Vermicomposting Brochure - bookrescue
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Transcript of Vermicomposting Brochure - bookrescue
Worm SuppliesWorm SuppliesWorm SuppliesWorm Supplies
Red Wiggler WormsRed Wiggler WormsRed Wiggler WormsRed Wiggler Worms
Dean Allen - [email protected] 815.483.6046
Flowerfield Enterprises www.wormwoman.com – search “worms”
269.327.0108
Bins & BeddingBins & BeddingBins & BeddingBins & Bedding
Magic Products – www.magicproducts.com 715.824.3100
Can-O-Worms - www.HappyDRanch.com 888.989.1558
Gardener’s Supply- www.gardeners.com 888.833.1412
VermicompostingVermicompostingVermicompostingVermicomposting Information Information Information Information
www.composters.com
www.vermico.com
www.wormdigest.com
If you have questions,If you have questions,If you have questions,If you have questions, contact SCARCE contact SCARCE contact SCARCE contact SCARCE:::: 630.545.630.545.630.545.630.545.9710 9710 9710 9710 [email protected]@[email protected]@sbcglobal.net
Check your local library for all kinds of books on worms, gardening,
composting and recycling, and your favorite garden store, catalog, or pet store for worms, bins and supplies.
The mention of a specific product or company is not an endorsement by SCARCE.
(Revised May 2009)
Printed on paper with recycled content and using 20% less ink with
Ecofont.
Composting is a natural process in which organic matter decomposes into a dark nutrient-rich soil conditioner.
Vermicomposting is simply using worms to speed up the process. Worm composting is a simple, clean, pollution-free, odorless way to recycle kitchen scraps into a usable
product, right in your own home or classroom. Best of all, you will be reducing the amount of garbage
sent to the landfill.
SSSSCARCECARCECARCECARCE
SSSSchool & CCCCommunity AAAAssistance for RRRRecycling & CCCComposting EEEEducation
Our Mission:Our Mission:Our Mission:Our Mission: inspiring people, through education, to preserve & care for the Earth's natural resources, while
working to build sustainable communities.
www.swww.swww.swww.s----cccc----aaaa----rrrr----cccc----e.orge.orge.orge.org [email protected]@[email protected]@sbcglobal.net
Phone: 630.545.9710
799 Roosevelt Road
Building 2, Suite 108
Glen Ellyn, IL 60137
This SCARCE educational handout is made available This SCARCE educational handout is made available This SCARCE educational handout is made available This SCARCE educational handout is made available with funding from DuPage County.with funding from DuPage County.with funding from DuPage County.with funding from DuPage County.
Setting Up Setting Up Setting Up Setting Up aaaa Worm Bin Worm Bin Worm Bin Worm Bin
Setting up a Vermicomposting System (called a Worm BinWorm BinWorm BinWorm Bin)
requires a container, bedding for the worms to live in, air,
moisture, food, and of course worms.
BIN BIN BIN BIN ---- Several commercial bins are available, but you may
already have a suitable container for a worm bin. Opaque
plastic storage containers, for instance, work well. The bedding
only needs to be 3 - 8” deep, but the surface size is important.
You need about 1 square foot of surface area per person in your
household. (Example: a bin 18 x 24” and at least 12” high would
be suitable for a 3 - 4 person household processing 3 - 4 pounds
of garbage weekly.)
The bin needs either a tight fitting lid with small holes drilled
in the top for ventilation (the holes smaller than the size of a
fruit fly), but our team has found that an old window screen
between the bin and top works as well and allows for adjustable
ventilation.
BEDDINGBEDDINGBEDDINGBEDDING - The bedding is what you put in your bin for your
worms to live in and devour. It should be, fluffy, moist and
about 3 - 8” deep. Our team has found coir to be ideal bedding.
CoirCoirCoirCoir is comprised of shredded, compressed coconut husk fibers.
It is sold in blocks that reconstitute in rainwater (or de-
chlorinated water) to form a sweet smelling, clean bedding. If
using chlorinated (tap) water, allow it to set for 24 hours and stir
often to speed up dissipation of the chlorine. Coir blocks are
sold in garden stores or by mail order, marketed under names
such as Moisture Magnets™ or PeatFree™ (these brands seem to
work best). You may also find the Magic Worm Farm in most
sporting goods departments. One block costs a few dollars and
is sufficient for an average bin, and lasts 3 - 6 months.
