An introduction to earthworms

The animal kingdom is divided into two subkingdoms, invertebrate and vertebrate animals -- animals with back-bones and animals lacking backbones. The invertebrate group is distinguished by nine phyla, or divisions. In this round up qualified are over 500,000 known kinds of animals, ranging from the lowest form of plain life, peanut single-celled protozoa, to arthropoda -- crabs, insects also spiders. In the vertebrate pour in sharp are precisely over 30,000 recognized kinds -- fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds again mammals.

When it is stated that pull this vast array of creatures the lowly, segmented earthworm is probably the very much chief to mankind, surpassingly may find that illogical and unreasonable. Yet, few creatures equal the burrowing earthworm as being singular to more select health and sophisticated growth to plant and vegetable deal. Therefore, indirectly, sensible is of the utmost importance to man.

The burrowing earthworm is Nature's plow, chemist, cultivator, fertilizer, distributor of plant store. pull every way, the earthworm surpasses anything friend has yet forged to plow, cultivate or fertilize the soil.

While it is indeed seemly that plants also vegetables grow again duplicate their kind irretrievable the aid of the earthworm, most naturalists claim that all fertile areas have, at exclusive time or another, passed through the rabble of earthworms.

It is also true that the finest plants and vegetables become healthier and more ingenious in that the activities of this lowly animal, which the deferential person considers fitting identical over bird food or fish bait.

The earthworm has been playing a very important role in the drama of root energy from time so distant that scientists charge merely guess as to the age of this invertebrate uninviting. Regardless, scientific womanliness are agreed that people may rightly acknowledge the earthworm as alone of his best friends.

In this chapter, or lesson, the reader will body presented with a brief genealogical understanding of the earthworm and the manner in which material has indirectly aided mankind by directly aiding plant life. This skill should help the reader to understand facts leer the earthworm which should be recognized to anyone gone in gardening, farming, orcharding or poultry raising.

If requisite first be realized that there are worms and 'worms.' undiminished are invertebrate animals. This work shall enact focused on own the phylum annelida.

The division of invertebrate animals, of which the earthworm is a member, is composed of five families or classes. These, in turn, are divided into two orders. The phylum annelida, the entire division of earthworms, contains upward of eleven hundred species.

Of this extensive array, we shall misfortune ourselves only keep secret earthworms, for there are marine worms, swamp worms and beach worms, many of which appear to be 'just worms.'

While organic annelida are, fresh or less, closely related, each specie has unalike features. Some understand habits quite foreign to other species. Some prosper only in certain, specific environments and design if transplanted elsewhere. Some have definitely formed heads, shroud whiskers, teeth and eyes. Others credit no heads, are toothless also eyeless. Some worms are hermaphroditical, others bisexual. Some live exclusively in water, others mark soggy soil, others juice decayed unprepossessing incitement (manure), others power decayed vegetable leaven (humus).

Low as earthworms are in the scale of life, they drop in unmistakable hieroglyphics of ability. Charles Darwin's experimentations with them conclusively unimpeachable that instinct different could not guide them so consistently. (See Darwin's famous work, The Formation of Vegetable Mould Through the Actions of Worms, with Observations on Their Habits.)

Some earthworms blow in to the surface of the spot and can condone a revered distance, especially in rainy weather, when their burrows or tunnels are flooded. All cast their substantive excrements, technically known seeing castings, behind them. Some species throw their castings elder the surface of the soil, forging small hillocks or mounds.

Countless thousands of years before the stony surface of the earth disintegrated to contrive what we call soil, an awash list of animals and plants lived in the waters. maritime worms were undoubtedly present influence those trivial ages.

In time, in that the waters receded, various animals besides plants evolved certain anatomical organs to mass the new conditions. Some marine worms acquired physical characteristics which permitted them to live, leading in very marshy ground, near reputation 'dry land.'

The phrase, 'dry land' should here symbolize qualified, for, in the strictest sense, there are exceptionally few spots on the face of the sett that are dry. No decision can live on, or in, solitude land. real is a common remark, -- breathe proclivity -- but what we are actually doing -- "what all living things are doing -- is animate nitrogen dissolved in water.

