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Vermiculture

Vermiculture Steven M. Brown University of Massachusetts Vermiculture is…. Composting with red worms ( Eisenia foetida ) for… Fishing worms To get rid of kitchen wastes To create the “perfect” soil for houseplants Saves money and the environment Vermicompost is one of the final products

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Vermiculture

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  1. Vermiculture Steven M. Brown University of Massachusetts

  2. Vermiculture is…. • Composting with red worms (Eisenia foetida) for… • Fishing worms • To get rid of kitchen wastes • To create the “perfect” soil for houseplants • Saves money and the environment

  3. Vermicompost is one of the final products

  4. Can you believe this is a working vermiculture container?

  5. Worms are a product too….

  6. To get started you need… • Bedding for the worms • Shredded paper • Torn up newspaper • Old bark mulch • Peat moss or hay • Dried leaves • Sticky parts on envelopes

  7. And you need… • Water • Crushed egg shells (for calcium) • Sand or dirt (for grit) • Lime (so the soil stays “sweet”)

  8. Here it is…..

  9. Essentials….

  10. You need a container… • Wooden box • Cardboard box • Clay pots • Clean trash barrels

  11. Cardboard Box

  12. Clay pot

  13. Tender loving care…. • Avoid freezing temperatures • Keep moist • Feed us

  14. Feed us…

  15. Also feed us… • Fruit peeling, cores • Vegetable trimmings • Rotten potatoes • Coffee grounds and tea bags • Corn cobs (yahoo) • House plant trimmings

  16. DON’T

  17. Be cautious about… • Fats or cheeses • Too much citrus rinds • Horse bedding (may be toxic) • Meat and bones

  18. Harvesting • To keep the bin going… • Remove half of the bedding and replace it with fresh materials…. • The worms will follow!

  19. Harvesting

  20. Harvesting for Houseplants • Separate worms from the decomposed bedding • Place in a large plastic or clay pot with drainage holes • Put the large pot on top of the bin • After a while, the worms and hatched eggs will migrate back into the bin

  21. Harvesting for Houseplants

  22. Harvesting for Worms • When all the fresh food is gone… • Empty out the contents into a conical pile • Shine a light on the pile • The worms will migrate down • Collect the worms

  23. Harvesting the Worms

  24. The grande finale • A big hairy closing goes here!

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