WHAT IS “VERMICOMPOST”
January 15, 2018 · by soilsmatter2011 · in Environment/Ecology, Farming/Gardening, Life in Soil, Urban soils. ·
Composting is a great way to help the environment. Composting reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills. It also produces a great amendment to your garden soil.
There are two main types of home composting: thermophilic composting and vermicomposting. Traditionally, composting refers to thermophilic composting, which is merely composting using the natural heat produced during the process…read on to learn more!.
composting take organic matter–whether vegetable waste, compostable paper products, or yard waste–and decompose it. Even your coffee grounds and paper filters are great components for compost. Did you know you can compost the cardboard centers of paper towels and toilet paper rolls?
Composting takes this waste and turns it into nutrients we can return to the soil. While thermophilic composting and vermicomposting both break down our unused plant-based waste, they are quite different processes. Luckily, we all can make our own personal compost systems at home.
Thermophilic composting is the traditional composting method. No matter what size your composting bin is, it takes heat to break down the organic matter. Where does this heat come from? The chemical and biological processes of the microbes themselves create heat! Of course, in the summer months compost piles can pick up atmospheric heat, too.
Temperature is an important part of thermophilic composting (the name itself means heat loving!). A key component of this type of composting is a warming-up and plateau of temperature around 50°C (about 120°F) for a period that lasts for weeks to months. During this hot period, microbes that excel at breaking down tough materials proliferate. This stage of composting also succeeds in killing many pathogens that may have initially been present in the material. To ensure retention of heat necessary to foster the heat-loving microbes, a compost pile must be large, generally of a volume greater than 15 gallons.
Some traditional composters make “messy” piles in the back of their yard. Others enclose their compost in bins. All thermophilic compost piles must have some part of the pile connected to the ground–either through holes or just being placed on top of bare soil. This allows earthworms, insects, and those important soil microbes to get in and do their work.
Turning over the material in thermophilic compost piles is important. This ensures that the pile does not become too hot (more than 65°C, or 149°F) for the microbes, and supplies oxygen to the microorganisms. This high oxygen environment ensures efficient decomposition of the original plant matter so the compost is ready to use faster. Once the heat-loving microbes have worked through the material, the pile will begin to cool as the decomposition process slows. At this point, normally after 2-4 months, the compost is considered mature and ready to be used in your garden. Thermophilic compost is rich in stable organic matter that will provide important water-holding capacity. Compost also provides more structure to sandy soils.
Vermicompost uses worms to mix and process organic waste products into compost. This results in compost faster than traditional methods. Piles can be smaller, and there is no need to turn the piles. A vermicompost system uses certain worms, typically red wrigglers, that like to live in organic-rich soils. These worms are placed in a modified tub with organic waste (see here https://www.epa.gov/recycle/how-create-and-maintain-indoor-worm-composting-bin for more details and an easy DIY). The worms eat the materials in the bin and create casts. Casts are the nutrient-rich by-products of the worms’ digestive process. These casts are the vermicompost that can be applied to soil. Vermicompost provides the same soil benefits as thermophilic compost. It often has a slightly higher nutrient content and availability than thermophilic compost.
One of the main benefits of vermicompost is that there is no amount of waste too small to get started. This makes vermicomposting especially attractive to apartment-dwellers who may not produce quite as much compostable waste as those with yards. Additionally, vermicomposting is much faster than thermophilic composting in producing a soil-ready amendment (about a month versus 2-6 months).
However, there are some potential environmental concerns with vermicomposting that should be considered when deciding between the two methods. One is that the various types of worms used for vermicomposting are not native to the United States. They can be potentially destructive to our ecosystems. If allowed to get into the wild, these non-native worms remove the thick layer of decomposing leaves under trees in forests of the Northeast and Midwest. And, as with non-native plants and insects, vermicomposting worms can easily outcompete their native earthworm cousins. For this reason, caution should be taken with the use of vermicompost material.
Mac Callaham, a research ecologist with the USDA Forest Service (and native earthworm lover), suggests that vermicompost be microwaved for three minutes prior to garden application.1 The resulting heat will kill any lingering worms and their eggs, while still retaining the beneficial nutritional and structural qualities of compost. He also suggests using earthworms from your yard or a local forest for your vermicomposter. They may not be natives, but at least new species won’t be introduced.
Another concern is there is no warming stage for vermicompost, so potential pathogens to humans and plants may persist. Depending on the initial organic waste, and how you want to use your compost, this may be an important consideration.
There are key differences between thermophilic composting and vermicomposting that may make one more appealing to you. As a current apartment-dweller, I have a small vermicompost system! Whichever method you chose, both thermophilic compost and vermicompost are great ways to reduce your waste output and create a great soil-improving amendment. Contact your local extension office for specific recommendations about composting in your region, as soils vary from state to state, county to county–and even yard to yard!.
