Composting

Vermiculture or vermicomposting is a highly sustainable process that converts your kitchen waste into organic manure. As the name implies, Vermiculture uses some species of earthworms, coupled with bacterial action to break down organic material into usable products. It not only provides cheap nutrient-rich fertilizer as a product, but also prevents potential pollutants from entering the general waste stream and harming the environment. 

The organic waste stream consists of paper, vegetables, food, garden waste, egg shells, dairy products etc. More than half of the waste produced by households everyday consists of organic materials that can be recycled. Decomposing organic wastes in landfills release significant amount of green house gases into the atmosphere. They often leach out and contaminate the water bodies. Burning of organic wastes also pollutes the air exacerbating the problem. However, if harvested properly, organic waste can serve as a valuable resource.

Vermiculture is the harnessing of worms’ potential for waste reduction. Two species of earthworms primarily used for this are Eisenia foetida and Lumbricus rubellus. It not only increases the yield, but also the fertility of soil. It also acts as a soil-conditioner. 

Vermiculture Pits: Getting Started

You can start your own Vermiculture pit in your backyard. A suitable container, some worms and vegetable waste is all that you need!

·         Materials used: Small-scale Vermiculture pits can be made from wood, plastics, metals and even concrete.

·         Aeration: Earthworms and microbes need sufficient amount of oxygen as decomposition is an aerobic process. So, holes should be provided on the sides of the bins for ventilation.

·         Size: The size of a vermiculture pit can vary depending upon the needs of the family and farm. Two cubic metres is a convenient design size that can hold 10,000-40,000 earthworms and produce over one tonne of organic manure per month.

·         Layering: The bottom layer of the pit constituting 15-20 cm of soil, broken bricks, coconut fibres and saw dust provides cushioning to the earthworms. It is covered with fresh animal dung. Subsequent layers of food scrapes, fruit and vegetable matter should be alternated with leaves, grasses and hay. All the layers should be about 10-15 cm. high and be covered with soil and a bit of fertilizer. 

·         Temperature Conditions: The optimum temperature range for the action of earthworms and microbes lies between 12 and 21 degree Celsius.

·         Bin Maintenance: Meat, dairy products, bread, and magazine paper should not be added to the bins. The pH of the bin should be kept slightly alkaline. This can be achieved by adding a small amount of calcium carbonate. Furthermore, addition of acidic citrus fruits’ peels can hinder microbial action. Moisture levels should be checked regularly. Excess of water can be removed by adding permeable materials like saw dust and newspaper. Whereas, extremely dry conditions can be rectified by the addition of water and vegetable scrapes. The bins should preferably be placed away from direct sunlight.

·         Harvesting and Application: Once the manure is ready to be harvested, it can be separated from the undecomposed waste by using a wire mesh screen. About five tonnes of organic manure per hectare of farmland can be applied to give sufficient yields.

Advantages of Vermiculture:

Vermiculture is an extremely sustainable and eco-friendly venture that can be operated at fairly low costs. Its product manure is chemical free and nutrient- rich. Apart from this, the manure contains large amounts of worm-castings that hold moisture and increase soil fertility. Moreover, since earthworms accelerate the rate of biodegradation four-fold, they help in faster consumption of waste.

Adopting this process will not only help you keep your garden greener, but also save the environment…