How To Vermicompost

How To Vermicompost - How To Set Up A Simple Worm Farm

Vermicompost is essential to having good soil. Farmers understand this as well as cattle ranchers that require the best feed for their cattle in order to produce the best possible meet. The key to this is the humble red worm that is able to create the best compost on the planet. Here are a few ways you can set up a simple worm farm and make compost for your garden in four months or less.

Many gardeners spend thousands of dollars each year on fertilizer and compost for their gardens. What many of them do not realize is that you can generate a virtually endless supply of cheap compost that is chemical free, eco-friendly, and is made by the worms processing biodegradable matter that you typically throw out every day after meals.

Using this process, you can have soil that is highly enriched with magnesium, nitrogen, phosphates, and calcium which are all higher in soil that has been processed by red worms. It is also known that vermicompost is a key ingredient to suppressing many types of weeds that farmers often spray for each year with chemicals.

The other thing that vermicompost is known for is promoting better root growth and structure which can lead to higher levels of germination and yields and crop. This alone, combined with the fact that vermicompost is extremely cost effective, it is a wonder why most farmers and gardeners today do not use it exclusively.

So how do you set this up? Here's a simple guide showing you how to set up a simple worm farm in no time at all.

The first thing you'll need is access to several bins. They must be between 1 and 2 feet in volume. You must have proper aeration throughout the bin. This is typically done by drilling holes into the plastic or sides of the bin so that aeration can occur.

The best way to fill your bin is to place a layer of organic matter at the bottom of the bin. The worms are then added and organic matter is then added on the layer that is above the bedding. Then, by adding organic matter on top of the bedding, and worms will now be able to process the food using the newspaper or bedding that you provided and the organic material.

Sometimes due to lack of space, organic gardeners will use several trays that are stacked one on top of the other. This allows them to keep track of which bins have been harvested for their compost and which have just begun. Stacked trays can also be used to allow continuous vertical and horizontal flow of worms allowing them to migrate from place to place as they process the organic matter.

Always remember to place your lid on top of your bin. By not allowing airflow in mass quantities into the bin, along with an inability for flies to later larva inside of your bin, you will have a very clean vermicomposting set up that will produce fertilizer for you on a regular basis.

Make sure to water your bins regularly, but not flood them as too much moisture in the bedding will inevitably lead to the organic material you have added to rotting. Fruit and vegetable peelings, apple cores, and fruit skins are on the top of the list for the most useful biodegradable material to add for your composting worms.

Never feed your worms scraps of meat, dairy products, fish, or any kind of pet or human manure. Also, too much fat will actually help suffocate the worms not allowing them to brief through their skin. Make sure that when adding fruit you do not add rind that has too much moisture such as from a watermelon because it will create a moisture and balance within the bin. Also avoid placing any lawn clippings into the bin because it may have fertilizer or bug repellent on it that may kill off your entire worm crop.

The best place to put your vermicomposting been his inside an area that is free from cold and excess moisture. It is recommended that if you have a barn that you keep it out there. If you have a home, because the compost does not stink, you can put it in your garage and easily add kitchen scraps on a daily basis.

You also have to make sure that your moisture content in your bin is more alkaline than acidic. As long as you are turning your bin every 2 to 3 days, you will make sure that there is enough oxygen in the soil, and that the moisture and food scraps are turned easily for easy digestion by the worms.

If you do all of this on a regular basis, you will have several pounds of fertilizer to use every few months or weeks depending upon the scale of your operation. Vermicomposting is not that difficult and is actually good for the environment and will help you have the best garden that you have ever had.