What Is Vermicomposting? Find Out How It Can Help Keep Your Garden Healthy
As any gardener knows, fertilizer is essential to growing plants that flourish. But most of the fertilizers that are sold in stores are made with chemicals. With continued use, they kill off the essential microorganisms, worms, and insects that improve the condition of the soil. So it’s best to skip them, and use a natural type of fertilizer instead, such as worm droppings.
This unusual garden additive can be found free in any place where there is a plentiful amount of land. But there isn’t usually enough of it to make a difference in the soil quality. And it’s impossible to harvest once it’s been mixed in with dirt. Luckily, there’s a way to get a plentiful supply of it right in your own backyard through a system called “vermicomposting.”
So, What Exactly Is Vermicomposting?
Vermicomposting is a special composting system, which makes use of the way that worms naturally break down organic materials in their environment. Red worms are piled into a large bin that is lined with newspapers, sawdust, and other dry materials.
Then, a layer of vegetable and fruit scraps are placed on top for them to eat. Sometimes, extra plant material from the garden is added too.
The worms come up to the surface to eat the food. And after each meal, they leave behind droppings. The droppings settle to the bottom of the compost bin where they are collected from a tray that pulls out. There is no need to sort through the droppings for hidden worms because they always stay at the top of the surface near the supply of food.
What Are the Benefits of Worm Droppings from Vermicomposting?
There are so many benefits to worm droppings from vermicomposting that those who don’t have any way of collecting worm droppings often try to seek out a way to buy them from those who do.
First of all, they are very easy to apply. All you have to do is mix some of the droppings in with your regular garden soil. Most gardening experts recommend several scoops of the droppings around each plant.
Second of all, worm droppings have more vitamins and minerals than most fertilizers that are sold. But since they are in a solid form, they won’t burn plants the way that a chemical-based fertilizer will. However, there are some gardeners who prefer to make a tea out of the droppings, so they can have a liquid fertilizer to use.
And lastly, this type of fertilizer increases the beneficial microorganisms in the soil too, which helps plants grow larger and produce more flowers, vegetables, and fruits. The microorganisms also help the plants stay healthier, so they are more disease-resistant. And they attract beneficial insects and earthworms that aid in the aeration of the soil around the plants.
Is This Composting Process Messy?
The first concern that gardeners often have when they are considering this type of composting process is whether or not they will have to deal with a smelly mess each time that they need to harvest more droppings.
But believe it or not, as long as the composting bin is cared for properly, there is no odor or mess to deal with because the organic matter in the composting bin will get enough airflow and drainage. In other words, it won’t become anaerobic.
When there isn’t proper drainage, the liquid that is left over from the decay of the organic matter will sit at the bottom of the bin. This causes harmful bacteria to flourish. And the worms will die off too. So those who wish to save money by building their own vermicomposting bin must be sure to carefully design their system.
An anaerobic composting bin can also be prevented by carefully monitoring the health of the worms and the environment that they are kept in. The bedding and contents should be gently stirred each day to ensure that it hasn’t become too wet inside. And if it is, then extra bedding should be added.
What Worms Are the Best for Vermicomposting?
To create a worm composting bin, you can’t just use any worms that you happen to dig up in your backyard. Some types of worms prefer to live deep in the soil, so they won’t be happy in a shallow composting bin, such as earthworms. It is best to stick to red worms that naturally live in the top few inches of soil in the garden.
The only struggle that gardeners will have with keeping red worms is that they naturally come up out of the soil when it is going to rain. So if it gets to be too humid outside, the top of the bin can’t be left open. Otherwise, the worms will escape.
This happens the most often when the worms are first added to the composting bin, though. It helps to put a small light over the bin for the first few days to help them adjust to their new environment.
Red worms also don’t do well in areas where the summers are exceptionally hot. They have to be kept in a shady part of the yard where there is no direct sunlight. Temperatures over 85 degrees can kill them because they aren’t able to burrow into a deeper soil that is cooler.
Final Things to Keep in Mind
In conclusion, vermicomposting is a great way to get a steady supply of worm droppings to fertilize your garden because of all of the benefits that the droppings offer. But it’s important to keep the following tips in mind:
Use a special composting bin designed for the process because other bins could cause an anaerobic environment.
Keeping a watchful eye over the bin each day is necessary for ensuring the survival of the worms.
Worms depend on an adequate supply of organic matter for food and water.
The temperature of the composting bin is important because high heat will kill the worms.
Don’t allow the bin contents to become too wet.