What is Vermi-Composting?
Basically this is composting using worms. The type of worm is called a 'red-wiggler' a smaller species than the earthworm variety. They have a ferocious appetite for organic material and the castings they produce make a very rich organic fertilizer.
Learning about worms !
The GLP students were introduced to the concept of vermi-composting by Daryl Kowalski and Daryl Whitehead from the city of Prince Albert(PA). They have started a successful vermi-composting program at the Macintosh Mall, PA. This is the only venture of its kind in PA at present and the Macintosh Mall is the only building to be designated "Green" by the Saskatchewan government for its energy efficiency.
Quite an accomplishment!
Quite an accomplishment!
If you look carefully you can identify the 'red wigglers' from the decaying organic material
How to create your own Vermi-Composting bin
Thanks to Rodrigo Figueroa, below are the instructions you need to create your own vermi-composter. Thanks for sharing your knowledge Rod!
Composting with red wigglers worms is great for apartment dwellers who don’t have yard space, or for those who don’t want to hike to a backyard compost bin with their food scraps. The bin is super easy to set up, and these little hard working worms create a compost that improves the structure of the soil, acts as a disease suppressant, and balances pH. It’s great for your garden, your house plants, gifts for your neighbors garden. Some kids like to keep worms for pets! By letting worms eat your food wastes, you’ll end up with one of the best soil amendments available—worm castings.
1. The red wiggler worms in a bin this size can eat 3-4 pounds of food scraps every week, so it can make a big dent in your trash load. You can ask at local garden stores and bait shops to see if anyone is selling them locally. If not, there are some online sources that will mail you worms.
2. I like to err on the side of too many holes rather than too few. The holes allow oxygen into the bin so the worms can breathe, and also ventilate the bin to keep down smells. The worms are much happier in a dark cool area than out on your bright kitchen floor. They won’t escape the bin unless conditions inside are really terrible. Without holes, the bin can become far too damp and start to turn anaerobic (yuck!).
3. If you have any old leaves or leaf litter- that can be added also. Throw in a handful of dirt for "grit" to help the worms digest their food. Worms like to burrow beneath a layer of bedding, so you should always make sure there is a nice thick layer on top of the bin. You can use any paper for the bedding, but stay away from glossy or fluorescent papers. The worms will eat the bedding, so you will have to replenish it occasionally. Remember that the bedding should always be kept damp, not wet.
4. Red Wiggler worms can consume their body weight each day. For example, if your food waste averages 1/2 lb. per day, you will need 1 lb. of worms or a 2:1 ratio. There are roughly 500 worms in one pound. If you start out with less than one pound, don't worry they multiply very quickly. Just adjust the amount that you feed them for your worm population.
What do worms like to eat? Feed your worms a vegetarian diet. Most things that would normally go down the garbage disposal can go into your worm bin. You will notice that some foods will be eaten faster than others. Worms have their preferences just like us.
After you start to use your bin, you may notice other organisms besides worms living in your bin. This is normal and good! Worms tunnel through the compost to keep the bin aerobic (and therefore odor-free), quickly reduce the mass of material in the bin, and produce super rich castings. But they can’t do it all alone! They work along with bacteria, protozoa, fungi, and other insects such as potato bugs, springtails, and centipedes. These organisms will seem to come from nowhere but they really came from the fruit and veggie peels, the soil you added in the beginning and the material the worms came in.
Now the first bin will contain (almost) worm free vermi-compost. You can gently lift out any worms that might remain and place them in the new bin or put them into your garden!
Now the first bin will contain (almost) worm free vermi-compost. You can gently lift out any worms that might remain and place them in the new bin or put them into your garden!
The one organism that you definitely do NOT want in your bin is fruit flies. To get rid of them mix material in the bin, add a thick layer of new bedding, and stop feeding the worms for a week. When you start to feed again make sure the food is always buried under the bedding and the bin is always covered.
You can also build a fruit fly trap. Pour some cider vinegar in the bottom of a jar. Make a small cut in the corner of a plastic sandwich bag and rubber band over the jar to make a funnel. Place the jar inside your worm bin. The flies will go in after the vinegar, but will be unable to fly out.
You can also build a fruit fly trap. Pour some cider vinegar in the bottom of a jar. Make a small cut in the corner of a plastic sandwich bag and rubber band over the jar to make a funnel. Place the jar inside your worm bin. The flies will go in after the vinegar, but will be unable to fly out.