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 Worms and Vermicomposting

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PostSubject: Re: Worms and Vermicomposting   Worms and Vermicomposting - Page 2 EmptyWed Mar 04, 2009 4:17 pm

What's the main difference between a wormery and a compost bin ?
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PostSubject: Re: Worms and Vermicomposting   Worms and Vermicomposting - Page 2 EmptyThu Mar 05, 2009 2:53 am

You are not supposed to put meat or dairly in a worm farm. At least not a small one. It attracts flies, possibly rats and ants and could destroy the eco-system. Earthworms don't particulary like meat anyway. I've found a nice mooldy melon cut up or even blended is their favourite. oddly, potato skins take ages to break down to the level they can be consumed by the worms.

Cactus, a worm farm is designed exclusively for earthworms. A compost bin is much the same I guess but doesn't rely solely on worms to break the waste down. I'm not too sure about compost bins but worm farms are deliacate self contained eco-systems. Usually the worms are trapped so to speak which means if something is added that they dislike, they cannot escape. I'm not sure a compost bin is quite like that. My parents one was open at the ground and I guess worms could enter and leave it they wished. Thinking about my parents compost bin, I'm sure it relys on micro organisms other that worms to break the food waste down. Also, you usually have to buy a box of worms to use to start the herd. you need about a thousand to get going. (sold by weight of course).

The easiest ones have 4 levels. The lowest for the collection of water. commerical ones will have a tap for draining this off for use as a liquid compost.

above that is the level with few worms living in it, its mostly made up of casting and will probably have a lot of worm eggs in it. This is where the compost can be taken from use. new, less mature farms won't have this.

Above that is the level most worms live in. its a good mix of food and castings.

top level is where you add new waste. It has few worms really depending on how along in the process it is but worms might come up to feed. As the bottom level is removed and emptied and once the top level is really full with wastethe newly empty tray is put on top and the process repeats itself. This can take months thoguh.

There are other ways however - a horizontal trench is often used for large scale operations. The waste is built up along the trench (which is lined to stop the worms escaping) and the worms feed across rather than up. The compost are taken from the part furthest from the new waste.
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PostSubject: Re: Worms and Vermicomposting   Worms and Vermicomposting - Page 2 EmptyThu Mar 05, 2009 3:39 am

What would you line the trench with? Wood? Do you lid it? Could I get one going by taking worms from my compost heap? Or perhaps I wouldn't get enough?
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PostSubject: Re: Worms and Vermicomposting   Worms and Vermicomposting - Page 2 EmptyFri Mar 06, 2009 12:52 am

You need quite a few - perhaps a few thousand to start off. I thing it can be lined with anything really so long as its non toxic, doesn't rot and keeps the worms in. Check out the link I've given earlier for details. Not having much space I never really looked to much into it.
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PostSubject: Re: Worms and Vermicomposting   Worms and Vermicomposting - Page 2 EmptyFri Mar 06, 2009 1:10 am

I love this thread I love you
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