Step-By-Step Guide For Vermicomposting

Numerous studies have demonstrated that earthworm castings have excellent aeration, permeability, structure, drainage, and moisture-holding power. This is what vermicomposting is all about. In simple terms, Vermicomposting is the mechanism through which organic waste is turned into worm castings.

Worm castings have a significant positive impact on soil health due to the presence of rich Nitrogen, Potassium, Phosphorus, Calcium, and Magnesium. In contrast to healthy topsoil, castings contain:

Five times the usable Nitrogen.
Seven times the accessible potash.
12 times the calcium.

In fact, the presence of earthworm castings and the natural tillage produced by the worms’ digging motion raise the permeability of water present in the soil. You must be stunned to discover that worm castings can support up to 9 fold their own weight in water. With that, let’s begin with today’s core discussion!

Read on to learn about the comprehensive step-by-step guide on how to create vermicomposting. But first, let’s delve into the basics.

The Core Of Vermicompost

“Vermiconversion,” or the employment of earthworms to transform waste into soil supplements, has historically been implemented on a small scale. Today, vermicompost must be applied at a maximum rate of 15% to 20%. Typically, vermicompost is the term for earthworm excretions that are filled with humus and micronutrients.

In fact, you can even produce earthworms intentionally in a concrete tank or around tree stems and stumps. All you need to do is provide earthworms with the proper materials to eat and closely observe their feeding habits. Voila! You’ve just produced the right amount of vermicompost.

If we speak in scientific language, vermicomposting is an excellent technique for turning agricultural wastes into organic fertilizer by employing earthworms’ digestive capabilities.

It is a promising method that has demonstrated its viability in several difficult fields, including the expansion of food production, trash recycling, and solid waste management. It even contributes to the reduction of environmental pollution and the use of assets to manage organic material.

Vermicompost strengthens the soil’s ability to retain water while also improving the texture of the soil. It might be lower in NPK; however, it provides critical nutrients that are absent from inorganic fertilizers, such as Calcium, Magnesium, Manganese, Copper, Iron, and Zinc. Additionally, it has microbes that support plant health and resilience to pests and diseases.

The best part is that vermicomposting can offer rural households economic opportunities while promoting and sustaining soil fertility because of the plentiful source of material found in farms.

Why should I compost using worms?

Food waste accounts for about 20% (by weight) of all waste materials and is typically dumped in landfills. As a result, methane gas is created once this meal breaks down in a landfill. Now, because methane is a greenhouse gas, it causes adverse effects on the environment. In regards to its capacity to cause global warming, methane is roughly twenty times more destructive than carbon dioxide.

By recycling organic waste through vermicomposting, landfill space is preserved for other purposes. Compared with traditional composting, which necessitates regular turning and the control of complicated ratios, Vermicomposting is a simple operation.

Additionally, vermicomposting is perfect for individuals who lack space for a conventional compost heap (apartment dwellers). In addition, vermicast offers the soil a variety of advantageous microorganisms and micronutrients, such as Nitrogen, phosphate, Potassium, Calcium, and Magnesium, in addition to beneficial bacteria, fungi, and protozoa.

Methods For Vermicomposting

Generally, there are two methods for vermicomposting.

1. Bed method

In this case, composting is conducted by making an organic material bed on the pucca or kachcha floor (six by two by two feet). It is generally easy to implement and follow this tactic.

2. Pit method

5x5x3 foot concrete pits are used for this approach, and the unit is covered with thatch grass or whatever other locally available material. This strategy is generally not advised due to insufficient aeration, water blockage at the bottom, and greater production costs.

Outcome Of Vermicomposting

The major purpose of this procedure is to enrich the soil with nutrients, and natural fertilizer, known as compost, facilitates easy water passage to developing plants. The earthworms are primarily engaged in this procedure because they consume the organic waste and make vital castings during digestion.

The nutrients in vermicomposts are as follows:

1.6 percent of Nitrogen.
0.7 percent of Phosphorus.
0.8 percent of Potassium.
0.5 percent of Calcium.
0.2 percent of Magnesium.
175 ppm of Iron.
96.5 ppm of Manganese.
24.5 ppm of Zinc.