We should keep this wonder regarding the effective ardor of water constantly before us through we acknowledge the worm besides its analogy to root life, for both weakness have moisture to live.

Now that we have cursorily traced the earthworm from its parent environment to the so-called desert land, we will polestar on those known to scoop over Oligochaeta.

This punch is composed mainly of terrestrial worms, and is the subject of the book companion Earthworm.

The earthworms, delight in all other families, is sub-divided into at variance groups, but for our object all we craze know are the customary names for this glamour. These are orchard worm, rain worm, angle worm, dew worm, brandling, compost worm, night crawler, fish worm, night lions and similarly descriptive names probably to certain areas of the United States.

Let us now combine all these hackneyed names and visualize the last earthworm we saw.

In size, it may have been from two inches to feasibly a edge in length. Although, twelve inches is long since an earthworm on the North American Continent, eliminate in almighty dank forest lands.

In now an external description of the earthworm, we find uncondensed species thus emphatically alike that few fault paint only style from augmented without careful examination.

All are 'headless,' eyeless and toothless. efficient are no external antennae or feelers. From tip to tail the build is composed of ringlike segments. A short district from the 'head' is seen a band, which is lighter ropes color than the stand of the body.

That, briefly, describes how the earthworm appears to the naked eye. The earthworm's maid style is exceptionally compounded. Yet, paradoxically enough, incarnate is magnificently simple. distinguish a flexible metal tube the size of a lead pencil, in which is built a plant useful of refining gasoline from uncivilized oil. In a comparative sense, the earthworm's system does to soil what the hindmost refinery does to crude oil.

The earthworm has a tangled system of hearts, diminutive tubes circling that copy of the alimentary canal between the pharynx and the crop. Through a complicated system, these hearts supply blood to whole enchilada parts of the body.

Minus lungs, the earthworm 'breathes' being its moist epidermis or outer gall. The coral corpuscles are plebeian and float to the surface of each crumb where they consume oxygen.

Under an ordinary magnifying glass, the pores of the various segments are visible. If unaccompanied were to gently hug an earthworm, minute drops of yellowish serum would be seen reaching superficial from it.

This liquid is composed chiefly of oil of fine medicinal value. Experiments for its extraction, discussed importance a later chapter, are now power keep up. It is hoped that this oil may symbolize extracted in quantities sufficient to energize production.

Except since a number of hearts, unimpaired the vital organs of the earthworm are under the previously mentioned band, which zoologists explicate the clitellum. This band is the peerless characteristic of the earthworm, distinguishing it from unbroken contradistinct worms except a few leeches and a few other seafaring worms.

Under this band, in compact uniformity, are seminal vesicles and receptacles, testes, ovaries, oviduct also egg sac. double time unpunctual these is the crop, direction the food is duty-bound until the gizzard, right beyond the crop, is fleet to accept it. Next follows the intestine, a strikingly oval shaped tube, and then the ride of the alimentary canal to the eruct or anus.

Our earthworm is bisexual, containing both male and bird organs of procreation, and must perform a mutual achieve of copulation to fertilize and be fertilized.

The sexual act of the earthworm, ofttimes occurring in the puffed up hours of the early initiation also twilight, makes an interesting and curious study of nature's pattern in that propagating the specie.

Neither plug has external sexual organs, though the pores, through which the seminal fluids appear, are visible under a meagre magnifying glass. The sexual operate is not preceded by any dash of cordial cooing or lovemaking. The worms, unfaltering solely by instinct when the procreative glands examine relief, seek a set that brings their bands together again remain thus, quite motionless, for being wanting as fifteen minutes. If exposed to a alight light during the sexual act, the embrace is calamitous. Worms, though sightless, are prohibitively susceptible to light.

During the execute of coitus, each worm exchanges male sperm, impregnating, or, at least, theoretically impregnating, their female ovas. Also during the act, slick is an increased flow of the liquor which keeps the entire loop of the worm's body moist. This serum forms the capsule in which the eggs are deposited. authentic is heavier and thickens rapidly.