For supplemental bedding, paper egg cartons, brown paper
bags, unbleached paper towels and corrugated cardboard torn
into small pieces can be mixed in. We do not recommend
newspapers because of the chemicals and dyes. 1
Using tUsing tUsing tUsing the Composthe Composthe Composthe Compost
Vermicompost will provide nutrients to your house and
garden plants and helps the soil hold moisture. It can be used in
a number of different ways:
1. Sprinkle 1/4 inch into each seed row when planting
seeds.
2. Add a handful to the bottom of the hole when
transplanting a plant.
3. Use as a top dressing for established plants by working
lightly into the soil around the drip line.
4. As a potting medium, mix 1 part worm castings to 2 parts
of (regular) purchased potting soil.
5. If using garden soil in potted plants, mix 1 part worm
castings with 9 parts garden soil.
6. As a fertilizer for houseplants, sprinkle compost over soil
every 45 - 60 days.
Kingdom: Animalia
Sub-Kingdom: Invertebrata
Phylum: Annelida
Class: Oligohcaeta
Order: Haplotaxida
Family: Lumbricidae
Genus: Eisenia
Species: Fetida
Common Name:Common Name:Common Name:Common Name: Red WigglerRed WigglerRed WigglerRed Wiggler
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Harvesting tHarvesting tHarvesting tHarvesting the Composthe Composthe Composthe Compost
After a few months, your worms will have digested much of their
bedding and food scraps, leaving behind castings and compost
consisting of decomposed food scraps, bedding, microbes and
nutrients. This vermicompost will look, smell and feel like dark,
rich soil. You may take out compost at any time to use as
needed. At some time (3 - 6 months), the compost will become
mostly castings, and the worms will need some fresh bedding.
””””NATURAL LIGHTNATURAL LIGHTNATURAL LIGHTNATURAL LIGHT” METHOD: ” METHOD: ” METHOD: ” METHOD: To harvest the vermicompost, place
the bin under any bright light. Because worms prefer
darkness, they’ll move under the top layer. Remove the top
layer using your hands or a scoop. Plastic garden tools or
toy shovels work well. As the next layer of worms is
exposed to the light, they will continue their migration to
the bottom of the bin. When the majority of what is left in
the bottom are worms, refill the bin with fresh layers of
moist bedding material, a handful of soil, some crushed egg
shells, and food. Pick out any wigglers or cocoons that got
scooped out and add them back to the bin.
“DIVIDE AND CONQUER” METHOD:“DIVIDE AND CONQUER” METHOD:“DIVIDE AND CONQUER” METHOD:“DIVIDE AND CONQUER” METHOD: Another easy way to harvest
is to move all the existing bedding and worms to one side of
your bin. Add fresh bedding, a handful of soil and some
crushed eggshells to the other side. To separate the two
sides, you can use a piece of screening fabric, but it is not
necessary. Now, add food only to the fresh side. In 4-6
weeks most of the worms will have migrated over to the
fresh food side. Remove the now vacated compost and use
it.
“CAN“CAN“CAN“CAN----OOOO----WORM” BIN:WORM” BIN:WORM” BIN:WORM” BIN: This bin allows the worms to easily move
to the next level where fresh food scraps are present. The
compost will be on one level free of worms.
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The WormsThe WormsThe WormsThe Worms
The best kind of worm to use is the RED WIGGLERRED WIGGLERRED WIGGLERRED WIGGLER. These are
not your normal backyard night dwellers, which burrow deeply
and like cool temperatures. Red Wigglers are surface dwellers
and like to be about the same temperature as humans. An adult
will grow to about 2 - 3” long and be dark red in color. You can
start a worm bin with a pound of worms (about 600 - 1,000).
Red Wigglers can be purchased from a worm farm, garden
supply, bait shop, pet store, or online. They are amazing
creatures - Red Wigglers have ten simple hearts (five pairs of
aortic arches), no bones or teeth, and each worm is both male
and female (hermaphrodite). They are quite prolific and will
leave small egg sacs in their bedding. Each egg hatches several
babies, who will be able to reproduce in about three months. You
should never run out of worms, and will be able to share your
worms within one year. Don’t worry - the population will not
grow too large for your bin.
Feeding Your WormsFeeding Your WormsFeeding Your WormsFeeding Your Worms
DO FEED YOUR WORMSDO FEED YOUR WORMSDO FEED YOUR WORMSDO FEED YOUR WORMS DO DO DO DO NOTNOTNOTNOT FEED YOUR FEED YOUR FEED YOUR FEED YOUR
WORMSWORMSWORMSWORMS
AAAAny type of kitchen ny type of kitchen ny type of kitchen ny type of kitchen scrapscrapscrapscrapssss that come that come that come that come
fromfromfromfrom fruit, vegetables or grains: fruit, vegetables or grains: fruit, vegetables or grains: fruit, vegetables or grains:
• peels, stems, rinds, cores, corn
cobs
• seeds and pits
• old lettuce
• coffee grounds and filters, tea
bags (without staples)
• bread crusts, plain rice, other
grains
An occasional paper towel, moldy
fruit or burned pancake is OK to add.