Vermicomposting: Step-by-Step Process

Follow the steps below to achieve your vermicompost.

1. Prepare the container for vermicomposting.

Containers made of wood or plastic can be used. However, openings need to be punched in the sidewalls and bottom for drainage and ventilation.

2. Make the bedding for your worms.

The best bedding is made of the following materials:

Newspaper shredded
Broken down cardboard
Decayed autumn leaves
Broken straw
Stale grass cuttings
Bog moss
Add a few fistfuls of sand or soil to give your worms something to chew on for their digestive tracts.

3. Buy worms from the market and add them to the bedding.

There are several species of earthworms, including Perionyx, Eisenia foetida, and Eudrilus eugeniae (nightcrawler). Red earthworms are generally favored because they reproduce quickly, turning organic compounds into vermicompost in 45–50 days. Due to the fact that it is a surface feeder, vermicompost is created by the top conversion of organic resources.

4. Add wasted food from your kitchen.

Nourish your worms with the very same food scraps you normally compost outside on your outdoor heap. Bear in mind that large chunks of food will generally take longer to break down than food that has been finely diced. Make sure you do not include any meat, fish, dairy, or fats. Moreover, peels from citrus fruits take a while to decompose, so use them sparingly.

5. Keep the Bed upkeep and take care regularly.

To keep the moisture level of the pile at about 60%, make sure you water the bed frequently. Moreover, ensure sweeping the area regularly and looking for earthworms’ natural predators, such as chicken, birds, lizards, toads, ants, beetles, centipedes, and so on. You can even enclose the entire region with nets.

6. Harvest your compost.

In less than 45 days, worms turn trash into vermicompost. The compost can now be harvested.

Follow this video tutorial to learn the steps visually

Vermicomposting Safety Measures

First and foremost, the unit’s floor must be compacted in order to prevent earthworms from migrating into the soil.
Ensure utilizing at least 15-20 day old cow dung to prevent overheating. Note that metals, chemicals, plastics, and insecticides shouldn’t be found in organic waste.
Ventilation must be preserved for earthworms to flourish and reproduce effectively. Maintaining the ideal moisture level (30–40%) is crucial.
Maintain a temperature range at 18 and 25 °C for optimum degradation.

Vermicompost Storage and Packaging

After harvesting, the vermicompost needs to be maintained in a cold, dark environment. Bear in mind that a minimum of 40% moisture should be present in it. Moreover, ensure that you don’t allow direct sunlight to touch the decomposed material.

This will only result in the loss of moisture and nutritional value. It is advised against using over-sacs to keep the gathered composted material. Once the item has been sold, you can begin packing.

In fact, try misting it with water on a routine basis if it has been kept outside. It can then aid in maintaining the moisture level and turn out to be good for microbial life. You may even use a laminated over sac if it’s vital to maintain the material.

Eventually, you’ll see the minimal evaporation of moisture. Note that you can easily store vermicompost and can hold it for an entire year without significantly degrading it provided that it contains enough moisture. Try retaining the moisture content at 40%.

Benefits of composting with worms

The principal advantages of vermicomposting are:

Develops plant roots
Enhances the soil’s physical structure.
By using vermicompost, the soil becomes more fertile and water-resistant.
Aids in plant development, germination, and crop yield.
Provides plant growth hormones, like auxins, gibberellic acid, etc., to the soil.

Disadvantages of Vermicomposting

The following are some significant drawbacks of vermicomposting:

The transformation of the organic stuff into forms that may be used is a laborious process that can take up to six months.
It emits a really repulsive odor.
Vermicomposting requires a lot of upkeep. The feed must be added on a regular basis, and care must be given to avoid flooding the worms with food. Considering vermicomposting easy will be slightly a mistake.
The trash can shouldn’t be either dry or very damp. Hence, checking on it becomes necessary. Make sure you check on the moisture levels periodically.
They promote the development of diseases and pests like fruit flies, centipedes, and flies.