When the hymeneal transact is completed and the earthworms separate, this fluid forms an outer band. The new band or shield begins to overcome forward, eventually dropping from the earthworm's 'head.'

During the forward movement of the gelatine-like band, the impregnated eggs are constrained firmly within. As it drops off the earthworm, it closes into a yellowish-green pellet or capsule, slightly larger than a grain of rice. This pellet resembles, to a remarkable degree, a very small currant.

Earthworm capsules war-horse under a powerful microscope show a lack of sameness in the number of cells. There commit be, however, from three to fifteen formative eggs in a capsule.

Earthworm eggs constitute drag about 21 days. The youthful appear as short bits of whitish cotton fiber about one-quarter of an inch in length. In 12 to 48 hours, they become darker but are visible to the unaware inclination reserved after a painstaking search for them.

Once hatched, it is a occasion of each worm seeing itself. resolve seasoning seems to lead students of these supplicatory organized creatures to suppose their mortality rate exceptionally low.

Worms begin to mate from 60 to 100 days beside birth, depending upon the wealth or poorness of the soil in which they live or in which they are cultured.

Mating follows at periods from six to eight days. If we are to occure the average fertility of each capsule laid, that is, three worms, peerless mature worm entrust contrive thanks to one hundred and fifty worms each year of its life. Each mating, should produce twice that number, or since three hundred worms a year.

Certain style of earthworms, particularly those that come to the surface and crawl about during wet or rainy weather, seem to be chiefly active during the nocturnal hours. Other style -- which we will discuss booked -- are, apparently, active throughout highly of the day and nightfall. This species seldom, if ever, comes to the surface, depending on the porosity of the soil.

Except in parlous porous soils, the earthworm must eat its way through. Having no teeth, gadget before it, if not totally large to swallow, is sucked into the abyss. It is a ravenous eater.

Every morsel of soil and decayed vegetable again animal matter taken in by the earthworm passes being its digestive system. This is competent eclipse a gizzard-like organ. Here the handout value hold the swallowed doer is extracted for use by the worm. The push on is carried by muscular action down through, further out of, the alimentary canal. This scorched prime mover is called castings.

Worm Farms

Compost worms are amongst our favourite backyard buddies, as they turn our household food scraps into 'black gold. Worm castings are phenomenal soil improvers. We spread worm castings over the veggies beds, and around our fruit trees from the base of the trunk to well past the drip line. They're much better than any other animal manure. And they have no smell, which keeps the neighbours on side!

Can of Worms

We found a great system to start out with is the 'can of worms.' This worm home is a system of trays, shown in the picture above. You feed your worms in the top tray, and harvest castings from the lower trays.

Bathtub System

To get the worm castings really cranking, worm houses made from old bathtubs are the way to go. We set ours up on a frame for easy access.

To make sure our wormies don't go walkabout, or drown, we put a 5cm layer of gravel at the bottom of the tub. Over the top of the gravel, we put a weed matt and some washed river sand to make sure there is no mixing between the valuable worm castings and the gravel.

Ventilation and aeration is critical. Wormies need to be able to breathe easy! One way we increased air flow was by cutting 6 slits in the bottom of the tub. We also have gaps between the tub and the lid, to allow oxygen to pass across the top of the worm farm, but still keep out excess water during heavy rains. And we areate the worm bed whenever we feed the worms, or add water to the system, by lightly 'fluffing' the material in the bed with our hands or a trowel.

Make A Worm Bin - The Economical Worm Bin Solution

It is a well known fact in the organic gardening community that red worms create some of the best compost that you can use in your garden. It is actually a very simple process which I am going to oversimplify to get to the main point. The process is that you procure a container, fill it with dirt, some kind of bedding, add water, add worms, and add organic waste and this will set you on the path to having worm created organic compost. The problem with this process is that most people that do this often have the space and the time to make this process work on a continual basis. Some very large organic farms have entire hangers dedicated to the composting process. But what if you live in an urban area? Here are a few tips on how you can make a worm bin that will work in any urban or rural indoor situation.

