Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL TRAINING INSTITUTE

Regional Training Center XII San Felipe, Tantangan, South Cotabato

Tel. No. (083)229-1024 Fax: (083)229-1024 Email: ati_tantangan@yahoo.com.ph

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Watering. Water only when the top is dried out.

Harvesting. Given the right environment, the

worms will go to work to di-gest the kitchen scraps and bedding faster than any other compost method. The material will pass through the worms' bodies and be-come "castings."

In about 3-4 months, the worms will have digested nearly all the gar-bage and bedding and the bin will be filled with a rich, black natural fertil-izer and soil amend-

m e n t . C o m p a r e d t o ordinary soil, the worm castings contain five times more nitrogen, seven times more p h o s p h o r u s a n d 1 1 t im e s m o r e potassium. They are rich in humic acids and improve the structure of the soil. Harvest or make a new bin with the half.

Re-stocking.

• Rake out the other half to the same width as before, and feed up.

Critical Factors to consider in Vermiculture:

• The terrain (aliment used)

• Temperature (14-27; Ideal -21)

• Humidity (80%)

• Ph (acidity &alkalinity – (6.2-7.8;

Ideal ph– 7)

• Lighting

New Bin

Old Bin

References: Edwards, Clive A & Arancon, Norman Q. The Sci-

ence of Vermiculture: The use of Earthworms in Organic Waste Management. Columbus, OH, USA

Dickerson, George W..Vermicomposting. CES-CAHE, Mexico State University, Mexico

Guerrero, Rafael D. III 2004. Hanbook of Vermicom-post & Vermimeal Production and Utilization. Aquatic Biosystems,. Bay, Laguna, Philippines.

Sugar Regulatory Administration-LGAREC.2008. Ver-micomposting Sugarcane Trashes. La Granja, La Carlota City, Pgilippines

EntrePinoys Atbp.2006. Backyard Production of Earthworms (Vermiculture)

Vermiculture is the management of worms. It defines the thrilling potential for w a s t e r e d u c t i o n , f e r t i l i z e r

production, as well as an assortment of possible uses for the future. The “vermi” or earthworms are i m p o r t a n t i n

enriching the soil with organic matter which comes from biodegradable materials such as dead plants and animals which earthworms ingest.

The castings of earthworms known as vermicompost is an excellent soil enhancer and bioactive high quality fertilizer for organic farming. Construct your own Worm Bin. Bins can made of wood, galvanized sheet, plastic, poly-styrene or Styrofoam containers, old concreted bathtubs, barrels, or trunks. Bins should be no more than 8-12 inches deep. The length and

width of the bin will depend on whether it is stationary or portable and the amount of food waste your family can produce each week. Drill air/drainage holes (1/4 to 1/2 inch diame-ter in the bottom and sides of the bin to ensure good air circulation and water drainage. Place a tray on the bottom of the bin to catch excess water that

drains from the bin. This compost tea can be used as a liquid fer-tilizer .

Bedding Substrate. Prepare the substrate for bedding one month before stocking. At a ratio of 70% carbon materials (i.e. shredded cardboard & paper, chopped straw, chopped banana leaves/stalks, wood chips or dust, rice hulls and bran, peat moss) plus 30% animal manure.

Prepare the Bedding. Fill your box half way up with bedding material approximately 40% composted manure and 60% carbon ma-terials . This bedding mixture should be a light & fluffy consistency so that the worms have plenty of air for the entire 60 day period before splitting.

Moisten. Moisten your bedding until it reaches 70% moisture content. The material should hold a ball shape when you pick it up. Do not over water. Your water should be free of chlorine.

How to Grow Earthworms Stocking. Put your worms in at 600 grams per square foot of substrate.

Worm: The worms used in vermicomposting are called bradlingworms (Eisenia foetida), also redworms or wigglers (lumbricus rubellus) , African Nightcrawlers (Eudrilus eugeniae)

Feeding. The easiest method is to spread the scraps in a thin layer on top of the bedding or dig trenches. If the bin is kept in a dark place or covered, the worms will come to the surface to eat. Once the feed has been eaten down feed them again.

Splitting. You can split the bin in 60 days & put ½ into another bin that has fresh bedding and add fresh bedding to the 1st bin.

1 Foot

1 Foot

= 600 grams

40% composted manure + 60% carbon materials

a. Gather materials b. chop the banana leaves and stalks

c. Place in a large basin b. add the manure, rice hulls, wood chips/dust/coir

d. mix e. add water f. mix well and place inside the compost bin; leave for I month

Temperate species - Eisenia fetida - E. Andrei - Dendrobaena veneta - Lumbricus rubellus

Tropical species - Eudrilus eugeniae - P. excavatus

First, and foremost, START SLOWLY. It will take time for bacteria to form and your bin can quickly become very smelly if you add too much food, too fast. Don't worry about the worms starving be-cause they will be eating bedding as well.