Home » Home & Style » Rural Country Living » Vermiculture

Vermiculture

©

The lowly worm—who’d have thought that such an insignificant wiggly invertebrate, could make such a difference to our environment! Vermicasts are the wonderful fertilizer that worms excrete, after eating and digesting all our organic kitchen vegetable waste matter. Worm casts nourish the soil, and provide food for our plants, flowers and vegetables. Worms aerate the soil, add tilthe to, and fertilize the soil. Worms are friends of the earth—if more people would realize that fact. The worm can make well, what man has done wrong to our soils throughout the world.

Unfortunately the worm has been scarce in farmer’s fields. This is due to the effect chemical fertilizers have on the soil, making it too saline—which the worms find distasteful. If only the farmers would realize what an asset worms are—they would make their fields more worm-friendly. The worms and the farmers would have a mutually beneficial, environmentally sound agreement. The crops they’d produce would actually have food value!

Farming your own worms can be fun, educational and profitable. First of all, you need a bin--a recycled plastic one is ideal for this project, as long as it’ll hold approximately 15 gallons. Make drainage holes in the bottom and sides of the bin. Fill it with damp earth, and bedding of dead leaves, manure, coffee filters, coffee grounds, teabags, napkins and paper towels—worms love paper products! Do NOT put cheese, meat products or bonemeal into your bin. Crushed up eggshells are fine, though, and very good for your worm’s health! Now you’re ready to add your worms. The type of worms you add to this bedding will vary. Mealworms, redworms, nightcrawlers are all good—it’s up to you what kind you buy. I bought a dozen Canadian Nightcrawlers from the bait and tackle store, for $2. Bear in mind, that worms breed prolifically! Don’t overstuff your bins with worms—let them do the wild thing—then you can make more bins for the excess worms.

Make sure their bedding stays about 80% moist—worms can’t digest their food without moisture. In return for a little TLC these wonderful invertebrates will transform your vegetable and organic waste into worm castings that will, in turn, transform your garden into a colorful, thriving picture of health, that your neighbors will envy.

Sickly looking houseplants will be transformed, if given 30% worm casts mixed in with their potting mix. It’s truly amazing what a difference these little friend’s can make to beautify your garden!

The copyright of the article Vermiculture in Rural Country Living is owned by . Permission to republish Vermiculture in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.