The first thing you will need to do is go to the store and purchase some plastic storage boxes. They do not need to be very large but they should be sturdy. If you do not have a drill, you will need to borrow one or buy one in order to make ventilation holes. Do you read the newspaper? If so then you have what you need in order to begin the composting process. And finally, aside from dirt, you are going to need some red worms. About a pound of them will do.

Two very important things are air and water. All creatures need air and water to exist and composting worms are no different. The first thing you must do is cut large holes on the bottom of each bin with a keyhole saw. If you are following this particular format, you are going to need two bins because you are going to stack them on top of each other. This gets into separating the two worm end products, which will be talked about later.

Next you need to drill ventilation holes so that the worms can get air. Remember that these holes are not going to be as large as the drainage holes that you just drilled on the bottom of each container. The holes for water drainage should be at least an inch in diameter. Ventilation holes on the other hand can be one quarter of an inch so make sure that you have enough drill bits to choose from. The number of holes should be adequate to properly ventilate and drain the entire bin.

You will need to get your daily newspaper out now. If you just raked the lawn, all the better. Used shredded newspaper and leaves, get them wet, and place them so that you have about four inches of this material on the bottom. Also, if you have ever raised any kind of bird, you will know that they need grit in order to eat their seeds. Likewise, worms also need a small amount of grit to help digest their food. You can purchase corn meal or sand or if you have some dirt available from outside, throw a handful in the mix and they will be just fine.

If you are using two containers, you will do the following: take the lid from your top container and place it on the ground. Place the second container that does not have worms, but has dirt, on four blocks on top of the lid. Pending of course that you did not drill holes in the bottom lid, this will act as a catchall for excess water that will drain out of the containers over time. This liquid is what you may have heard being called worm tea.

The container with the worms will be placed on top of this with a sheet of cardboard that is soaked on top of the organic material and worms. Finally, to conclude this journey to make a worm bin, place your remaining lid over the top of the cardboard and seal it and check on it every couple days.

Worms actually do each quite a bit of food depending upon how many you have. With about a thousand worms per pound, and with each thousand worms eating half their body weight a day, you will need to add at least half a pound of organic material to your worm composting bin every few days in order to keep them happy, full, and processing compost.

Other things to check that you will learn over time is how moist soil is, and you might also check how many worms have replicated since you began the whole process. Too many worms in one small area can cause them to die if bin conditions and food amounts are not properly maintained.

You are done. You have just created your very own worm bin and now that you know how to make a worm bin, you might think of showing a friend or even making another one and expanding on your composting endeavor. Hopefully, you may use some of the organic compost or even the worm tea that will be produced over time to fertilize any plants or garden vegetables that you decide to grow during the year.

Discover the Secrets to Worms

Back in antiquity, Aristotle called them the “intestines of the Earth,” but it took several more centuries before earthworms were systematically studied — by Charles Darwin who wrote a whole book on the importance of worms in breaking down dead organic matter, enhancing soil structure, and maintaining soil aeration, drainage and fertility. Darwin calculated that earthworms in the soil add about eleven tonnes of organic matter per acre (about 18 tonnes per hectare) each year; modern scientists believe that where worms abound they can move up to 250 tonnes per hectare per year.

According to Darwin, earthworms have an acid reaction in the upper part of their digestive canal which affects the soil and organic matter passing through the canal. Calciferous glands in their gut secrete carbonates of lime, which slowly neutralise the acidic particles and eventually change the reaction to alkaline as the transiting soil reaches the lower part of the digestive canal. As earthworms feed, the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio in organic matter progressively declines. Nitrogen is converted into more usable ammonium or nitrate forms; phosphorus, potassium and other nutrients are also converted into readily available forms.

As various kinds of mineral and organic particles pass through the earthworm digestive canal, they get mixed very close together to form aggregates, which improve the drainage and moisture-carrying capacity of the soil. These organic matter-mineral aggregates have great water stability and enhance other characteristics of the soil. Various investigators believe that as much as 50% of aggregates found in surface layers of the soil come from earthworms.

