Vermiculture 101

Results for a Survey Conducted March 5, 2009

idontknowwhothisis — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 10:44:55 +0000

On March 5, 2009, the team of Vermiculture 101 surveyed 109 students at a premier high school in the Philippines. To the 109 students, we asked them the question: ”Do you think worms are scary?” After collating the results, here is what we got :

We also had a follow-up question if the person in question was afraid of worms. Here are the results :

Legend:

1 – Worms are icky.

2 – Worms wriggle around.

3 – Worms look dirty.

4 – Worms don’t have bones.

5 – Some are big, some are small.

6 – They have a lot of segments.

7 – They make hands dirty.

8 – They remind me of intestines.

9 – They remind me of scary movies.

10 – They look like snakes

11 – Other (most of the others wrote slimy)

Thus, even though only 22% of our respondents stated they were afraid of worms, that (to us) is still considered a big percentage. One of our goals as an advocacy promoting Vermiculture is to raise awareness to worms and make people realize that worms aren’t scary at all.

Thank you all for taking your time to read this. Have a nice day.

Getting to know the worms

enzomarigomen — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 14:02:45 +0000

This is an introduction to the worms used in composting…

Eisenia foetida: The Red Wiggler worm. (A.K.A.: Tiger Worm, Redworm, Brandling Worm)

This kind of worm is especially adapted to living in a decaying environment, especially ones such as rotting vegetables, manure and actual compost, which makes it a very good choice for vermicomposting. It does not burrow into soil, and is found in habitats where other worms will have a very difficult time surviving, therefore lessening the competition for food and space for Red Wrigglers. When it is threatened, it releases a disgusting-smelling liquid, most probably as a chemical self-defense.

Lumbricus rubellus: The Red Earthworm

You can tell that a worm is Lumbricus rubellus if it has an iridescent red sheen on its back, and a pale yellow one on its belly. Unlike Red Wigglers, they can burrow into soil sometimes, and are found in dark, moist areas with more or less acidically neutral soil.

Now that you’ve achieved a heightened understanding of the worms, go ahead and use this knowledge to take better care of them.

Good luck!

The Ten Commandments of Vermiculture:

idontknowwhothisis — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 15:57:06 +0000

These Ten Commandments (or Tenets) of Vermiculture will show you the basic things you need to do/should not do with your vermicompost.

I. Thou shalt keep thy worms on dark, moist and cool locations.

II. Thou shalt create 8-12 holes underneath thy bin.

III. Thou shalt not feed thy worms with meat, pesticides, and other synthetic materials.

IV. Thou shalt not put non-biodegradable material in thy vermicompost.

V. Thou shalt not put thy organic material on top of thy vermicompost.

VI. Thou shalt not keep thy vermicompost wet.

VII. Thou shalt not introduce thy other organisms in thy vermicompost.

VIII. Thou shalt not treat earthworms as cockroaches.

IX. Thou shalt not divide thy worms by brute force to have them multiply.

X. Thou shalt keep thy worms with tender, love and care everyday.

Think worms are useless?

idontknowwhothisis — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 06:27:53 +0000

In the link we have provided below, we can see the story of a vermiculturist in the Philippines named Antonio de Castro. The link below also lets us see how vermiculture is helpful and how it makes an impact in our daily lives. For your information, 48 Phil. Pesos= U.S.$1 (as of Feb. 22, 2009).

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view_article.php?article_id=73105

Vermiculture set-up guide links!

laboressolisvorago — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 20:11:42 +0000

If you guys ever want to start up on vermiculture, here are some sites which give you steps on how to do it:

Compost: Video Tutorial

Composting: Written guide

S3 (Social Science Supplements) : An Introduction

idontknowwhothisis — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 16:44:00 +0000

When we first hear the word “vermiculture”, we usually think of Environmental Science and Biology; during the course of this blog, we also learned about the connection of Chemistry in vermiculture. Now, we will discuss another subject which has concepts related to vermiculture; and that is Social Science, more commonly known as History/ HEKASI/ AP/ Social Studies/ etc.

When the history of man started, vermiculture was actually already a part of our culture, it was just not that obvious during that time; as civilizations or societies based on agriculture and settlements became more complex, it became obvious that more and more wastes accumulated. Now in relation to the previous post, we can see that vermiculture provides a greater role in using leftover biodegradable waste.

