Home Vermicomposting Manual

June 17, 2022 Nicolás Gemio Ruiz

Once your worm composter is assembled, you only need to place each tray in its position: at the base, the liquid humus collection compartment, and at the top, the two solid humus collection compartments and the top lid.

Before you begin:
The easiest thing to do in the first stage is to keep a separate humus collection compartment and start with just two levels. In point 6 you will learn how the cycle continues once the solid is full.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR AN OPTIMAL HABITAT

Create a bedding layer: 5 cm of cardboard pieces, newspaper, leaves, or coconut fiber in the middle layer, where the vermicomposting process begins. This layer retains moisture and also serves as a food reserve. The bedding should be thoroughly moistened (without dripping) before adding the worms.
Add the breeding nucleus : scatter the worms over the bedding.
Add the first layer of food: it is recommended to chop or crush the food to make it easier for the worms and speed up the process. This first layer can be up to 10cm high.
It is recommended to place a couple of pages of newspaper, raffia, leaves or straw covering the food layer to maintain moisture and darkness and to prevent odors.
Creating layers: it is advisable to create small layers like the initial bed (especially if the worms are fed when they have not yet finished the previous layer) to improve the structure of the mixture and promote internal oxygenation.
Add the third level: When the middle compartment is nearing its maximum capacity, stop feeding, create a new layer of bedding, close the compartment, and add the third compartment with a first layer of fruit. From this point on, feed only through the top compartment so that the worms are attracted to it once they have finished feeding the middle compartment. This process can take weeks or even months, depending on the temperature and the number of worms. Under normal circumstances, the contents of the compartment will be vermicompost after 3 months and will have reached full maturity after 6 months.
Harvesting the compost: After removing the middle compartment once the maturation period has elapsed, it is recommended to spread the compost onto a tarp or similar material to identify any worms or unprocessed food scraps and return them to the upper compartment. At this point, the upper compartment then occupies the middle section, and the recently emptied compartment is placed on top to restart the process.

Waiting and harvesting times will decrease as the worm population increases. The habitat should be kept moist—not soggy—and watered manually with a sprayer only if the food provided does not have sufficient water content.

OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS

Foods suitable for earthworms:

Tea bags (without staples), coffee, small pruning scraps, fruits and vegetables (avoiding hard skin and citrus fruits), crushed eggshells, straw, paper and cardboard.

If manure is used, it is essential that it is mature; otherwise, the temperature rise generated by the initial decomposition process would be lethal for the worms.

Foods unsuitable for earthworms:

Meat, fish, dairy products, citrus fruits and oils.

Humidity:

A humidity level between 70% and 80% is recommended. Humidity below 70% makes it difficult for the worms to move around and ingest food. Levels below 55% or above 95% would be lethal for the worms.

PH:

Earthworms thrive in substrates with a pH between 5 and 8.4. In practice, it is recommended to periodically compensate with more alkaline elements (such as eggshells) and avoid an excess of acidic foods (such as coffee).

Aeration:

A balance must be struck to ensure oxygen intake without drying out the worms' habitat. If excessive condensation drips when the module is opened, it should be left open for a few minutes before adding food.

Temperature:

The ideal temperature range is between 15°C and 22°C, although earthworms can survive in temperatures between 0°C and 40°C. A habitat protected from direct sunlight and with a more or less constant temperature will result in better performance.

Problems and solutions:

If there is too much moisture, more dry material should be added, such as straw, cardboard, paper, or leaves.
The presence of ants is a clear sign of lack of moisture.
In case of bad smells or insects, it is recommended to always cover food with

leaves or a layer of any other dry material (always moistened).
It is normal for some earthworms to climb the walls or lid of the

compartment and habitat conditions should only be checked if most of them attempt to escape.

USES OF WORM HUMUS

Stone and pome fruit trees: mature trees 3 to 6 kg. New plantings 1 to 2 kg. Lawns: planting 3 to 5 kg/m². Maintenance 100 to 200 g every 6 months. Vegetables: approximately 1 kg/m² depending on the variety. It is also recommended to add a handful around the root ball at planting time.

Flowers and ornamentals: approximately 500 gr/m2 depending on varieties.

These amounts are guidelines only; the dosage may need to be increased or decreased depending on the nutrient content of the substrate to which it is applied. There are no agricultural crops for which the use of worm castings is contraindicated, and there is no risk of overdosing.

BENEFITS OF WORM HUMUS

Physical benefits: improves aeration and water and nutrient retention capacity. Improves seed germination capacity and reduces soil erosion.

Chemical benefits: enriches the soil with organic matter and essential minerals, promoting the assimilation of nutrients by plants.

Biological benefits: reduces post-transplant biological shock and promotes mycorrhizal formation. Increases microbial flora and plant resistance to pests and diseases.

APPLICATION OF LIQUID WORM HUMUS

Liquid worm castings are an excellent liquid fertilizer to dilute in water and apply to plants or crops. They activate and protect all plants during their growth and early flowering stages, at any time of year.

For outdoor plants, apply 30 to 50 ml per liter of water directly to the soil, up to once every 15 days.

Foliar application: 50 to 100 ml per liter of water. Do not spray on flowers.