• Meat, fish, bones
• cheese
• gravy, salad
dressings, oils,
butter
• heavily salted foods
like chips or
pickles
The worms cannot eat
plastics, metals or
glass.
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Red WigglersRed WigglersRed WigglersRed Wigglers are able to eat about half their weight every day.
You can put one 1/2 pound of food scrap in the bin daily, if you
start with a pound of worms. You do not need to feed the worms
every day, and they may be left alone when you go on vacation.
Remember the worms want our scraps, and not good
food that you could eat later. The rule to never forget: ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS
BURY YOUR FOOD UNDER THE BEDDING!!!BURY YOUR FOOD UNDER THE BEDDING!!!BURY YOUR FOOD UNDER THE BEDDING!!!BURY YOUR FOOD UNDER THE BEDDING!!! Unburied food in a
receptacle can attract fruit flies. Our team recommends adding
scraps to the bin as they are generated. You can put an entire
apple core or banana peel in the bin, but the smaller the pieces,
the faster the decomposition will occur.
Overloading the system may result in an unpleasant
odor. If this happens, gently use a trowel to loosen the bedding
to allow air circulation and do not add any new food for a few
days. With a little practice, you will become familiar with the
capacity of your own bin. If your bin has unburied food, cover
the bedding with a wet brown paper bag to keep fruit flies at
bay.
Worms need variety in their diet just like people do. Feed
them more than banana or orange peels – try including some of
their favorites such as watermelon, pumpkin and cantaloupe
rinds.
VitaminsVitaminsVitaminsVitamins::::
As an extra boost to fatten up worms and provide them with
trace nutrients to aid in reproduction. Consider these options:
1. Get Up &Get Up &Get Up &Get Up & Go: Go: Go: Go: Mix one tablespoon Milk of Magnesia and
one tablespoon Geritol with 14 ounces of water. Keep
in refrigerator and spray a few squirts over bedding
weekly.
2. CanCanCanCan----OOOO----WormsWormsWormsWorms™ recommends sprinkling recommends sprinkling recommends sprinkling recommends sprinkling wheat or corn
flour, powdered whole milk, or bran or wheat meal over
your bin
3. FrabillFrabillFrabillFrabill™ WormWormWormWorm Food Food Food Food is a commercial product available
at K-Mart or Sports Authority in the fishing department.
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Other AdditivesOther AdditivesOther AdditivesOther Additives:
GritGritGritGrit: Red Wigglers have a gizzard, so giving them some sand or
soil will aid their digestion, as well as add beneficial microbes.
We recommend purchasing play sand, or bird grit pet food, to
give them a “dusting” once a week.
CalciumCalciumCalciumCalcium: Worms need this for reproduction. Boiled eggshells,
finely crushed, should be added regularly to provide calcium and
other nutrients. Our team has discovered that crushed limestone
or rock phosphate powder will also add calcium as well as help
keep the bin from becoming too acidic. These rock powders are
generally available at garden centers & are beneficial if “salted”
over the bedding weekly. Please don’t “salt” the worms’ bodies.
Protein:Protein:Protein:Protein: Worms need protein to help them maintain their
musculature. Magic Worm FoodMagic Worm FoodMagic Worm FoodMagic Worm Food, , , , a powdered worm protein, works
well. Do notDo notDo notDo not add meat or dairy products for a protein source.
Environment fEnvironment fEnvironment fEnvironment for Your Worm Binor Your Worm Binor Your Worm Binor Your Worm Bin
Your Worms will do best in temperaturestemperaturestemperaturestemperatures 60 60 60 60°°°° ---- 80808080°°°°FFFF. A closet
or basement, under the kitchen sink, or even your family room
could provide a convenient spot for your pets and their new
home. They like the darkdarkdarkdark and are very sensitive to vibrationsvibrationsvibrationsvibrations.
Do not place the bin close to appliances like washing machines,
dishwashers, or in spots where they may be stumbled upon or
kicked. MoistureMoistureMoistureMoisture levellevellevellevel is important since worms breathe through
their skin, and the bedding should remain as damp as a wrung
out sponge at all times. If you get puddles in the bottom of your
bin, you can remove some liquid with a gravy baster. You do not
want your worms to dry out either, so spray your bedding with
water if it is dry. (This rarely happens if food scraps are added
regularly.)
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