So guys, this is just our introduction in vermiculture’s relation to Social Science; as we move on, we will find out more connections between the two, especially in the Asian perspective (as we are based in Asia).

Think worms are useless?… THINK AGAIN.

ninoggana — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 16:11:32 +0000

After visiting this blog, you may be wondering “Can this REALLY make a difference in our lives and in our environment? Will we REALLY benefit from all this?”. Well, we would be biased in saying yes, so we have decided to convince you that this can really MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

On July 10, 2000, the Philippines experienced one of the worst trash-based disasters in the world. During this time, a huge mountain of trash fell upon hundreds of people in the Payatas Dumpsite in Quezon City, killing most and injuring many others. Many Filipinos still remember this event with shock and disgust.

Payatas Dumpsite, Quezon City, Philippines

If you take a good look at the situation, the cause of the tragedy was garbage; the copious amounts of garbage we dispose everyday led to that terrible disaster. In 2003, the National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) estimated that the Philippines disposed around 27,397 TONS of garbage daily; in contrast, in 2000, only 19,700 tons were being disposed daily. If in 2000, the Payatas Dumpsite was already a hazard, how much more today now that the amount of waste being disposed has increased tremendously?

Now, you might be asking “Where does vermiculture fit into all this?”; the answer is simple, it is one of the integral components in the solution to this problem. Of all this waste, 50% of its compostion is yard, wood, and kitchen waste; in short, BIODEGRADABLE waste. This is the kind of waste that is used for composting and vermiculture. As you SHOULD know by now, composting is the process of speeding up the decomposition process in biodegradable matter; in contrast, vermiculture is composting using worms. As you can probably see by now, there is a connection between the two. Both vermiculture (and composting) turn biodegradable matter into organic fertilizer; 50% of trash in the Philippines is Biodegradable matter (and is also probably the case in other countries). THEREFORE, from this given information, we can derive the following conclusion: Vermiculture (and composting) are important in the reduction of trash.

IF vermiculture (and composting ) are both utilized to their fullest potential (ergo, they are widely practiced and implemented), the (positive) impact of this on the amount of trash generated (and the environment) will be phenomenal. Imagine, if they ARE utilized to their fullest potential, assuming that EVERYONE practices vermiculture and composting, half of the trash produced each day will be ELIMINATED. The amount of trash will be reduced from 27, 397 tons daily to 13,698.5 tons; in short, we will prevent 13,698.5 tons of trash from being dumped daily, 95,889.5 tons weekly, appox. 383,558 tons monthly, and 5,003,377.125 tons annually. Let us tell you this, that makes a HUGE difference.

After reading this post, we hope that you will have changed your perspective of vermiculture (and composting as well) for the better; after all, those little, seemingly insignificant things that we do turn into big things when magnified to a population of hundreds of thousands, or millions, or even billions. So remember…. if you think worms are useless….

THINK AGAIN.

References and sources:

http://thinkgreen.wordpress.com/2007/01/23/hello-world/

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/97/Payatas-Dumpsite_Manila_Philippines02.jpg

Featured Article (from link) #3

ninoggana — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 16:20:44 +0000

This post was originally written by Carlos Keoni L. Bello. Note that you may check out our review of this site(‘s post) before proceeding to see if it meets your expectations.

TOPIC#4: Taken from: http://www.cityfarmer.org/wormcomp61.html

Why Compost With Worms?
Worm composting is a method for recycling food waste into a rich, dark, earth-smelling soil conditioner. The great advantage of worm composting is that this can be done both indoors and outdoors, thus allowing year round composting. It also provides apartment dwellers with a means of composting. In a nutshell, worm compost is made in a container filled with moistened bedding and redworms. Add your food waste for a period of time, and the worms and micro-organisms will eventually convert the entire contents into rich compost.

The following information is based on the experiences of a network of worm composters linked to City Farmer, Vancouver, and the excellent and practical book: Worms Eat My Garbage by Mary Appelhof.

To buy directly on-line, try typing this in the searchbar: “Worms Eat My Garbage: How to Set up & Maintain a Worm Composting System”
This brief introduction to worm composting is only a basic guide, and while we have tried to include all the necessary information to get you and your worms started, we recommend that you also read the book – it is full of useful and fascinating details about this process. You can also make a visit to one of the Compost Demonstration Gardens in the Greater Vancouver to see worm compost bins actively working, and talk to experienced staff. Call the Compost Hotline, (604) 736-2250.

