐ fluffy
Bedding
• Usually carbonaceous
• Careful greens & manures – may compact
• May generate heat ‐ vigilance
• In small bins
Discussion
nmcomposters.org
Worm Container in the Soil• Soil insulates contents winter & summer
• Simulates natural environment
• Any size to suit situation
• Cover – maintains moisture, discourages flying insects & critters
• Less frequent digging
• Easy harvesting
• Water drains out & down
Moisture in Worm Bin• Compaction of built up moist vermicast➞
• Decreased air / oxygen ➞
• Anaerobic decomposition ➞ odiferous gases ➞
• Foul odor
• Remedy:
• Fluff the bedding
• Harvest regularly
Additions: Anecdotes & Controversy• Citrus: oils, pH, odors. Dry, then add
• Bones: inorganic ‐ bulking
• Wood ash: alkaline
• Pineapple ? enzymes
• Fresh onion ‐ ? Odors
• Broccoli – fresh ? Odors
• Meat ‐ ? odors
Additions ‐ Considerations
• Mayo
• Lard
• Butter, nut butters
• Oils
• Small amounts diluted with other organics
• Moderation, common sense and research