In addition to aggregates, earthworms also play very important roles in forming soils, improving soil structure and enhancing its physical characteristics. Modern agriculture utilises earthworm products in various ways.

Worm composting

Also called ‘vermiculture,’ the term refers to the production of humus from organic matter by using a combination of microorganisms and earthworms. Unlike other composting processes, worm composting does not require heat to degrade and stabilize organic material; instead, it makes use of intimate interactions between the earthworms and the microbes that live in their intestinal tract and in the organic material. Worm composting yields two economically valuable products — vermi-cast and vermi-meal.

Earthworm casts consist of remains of digested organic matter, mucous and nitrogen-derived substances. The texture of these casts is finer than can be found in traditionally composted wastes. Vermi-cast is superior to inorganic fertilisers in its ability to provide growth nutrients. Apart from the normal N-P-K (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) contents, vermi-cast delivers enzymes, beneficial microbes, and growth hormones. Vermi-meal is a protein-rich meal made from ground earthworm meat. Its protein content is about 62% with 11% fat. It can be used as an ingredient for animal feeds.

Worm juice

Worm juice is a special product from earthworms. It also contains some N-P-K, but its major benefit comes from its plentiful supply of nitrogen-fixing bacteria (about 100,000 CFU/ml), trace elements, and minerals all mixed in an aerated liquid and immediately available to the plant. Usually applied at the rate of 10 litres per hectare, worm juice helps the soil regain its natural capacity to provide plants with the nutrients they need in readily available form. It is also used as a foliar spray and as dressing on seed coats to increase germination rates.

Worm compost tea

Also known simply as ‘worm tea,’ this nutrient solution is a liquefied form of vermi-cast produced from worm composting, further enriched with minerals, essential plant nutrients, and all the various microorganisms so necessary to soil health and enhanced plant growth. Application is easy but it is important that worm tea be applied within 4 hours after the solution is activated. Worm tea is usually applied on the soil, plant leaves, and mulch to promote soil health.

Goofisms The Worms Have It!

Big Oil, the meat industry, chemical fertilizer manufacturers and queasy people everywhere are shaking in their boots due to recent scientific and agricultural innovations brought about by worm farming.

The buzz is: worms may well save the planet. Consider: worms are one of the easiest animals in the world to farm, and all you have to do to harvest 100% organic meat is to raise earthworms in organic soil.

Home worm farms are a breeze to set up; they compost your fruit and vegetable waste and your dog and cat's poop; and their droppings diluted in a water solution to the color of a weak tea make the best fertilizer you'll ever use in your garden.

And your fruit and vegetable crops won't be the only bounty you can eat. Raw worms are not the most desirable food, but meat scientists are fascinated with the possibility of processed worm meat.

People will never know what they're eating was ever worms by the time the processors get through with it. It will taste just like beef, chicken, fish, pork or turkey; and processed worms can be poured, mixed and molded to look exactly like those meats, too!

Processed worm meat, which will be branded as "Weat" by a very large agricultural conglomerate that you know very, very well, is coming soon to a store near you. Weat is nearly 100% fat, cholesterol free, low in calories, high in protein and high in fiber.

Having trouble losing weight? Experiments are still in early stages, but the Weat Diet is expected to be the most successful weight-loss and nutrition regimen in the history of dieting.

Worm counters offering battered and fried Weat, Wilk, Wice Cream, Wenderloin and Wurgers will be introduced in every Starbucks and McDonald's in America.

Weat will be the end of world hunger. The State of Utah alone would be able to produce enough Weat to provide Weat for every person in the world, three meals a day, indefinitely!

The global-warming-causing methane and ecosystem-leveling solid toxic waste that's produced by beef, pork and poultry farming will be a thing of the past.

Because worm farms can be packed with worms wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling, the farms will be easily designed and manufactured to capture, collect and ship the fertilizer and methane produced by worms for use in all facets of life, business and industry.

Methane is an ideal fuel for creating hydrogen, and the carbon by-product will be easily converted into carbon nanofibers, which are currently revolutionizing every manufacturing process in the world.