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What Do I Need To Get Started?
A. CONTAINER
We use wood and plastic containers. Either build or buy, or use your imagination and recycle something like an old dresser drawer, trunk, or discarded barrel. We prefer wood because it is more absorbent and a better insulator for the worms. We use plastic containers but find that the compost tends to get quite wet. Experiment and find out what works for you and your worms.

*Guide To Size Of Container
In Worms Eat My Garbage, Mary Appelhof suggests weighing your household food waste for one week (in pounds), and then provide one square foot of surface area per pound. The container depth should be between eight and twelve inches. Options to one large (and heavy) box are a number of smaller containers for easier lifting and moving and more choice of location. The book illustrates a variety of containers.

Depending on the size of the container, drill 8 to 12 holes (1/4 – l/2 inches) in the bottom for aeration and drainage. A plastic bin may need more drainage – if contents get too wet, drill more holes. Raise the bin on bricks or wooden blocks, and place a tray underneath to capture excess liquid which can be used as liquid plant fertilizer.

The bin needs a cover to conserve moisture and provide darkness for the worms. If the bin is indoors, a sheet of dark plastic or burlap sacking placed loosely on top of the bedding is sufficient as a cover. For outdoor bins, a solid lid is preferable, to keep out unwanted scavengers and rain. Like us, worms need air to live, so be sure to have your bin sufficiently ventilated.

B. BEDDING
It is necessary to provide a damp bedding for the worms to live in, and to bury food waste in.

Suitable bedding materials are shredded newspaper and cardboard, shredded fall leaves, chopped up straw and other dead plants, seaweed, sawdust, compost and aged manure. Try to vary the bedding in the bin as much as possible, to provide more nutrients for the worms, and to create a richer compost. Add a couple of handfuls of sand or soil to provide necessary grit for the worm’s digestion of food.

It is very important to moisten the dry bedding materials before putting them in the bin, so that the overall moisture level is like a wrung-out sponge. The bin should be about three-quarters full of moistened bedding. Lift the bedding gently to create air spaces which help to control odours, and give freer movement to the worms.

C. WORMS
The two types of earthworm best suited to worm composting are the redworms: Eisenia foetida (commonly known as red wiggler, brandling, or manure worm) and Lumbricus rubellus. They are often found in aged manure and compost heaps. Please do not use dew-worms (large size worms found in soil and compost) as they are not likely to survive.

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Where To Get Your Worms?
If you feel adventurous, find a horse stable or farmer with a manure pile and collect a bagful of manure with worms. Check your own or a friend’s compost bin for worms. You can also purchase worms. Call the Compost Hotline for more details on local (British Columbian) sources of redworms.

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How Many Worms Do I Need?
Mary Appelhof suggests that the correct ratio of worms to food waste should be: for one pound per day of food waste, use two pounds of worms (roughly 2000). If you are unable to get this many worms to start with, reduce the amount of food waste accordingly while the population steadily increases.

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What Do I Feed My Worms?
You can compost food scraps such as fruit and vegetable peels, pulverized egg shells, tea bags and coffee grounds. It is advisable not to compost meats, dairy products, oily foods, and grains because of problems with smells, flies, and rodents. No glass. plastic or tin foil, please.

To avoid fly and smell problems, always bury the food waste by pulling aside some of the bedding, dumping the waste, and then cover it up with the bedding again. Bury successive loads in different locations in the bin.

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Where Should I Locate My Worm Bin?
Worm bins can be used indoors all year round, and outdoors during the milder months. The advantage of mobile bins is that they can be moved when weather conditions change. Indoors, basements are excellent locations (warm, dark and dry), but any spare space can be utilized, so long as temperatures are between 40-80 degrees F. We know dedicated worm composters who have convenient kitchen counter worm bins. Outdoors, bins can be kept in sheds and garages, on patios and balconies, or in the yard. They should be kept out of hot sun and heavy rain. If temperatures drop below 40 degrees F., bins should either be moved indoors, or well insulated outdoors.

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How Do I Maintain My Bin?
If you have the correct ratio of surface area to worms to food scraps, there is little to do, other than adding food, until about two and a half months have passed. By then, there should be little or no original bedding visible in the bin, and the contents will be brown and earthy looking worm castings. The contents will have substantially decreased in bulk too.

