Why Vermicomposting? III
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Next, sprinkle a light layer of crushed eggshells, followed by a light layer of sand. Since the worms do not have teeth, by swallowing sand grains it helps their muscular gizzard to grind away at the vegetable matter. Next, a light layer of soil gives them some additional bacteria to aid breaking down the plant material. Finally, a thick layer of lightly moistened shredded paper, gives the worms the privacy and darkness that they crave. Now place the worms on top and give them time to disappear into their new home. After this, be sure to use a sprinkling can to lightly water on top of these layers so that there will be a uniform wetness to the red worm bin. It is important to note that if you provided for adequate drainage, the excess water will quickly run off a nicely moist bedding for the red worms to thrive in.
Feeding the worms may initially take some adjustment. Always separate all vegetable leftovers from the meat and dairy products. Now, you can feed them daily, using the dump and run method. You gently, but firmly peel back the top layer of the bin(s) and place the food item(s) and then place the shredded paper layer back exactly the way you found it. Or you can feed them weekly by placing a layer of vegetable slurry fairly deep within the bin for the squirmies to munch on.
So what do you need in a worm bin? You need adequate depth for the worms to bury themselves in the bedding and adequate drainage and ventilation. That’s about it. A depth of 3 inches or more will meet the needs of the worms and either individual trays stacked on one another or one huge bin will provide the ventilation needed
Stay tuned to Part IV
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