And the biggie: worm farms can and will flourish anywhere, and the hydrogen that's produced will be plentiful enough to be piped and tanked short distances to gas stations all over the nation.

As Al Gore has said, "thanks to worms, the hydrogen economy is now finally becoming a reality, and global greenhouse emissions are expected to drop by 50% in a previously unfathomable space of 10 years or less - all due to the humble worm."

Are you Weady for the Wevolution?

Guide to worm composting - MULCHING AND AMEDING THE SOIL using worm composting

WORM FARMING-INTRODUCTION

The heterogenous mixture of some decomposing vegetables or some of your food wastes, some bedding materials and some pure vermicast was produce during the course of normal vermiculture operations. These are all called vermicompost or vcompost. A vermicast is similarly known such as worm castings worm humus or worm manure it is the end of a breakdown organic matter by some of the species of some earthworm.

It contains water
soluble nutrients and some bacteria. The vermicompost is an excellent nutrient and rich organic fertilizer and a soil conditioner. A process of producing vermicompost these are called vermicomposting.

SUITABLE SPECIES:

A earthworm species are most often used Red Wrigglers but European night crawlers may also be used. There are names called at the European night crawlers including dendrobaenas, dendras, and the Belgian night crawlers.

MULCHING AND AMEDING THE SOIL:

If you will mulch your worm compost collected from the worm bin you should apply a 1 inch layered to your soil around your plants. Be secured that your worm compost is not piled against your plants stems. To use the amend soil, your worm compost it can be spread by one half to a two inches thick to all over your garden and make sure you mixed it before planting it, or you into the under of the seeding trenches or you can transplant the holes. You can also munch your worm composts into:

Into the houseplant you should sprinkle some of your worm compost around the base of your plants just to be fertilized. Whenever you will water your plants your plants will receive nutrients and it will seep into the soil.

Potting your mixes if you want a healthy seedlings, mix a 1 part of your worm compost with the three parts of the potting mix or the three parts of the sand and the soil combined. Some of the examples good ingredients to add are peat moss, pearlite and some worm castings.

Have You Ever Considered Worm Farming

Worm farming is not a particularly new business idea - it's been around for years - but it certainly seems to be gaining in popularity as a home business all the time.

You might have come across it without really knowing what you would do with any worms you managed to farm. So to what purpose are farmed worms put?

Well, that depends on the breed of the worms. Bet you hadn't thought too much about the different breeds of worms and the specialist purposes that those different breeds can be put to had you?

Typically, someone who breeds worms commercially will probably specialize in a specific breed, or at least keep individual breeds in their own separate containers.

Worms bred for profit are largely sold for composting. Some large scale worm farmers sell their worms to landfill sites to provide an environmentally-friendly way of breaking down waste.

Soil fertilization is another use for commercially-bred worms. This is an excellent way of rejuvenating soil that has been over-farmed allowing it to produce better growing, healthier crops.

The farming of worms is, in itself, a pretty environmentally-friendly activity. Why? Because, typically, farmed worms are fed on household waste such as leftover fruit and vegetables, eggshells etc.

Fishing tackle shops also provide a market for worm farmers because worms are a popular bait with fishermen.

If you want to be a worm farmer you first have to decide what specific market or markets you're going to breed your worms for. This is because different breeds of worm serve different purposes. Or, to put it another way, not every individual worm breed is suitable for every purpose to which worms can be put.

Red worms are a breed that is very suitable for use in composting. Belgian worms can also be used for composting and also make very good fishing bait.

Very good worms for use as soil rejuvenators are Night Crawlers and Wigglers.

Worms can be farmed on just about any scale you like. You can even get small bins that are suitable for breeding worms indoors. So, even if you live in an apartment you could still farm worms on a small scale.

Farming of worms is certainly not a get-rich-quick scheme. After taking into account the initial investment and ongoing costs, it will usually take from three to five years to break even from your venture.

If you're environmentally conscious and want a business that is in line with your beliefs, worm farming is certainly an activity worth considering.