If you want to avoid all these disadvantages, you can go for odorless Bokashi composting, which you can perform at home! Check out our Bokashi compost tutorial here.

How should I handle the worms over the winter?

Now, this is a crucial problem. If your box is in a location that doesn’t freeze, you can conduct worm composting throughout the entire winter (such as a pantry, laundry room, basement, or heated garage or porch).

Adding worms to the core/middle of a traditional composting bin filled with mature compost out from any source is another alternative for keeping your worms healthy and active throughout the winter.

You can dig a hole through the middle, place the food in it, and bury it to add food to this compost over the course of the winter. Worms will generally gather in the middle where they can find food and comfort and remain busy (if not equally active as when the weather is warm).

They will eat less than they would in the summer because of the cold, roughly consuming half as much. This approach even helps to fix the fly problems and works effectively in schools when there isn’t enough room for a dustbin in the class.

Alternatively, you may allow your worms to hibernate outdoors throughout the season by covering the bottom half of your box and insulating it with hay or leaves. Be sure to leave the air gaps exposed. With this strategy, there is a chance that your worms will perish in an unusually wet or cold winter.

What if I have to spend some time away from home?

This is yet another problem with Vermicomposting. However, there’s a solution here as well. Feed your worms thoroughly before you go if you will be away for a prolonged period of time (around two and three weeks).

Ensure they have enough bedding and are shielded from dampness and temperature extremes. If the temperature and moisture levels are ideal, worms can go without eating fresh food for extended periods. Although every hack might work well to an extent, some things require consistent attention. Keep in mind that the worms become less capable of reproducing if they are left without food.

Troubleshooting Worm Bin Problems

Follow the solutions below to treat common worm bin problems.

1. Dying worms

Cause: An excessive amount of food

Solution: Lower the amount of foodstuff you add as a treatment. Increase the number of worms or add bedding.

2. Too wet

Solution: Increase the amount of dry bedding.

3. Too dry

Solution: Until just moist, add water. If necessary, add moist bedding.

4. High temperatures

Solution: Place the trashcan somewhere with temperatures between 55 and 77 °F. Ensure there is enough bedding.

5. All of the food and bedding have been consumed.

Solution: Harvest compost. Including new beds and food.

6. Ants are drawn to the trash can.

Cause: Too dry

Solution: Damp bedding

7. Flies drawn to the trash can

Cause: Food exposed

Solution: Totally enclose the can and food

8. Rotten smell

Cause: Too much moisture or a lack of oxygen

Solution: Check to see whether drain holes are too tiny or plugged. Add extra airflow holes to get more oxygen.

9. Rodents in the trash

Cause: The bin is not rodent-proof.

Solution: Use bait or traps and a rodent-resistant bin (no gaps or holes larger than 14 inches). Get rid of the meat, dairy, fats, etc., for a while.

10. Beetles and sowbugs in the trash

Solution: These are beneficial for your worm compost. Hence, you don’t need to fix that! This is not unusual, and beetles and sowbugs always cohabit with worms.

Things To Remember About Vermicomposting

Here are a few things to bear in mind before choosing to begin the process of Vermicomposting.

Vermicomposting should take place in a cold, damp, and shaded area.
Cow dung should be combined in a 3:1 ratio with chopped, dried leafy materials. Later, the mixture must be left for around 15 to 20 days to decompose partially.
As bedding, keep a layer of 15-20 cm of chopped, dried leaves or grasses right at the bottom of the bed.
Beds measuring 6x2x2 feet should be formed with partially decomposed material. Raw material should occupy around 1.5 to 2.0 square feet per bed.
Release red earthworms (1500–2000) on the top layer of the bed. Following the discharge of the worms, spray sufficient water with a can.
Beds must be kept damp with daily watering, polythene, or gunny bag covering. For optimum decomposition and to preserve aeration, a bed should be changed once every 30 days. Hence, you must follow the same tactic.
Composting generally takes 45-50 days to complete. The end product contains approximately 3/4 of the raw components used. Hence, make sure you leave no empty spots during the procedure.