It is important to separate the worms from the finished compost, otherwise the worms will begin to die. There are several ways to do this. and you can discover which is best for you. The quickest is to simply move the finished compost over to one side of the bin, place new bedding in the space created, and put food waste in the new bedding. The worms will gradually move over and the finished compost can be skimmed off as needed.

If you have the time or want to use all the compost, you can dump the entire contents of the bin onto a large plastic sheet and separate the worms manually. Most children love to help with this process and you can turn it into a fun lesson about worms for them. Watch out for the tiny. lemon-shaped worm cocoons which contain between two and twenty baby worms! By separating the worms from the compost, you save more worms for your next bin. Mix a little of the finished compost in with the new bedding of the next bin, and store the rest in plastic bags for use as required.

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Where Do I Use My Compost?
The compost can be mixed with potting soil and used for houseplants and patio containers. It is an excellent mulch (spread in a layer on top of the soil) for potted plants. If it is screened, it can be added for potting mixes for seedlings, and finely sprinkled on a lawn as a conditioner. lt can be used directly in the garden, either dug into the soil or used as a mulch.

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Common Problems And Solutions
The most common problem is unpleasant, strong odours which are caused by lack of oxygen in the compost due to overloading with food waste so that the food sits around too long, and the bin contents become too wet. The solution is to stop adding food waste until the worms and micro-organisms have broken down what food is in there, and to gently stir up the entire contents to allow more air in. Check the drainage holes to make sure they are not blocked. Drill more holes if necessary. Worms will drown if their surroundings become too wet.

Worms have been known to crawl out of the bedding and onto the sides and lid if conditions are wrong for them. If the moisture level seems alright, the bedding may be too acidic. This can happen if you add a lot of citrus peels and other acidic foods. Adjust by adding a little garden lime and cutting down on acidic wastes.

Fruit flies can be an occasional nuisance. Discourage them by always burying the food waste and not overloading. Keep a plastic sheet or piece of old carpet or sacking on the surface of the compost in the bin. If flies are still persistent, move the bin to a location where flies will not be bothersome. A few friendly spiders nearby will help control fly problems!

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The Final Word
Taking worms out of their natural environment and placing them in containers creates a human responsibility. They are living creatures with their own unique needs, so it is important to create and maintain a healthy habitat for them to do their work. If you supply the right ingredients and care, your worms will thrive and make compost for you. Happy and successful composting!

Featured Article (from link) #2

ninoggana — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:43:25 +0000

This post was originally written by Carlos Keoni L. Bello. Note that you may check out our review of this site(‘s post) before proceeding to see if it meets your expectations.

TOPIC#3: Taken from: www.pcarrd.dost.gov.ph/consortia/starrdec/Highlights/high_01vermi.htm

VERMICULTURE AND VERMICOMPOSTING TECHNOLOGY:

Technology Description:

Enough food supply for the ever-increasing Filipino populace poses a big challenge to increased crop production. Quality of produce is another concern that consumers look into before buying goods. Organic agriculture has been recognized to aid in increasing crop production and ensuring quality harvest. It involves the use of farm wastes as source of nutrients for crops being raised. Similar environment-friendly technologies such vermiculture and vermicomposting are components of organic agriculture.

Vermiculture is the production of earthworms as fresh or processed feeds, while production of quality organic fertilizer is through vermicomposting. The species of earthworms being used in these technologies is the African Night Crawler (Eudrilus euginae). Earthworms can be used as live feed or vermimeal for fish, prawn, fowl and birds. Vermicompost, on the other hand, are the black granules produced by earthworms appearing on top of the mound of the substrate where said earthworms are raised.

A series of studies/trials was conducted in relation to the mass production of earthworms using different substrate combinations and applying the vermicompost as organic fertilizer to different crops.

It was found out that using coco(nut) dust/sawdust (75%) and ipil-ipil (Leucaena Sp.) leaves (25%) as substrates showed a 200-500% increase in earthworm population, leading to higher production of earthworms for feed.

With respect to the production of quality organic fertilizer through vermicomposting, combining grasses (75%) and kakawate (Gliricidia Sp.) leaves (25%) gave significant amount of macro- and micro-elements beneficial to crop production. Further, crops applied with vermicompost gave higher yield and better quality of harvest than crops grown in soil alone.