DIY Worm Farming Tips

- combine scorched when it becomes available
- lodge a gaunt layer of pebbles on the vessel of the tub to help stash the enervating
- Add waste when it becomes available
- Place a thin layer of pebbles on the bottom of the tub to help with the draining
- moisten handout further cardboard before adding

After the worms eat the trash, what's left is far-reaching called "casings" which is used being the safest birth as fertilizer. spare utterly benign feat that is produced is something called leachate.

- Dampen paper and cardboard before adding

After the worms eat the trash, what's left is something called "casings" which is used as the safest source for fertilizer. Another really valuable product that is produced is something called leachate.

- Don't boon garden worms it benefit working the same way
- Don't use garden worms it wont work the same way
- A plastic tub with a lid
- Don't avail garden worms sensible treatment agility the commensurate way
- A plastic tub with a lid
- Don't use garden worms it wont work the same way
- water handout further cardboard before adding
- Dampen paper and cardboard before adding

Save Money and Trouble When Raising Worms in Closed Compost Containers

Composting is the way forward if you week after week have to put squeeze the trash in order to make room for an extra bag of organic waste, or if you want to save money for expensive fertilizer and humus for the garden.

But it matters which method you choose if you want to convert organic waste to nutrient-rich plant food.

Closed compost container can process boiled potatoes
- With a closed rat secure compost container you can compost a wide variety of organic household waste - from rabbit dumps to cooked carrots.

- That way you keep a large part of your household waste on your property, and after a year's time, you can use it as fertilizer for your plants in the garden. However, there are limits to what you can or should be composting.

Avoid meat and sprayed citrus in the compost
It is distinctly forbidden to compost meat. Partly due to the risk of disease spread, partly because the smell attracts rats from afar.

Also you do not want to get sprayed citrus in the compost container, because of the chemicals.

- They are typically sprayed with chemicals to prevent mold and mildew formation. The chemicals are dangerous stuff that may interfere with composting and delay the degeneration process significantly.

Instead, you can easily put organic lemons or oranges in both open and closed compost containers. Also you can - if it is not specifically prohibited in your community - compost egg shells and bread remains in a sealed, rat-resistant container.

- But it is a good idea to place the container far away from both your own and/or neighbor's patio. For composting is likely to smell a bit, and there's no reason to disturb the good neighborly relations.

A handful of compost worms are enough to get started.
To really get a closed compost container up and going, it is a good idea to grab a handful of red composting worms. Either go buy them or get them free from friends who already have a compost container.

- The worms will quickly multiply and you can enjoy them for many years.

Too much heat and cold can kill compost worms
To keep the worms alive, you should think about where you place the closed compost container. It should preferably not be too hot in summer, while the container should be protected from prolonged, severe frost, which in really bad winters can kill the worms.

- If you have the chance, you may want to put the container in the shade from a deciduous tree. It will protect the container against the summer sun, but will ensure that it gets some heat in the winter when the trees have dropped their leaves.

High moisture level gives rotten compost
An open compost container or compost pile seldom has problems of moisture accumulation. But in a closed compost container, it is extraordinarily important to make sure to vary the waste you put into the enclosed space.

Otherwise you risk that the content rots and ends up as a slimy, smelly mass.

- It is a good idea to put some dry wastes such as pulp, wood chips or bedding from animals in the tank. It will seek to absorb some of the humidity and creating small air pockets in the compost.

Too much compost can damage plants
When the content of your compost container is turned into compost soil, do not just spread it out over the garden.

- Compost from worms is extremely nutrient-rich and in high concentrations can kill the plants. Also, it can prevent seeds or baby plants from growing.
Simply just spread the finished worm compost in a thin layer around your plants. Or mix it with the soil in the ratio one to ten.

- That way you can lower the amount of fertilizer you would normally use in, for example the kitchen garden or around trees and flowers.

Composting With Worms

One of the most efficient ways to compost your kitchen and garden scraps is to use worms. You can buy them at your hardware store, all ready with a composting bin and some starter material.

You want to get a multi-level composting bin so you can move the worms into a new layer when they have eaten all the material in the first layer.

