Vermicomposting - What is Vermicomposting?

One of the most amazing sources of compost is through a process called vermicomposting. Requiring the use of red wiggler earth worms called Eisenia foetida, these little creatures are able to produce some of the richest compost in the world by doing what they do best: eating and processing organic waste. Here are a few ways you can start your own very simple vermicomposting system.

Vermicomposting is actually a very easy thing to set up. It requires that you have a bin that you can place dirt, water, some newspaper, coffee grounds, organic waste such as fruits, and red worms. This can be stored outside if you live in a warm climate, or in your garage or barn if you live in a cooler area.

The first thing you should do is to bury your scraps of food in the soil. Not too deep. It should only be about 1/4 inch under the soil itself. Worms do not like light and will not go where the light is shining. Therefore, by placing it just beneath the surface level, you are allowing them to have access to the scraps that you have provided.

Once the processing has begun, it will end up as what is called worm castings. This is the result of their processing of the food. This can be used immediately in your garden to enrich the soil. If you're worm bin has a tap at the bottom, you can drain the water at the bottom of the bin and use what is called worm tea.

Worm tea is an organically rich liquid that results from compost the worms have been making with your food. One of the best ways to use this is as a topical spray. You simply put it into a spray bottle and mist your plants on their leaves. The nutrients in the worm tea will be absorbed into the leaves and into the plant causing exponential growth.

Remember that worms will multiply over time and so you need to continually increase the size of the area that they live in or harvest your worms from time to time to make sure the population does not grow too large. What can happen is they will run out of room to maneuver and be unable to process the food causing it to rot and decay which can kill your worm population.

Unlike regular composting, you are dealing with real creatures that need a stable habitat to live. By taking the time to create such an environment for them, they will reward you month after month with the best fertilizer you will ever use. Vermicomposting is a wonderful way to enrich your garden and also give back to the environment by recycling organic waste.

If you would like more information on vermicomposting, go to: http://www.vermicomposting.org.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Kohler