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Advantages:

    * Increases crop yield and lessens dependence on chemical fertilizers.
    * Converts farm wastes into organic fertilizer, making it an environment-friendly technology.
    * Can be made into a livelihood program and become a source of extra income.

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Researcher:

Lina G. Villegas
BPI-Los Baños National Crop Research and Development Center (LBNCRDC)
Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines

Featured Article (from link) #1

ninoggana — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 14:40:26 +0000

This post was originally written by Carlos Keoni L. Bello; these 3 featured articles are the main articles from the 3 links we showcased to start up the Blog. Note that you may check out our review of this site(‘s post) before proceeding to see if it meets your expectations.

TOPIC#2: Taken from: http://vegetablegardens.suite101.com/article.cfm/vermiculture_and_worm_composting

Are you looking for a natural way to garden and dispose of food scraps? Look no further than the lowly red worm! Vermicomposting or worm composting is the process of using worms and micro-organisms to turn kitchen waste into a nutrient-rich humus that makes vegetable garden plants thrive. Worm compost is a natural fertilizer and soil amendment or conditioner.

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Vermiculture Facts:

Red worms (or red wigglers) are the best worms for vermicomposting. Red worms may be found in compost piles, rotting vegetation or manure. They are not the same as earthworms you find in the soil, although they are a species of earthworm. The various species of earthworms play a mighty role in nature.

To get started with vermiculture, get at least a pound of red worms. They can be purchased online, at bait stores, or sometimes at garden centers. Experts say that one pound of worms eat approximately 1/2 a pound of food scraps daily! After taking the food through their bodies, the worms excrete it as vermicast (a.k.a. worm castings, worm poop, worm manure.) The process of producing vermicompost is called vermicomposting.

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Where do you keep the worms?

In a worm bin. This can be as simple as an old dresser drawer, trunk or wooden barrel. Basically, a worm bin is a box with a lid. It can be wood or plastic. If you keep the worm bin inside, you can cover it with burlap or plastic. If you use a plastic box and lid, don’t keep the lid clamped down – let it loosely rest on top to allow the worms and microorganisms enough oxygen to live. Allow for drainage with between 8 – 14 holes in the bottom, depending upon box size. Worms like cool, dark, moist places.

Refer to the resources below if you want to build your own worm bin. Alternatively, you can purchase worm bins online or at many garden centers.

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What can you feed the worms?

-vegetable scraps

-fruit peelings (make sure no pesticides were used on the fruit)

-leftover pasta

-bread and grains

-tea bags

-coffee grounds and filters

-well-crushed eggshells

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Don’t feed them:

-meat

-bones

-wood scraps/twigs, etc.

-cheese or dairy

-fat

-grass clippings

-banana peels (or anything else that might have had pesticides sprayed on it)

-any synthetic material

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What do you use for worm bedding?

-shredded cardboard

-shredded newspaper

-any shredded paper

-commercial worm bedding

-shredded fall leaves

-shredded dead plants

-chopped up straw

-compost

Your bin needs to be filled about 3/4 full with the bedding. Wet the bedding and wring out the excess. Allow it to dry some but not completely. Then put it into the bin and “fluff” it up. Keep your bedding moist by misting it with water from time to time. The key is moist bedding – not wet!

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What is the Carbon to Nitrogen Ratio?

Balance your green matter (e.g. scraps) and your brown matter (bedding) in a ratio of about 2 to 1. Technically, that is called the carbon to nitrogen ratio. Bury kitchen scraps under the bedding to reduce smells and outside pests.

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What is the best temperature for worm bins?

They tolerate 50 – 77 degrees. Bring your worms inside if they are going to freeze, or if the temperature gets over 85 degrees F.

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How do red worms reproduce?

Redworms are hermaphroditic. They produce one egg capsule every 2 or 3 weeks. The egg capsule usually contains a dozen babies. Your supply of worms will grow quickly and you may soon need to add more boxes, or get a bigger box!

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Further reading on vermiculture:

-Earth 911.org: A wonderful website with pages on how to make a worm compost bin and all about worm farming. Not just about vermiculture, Earth911..org has a great many other earth-friendly topics.

-(Project) http://www.kidsgardeningstore.com/16-1158.html: Worm Lab from the National Gardening Association’s “Gardening With Kids” store.

-(Book) Worms Eat My Garbage: How to Set Up and Maintain a Worm Composting System: by Mary Applehof, Mary F. Fenton, Eco-Logic Books / Worldly Goods.