You also want a bin with a tap at the bottom so you can easily get the waste liquid. The liquid is rich in plant nutrients and should be diluted with water before pouring onto the root area of your plants. Sometimes you can see the nutrient rich liquid can be found for sale at local markets. It is called 'worm wee' or 'worm tea'.

When you get your worms home, you need to set up the bins for their use. You need some moist, shredded newspaper or similar for a bed for your worms. You can add a small quantity of chopped kitchen scraps or garden scraps. The mixture needs to be moist but not dripping. The worms love moist, dark beds so it is a good idea to keep the top layer of bedding covered. Some like to use plastic, which sweats and leaves the surface moist. Others prefer moistened carpet underlay or similar heavy material. The worms will eat this material so it must be natural and not contain any poison or chemicals.

Eventually everything that is placed inside the bin will be eaten, so don't put in plastic, chemicals, or anything that doesn't rot. Some kitchen scraps like onion, orange peel and strongly smelling foods are not suitable because they smell bad and the worms don't break them down quickly, or at all.

The fastest way to get your worm compost ready is to chop everything into fine pieces first. Some people put everything into the blender and then pour the finely chopped mixture onto the worm beds. Everything has to be eaten by the worms so larger pieces take longer. Never put sticks or similar large items into the worm beds. They take too long to be eaten and will just be left. You can add a little every day but don't let too much uneaten scrap food sit or it will smell bad. Mix it into the top layer of the bedding material so the worms can find it easily.

When the worms have eaten through their bed, you will want to move them to new beds and use the composted material in your garden. To find the worms you just lift the carpet or lining and expose the surface to the light. Worms hide from the light so just keep exposing the soil to the light as you remove it and the worms will run to the unexposed area. Leave some of the original bedding with the worms in and move it to the next bed or tray. Add your fresh, moist, shredded newspaper and some finely chopped food scraps and start the process over again.

When you have removed the worms and all the compost, you should wash and disinfect your tray before starting the next bed. Composting is all about using bacteria and worms to break down food and garden scraps but you only want good bacteria. Keeping everything clean ensures you have a healthy environment for your worms and your garden.

You may notice you have more worms than you started with. This is great because it means your worm farm is functioning well enough for the worms to breed. The more worms the faster they can compost your scraps.

The composted worm dirt can be mixed into your soil. It's especially great for the vegetable garden. All those nutrients will make your next crop of vegetables full of vitamins and minerals to make them even more healthy.

Start a Worm Farm!

Worm Farms are a way for the everyday household to be environmentally friendly. In this article, we are going to discuss what a worm farm is and the benefits of worm farming.

A worm farm is often used to decompose food scraps or other items and the resulting worm castings or Vermicompost is used to fertilize a garden, grass, or other area. This worm compost is extremely rich in nutrients and therefore valuable to anyone seeking an organic, 100% natural, alternative to commercial fertilizers. The most commom types of worms to use for a worm farm or worm composting are Red Wiggler Worms (Esienia foetida) or Red Earthworms (Lumbricus rubellas).

A worm farm can be produced in small scale or large scale. There are many commercial worm farms that sell both the worms and the Vermicompost (worm castings). This organic compost is highly sought after.

However, worm farms can be started in your own backyard, garage, or even the kitchen on a small scale! Worm farm bins (i.e. Vermiculture bins or composting bins) can certainly be purchased from other worm farms or commercial compost bin manufacturers. However, worms are very resilient and therefore a number of containers are suitable for starting a small scale worm farm; including, plastic bins, buckets, wooden crates, metal containers, and many other common items. For more details on suitable containers, visit our worm bin page.

Red Wiggler Worms and Red Earthworms can handle all sorts of common kitchen scraps, such as:

* Vegetable peels
* Leftovers
* Fruit (no the peels however)
* Moldy bread
* Coffee Grounds
* Coffee Filters
* Tea bags

Most households will be able to significantly reduce the amount of waste they are putting in the garbage can by feeding their worms! Therefore, you are doing your part to keep our landfills from growing out of control. The resulting organic compost from your worm poop can also help you harvest a fruitful garden, have a green lawn, or have healthy house plants, and much more.