The Vermiculture Technology

Earthworms are known to be farmers’ friends. This is because they help the farmers to keep the Earth fertile. Worm excrement is great for farming as it also saves the Earth from obnoxious matter that can meddle with the fertility of the land. Breeding and raising earthworms is a simple enough task as well. Initially it might not seem to be a simple thing but soon you would get used to it and would be able to raise the worms properly.

Worm bin composting is the process of creating a worm bin compost where the worms can breed and grow up. The compost is basically a 9 or 10 inches deep wooden or a plastic box where the bedding is laid out for the worms. The food is provided to the worms in this bin itself. Worm excrement is also known as worm casting. This worm casting is great for the farmer’s land.

Raising Worms the Right Way

The process of raising worms differs from country to country. In most Asian countries, the compost bin is not a box but simply a hole in the ground where the worms are kept. The soil being soft and the ground being porous forms perfect bedding for the worms. No specific food needs to be provided to the worms as these worms survive on dirt itself. A few days hence, the worms are moved to a different location and the worm casting is taken out.

In some other countries, worm castings are prepared in a wooden or a plastic box. Note that not all worms are fit for the purpose of worm composting. If you have proper knowledge of vermiculture technology then you would know that only certain worms are suitable for the purpose of preparing a worm pit. Red wigglers are the best for this purpose and can be purchased from pet stores or bait stores. You would get full sized worms which you can further put in your worm bin.
Ingredients of Vermiculture

There are certain aspects of raising and breeding worms that you need to take care of. These aspects also form the most important components of vermiculture technology:

• The moisture content: Moisture content in a worm bin should be the same as the moisture content of a wrung out sponge. Make sure that you do not put too much water in there as it would simply block the oxygen supply to the worms.

• Food source: Manure in itself is a good food source for worms and you can also add organic kitchen waste to the pit in order to keep the worms growing. You need not spend any money at all on food for the worms.

• Oxygen supply: It is important to drill holes in the worm bin in order to endure that the worms get proper oxygen.

• Darkness: Sunlight is a big no-no when it comes to raising worms. Worms do not thrive in sunlight and therefore you need to put the worm bin in a place that is shielded from sunlight.