Worm Composting

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Worm Composting
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Vermicomposting

• WHAT Process of using worms to recycle organic
  material and food scraps into worm compost, or
  vermicompost (vermiculture)

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Vermicomposting

• WHY
• Advantages
• Easy to do year-round
• SEVEN times richer in nutrients than regular
  compost
• No turning, no odor, little watering worms
  do the work
• Benefits
• Environmental
• Economic
• Soil health
• Plant growth and vigor
• Fun and educational

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Vermicomposting

• WHERE Almost anywhere
• Indoors, Outdoors
• Dark, Warm, Moist, Ventilated

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Vermicomposting

• HOW
• Aerated container
• Bedding such as shredded newspaper
• Moisture and proper temperature
• Small amount of soil
• Redworms food waste

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Vermicomposting in Action

• Aerated Container Worm Bin

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Vermicomposting in Action

• Bedding

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Vermicomposting in Action

• Moisture Temperature

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Vermicomposting in Action

• Starter Soil Redworms

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Vermicomposting in Action

• Redworms (Eisenia foetidaie Lumbricus rubellus)
• Live in the top 12 inches of soil
• Feed on organic decaying matter
• Can eat their body weight in food every day
• Generate 75 of body weight in worm poop
  (castings) each day
• Lay one cocoon every week or so
• Each cocoon produces 3 to 4 baby worms
• Begin breeding at 4 to 6 weeks of age
• Worms can double population every 90 days
• Live up to 2 years

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Vermicomposting in Action

• Food Waste
• YES
• Most fruits and veggies
• Coffee grounds and filters
• Tea leaves and bags
• Egg shells
• Most cereals and grains (oatmeal, pasta, rice,
  cornmeal, pancakes, breads)
• MAYBE
• Onions
• Garlic
• Ginger

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Vermicomposting in Action

• Food Waste
• NO
• Meat, fish, dairy, oil, or bones
• Potato chips, candy, oils
• Citrus
• NO-NO's
• Plastic
• Rubber bands
• Sponges
• Aluminum foil
• Glass

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Vermicomposting in Action

• Harvesting Vermicompost

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Vermicomposting in Action

• How to Use Vermicompost
• Excellent fertilizer will not burn plants
• Use as mulch or soil conditioner in
  home garden
• Use in potting soil mixes for houseplants
• Use as top dressing for lawns
• Combine with potting soil mixes and use as
  medium for starting young seedlings

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Vermicomposting in Action

• Compost Tea
• Liquid produced from vermicomposting
• Protects plants from disease
• Improves nutrient retention
• Decomposes harmful chemicals
• Transforms compacted soil into
  healthy soil
• Reduces water usage
• Decreases run-off and leaching

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Composting vs. Landfilling

• Some Numbers to Consider
• Food and yard waste account for at least 25 of
  landfill materials
• AA dining halls generate 700 pounds food waste
  each week
• 12 of total greenhouse gas emissions generated
  from growing, preparing, and shipping food
• Eating 1 pound of food daily generates 1.5 tons
  of carbon dioxide (CO2) annually
• CO2 impact from edible food waste per person
  equates to taking 1 to 4 cars off the road
• CO2, methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O)
  generated as organic waste decays in landfills
• CH4 21 times worse and N2O 300 times worse than
  CO2
• Proper composting minimizes greenhouse gas
  emissions and extends life of landfills by
  saving space

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Q A Prize Patrol

• TRUE or FALSE
• Redworms consume almost all types of waste,
  including bones, glass, and plastic

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Q A Prize Patrol

• TRUE or FALSE
• If you cant find redworms, use earthworms in
  your worm bin

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Q A Prize Patrol

• TRUE or FALSE
• Besides being beneficial to plants and the soil,
  compost tea can be applied to the scalp to
  reverse male pattern baldness

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Q A Prize Patrol

• TRUE or FALSE
• On average, weekly food waste from the AA dining
  halls exceeds 350 pounds

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Q A Prize Patrol

• Worm bins should be constructed so that the sides
  of the container are
• Less than 3 inches high
• Exactly 5 inches high
• Between 8 and 12 inches high
• More than 12 inches high

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Q A Prize Patrol

• You need about ?? square feet of floor space in
  your bin for every 1 pound of food waste
• 6 Square Feet
• Exactly 1.562 Square Feet
• 1 Square Foot
• Since when are square?