Worm Farm Benefits•
on December 2nd, 2009•
There are also financial benefits to consider with worm farms.
Fertiliser costs can be greatly reduced as there will be a fresh supply of worm juice (liquid fertiliser) each week, as well as a bathtub full of castings every few months from having a worm farm.
There will be no need to get into the family car, drive to the hardware shop, purchase supplies and drive home again
Worm castings not only provide a fertiliser but can also be used in potting and garden mixes.
Poultry can also enjoy the nutritious benefits of worms. If stocks are large enough the possibility of reduction in feed costs could also be looked at.
By having a worm farm, not only will you be creating a living ecosystem but you will also be creating a thread of self-sufficiency for you and your family.
By doing this you will be helping to reduce:
- Transport, packaging and labour energy required to pack and ship fertilisers etc.
- Therefore less plastic is being produced to bag these items:
- Less cardboard is being produced to package,
- Less truck, boat, plane emissions to transport,
- Less green house gases,
And less collective energy is being wasted to create, in most cases, an inorganic chemical.
And after all of that, don’t forget one of the biggest benefits in creating a worm farm, the element of FUN!
Not only will you be helping the environment but you’ll also be helping yourself!
Over 30% of all household rubbish is “green” waste (organic matter) that can be composted and re-used for a productive purpose.
Instead in most cases, it’s hauled away to refuse stations, at the householder’s expense and thrown into landfill where it decomposes, releasing:
- Atmospheric pollutants (methane and other toxic gases).
- Groundwater pollutants (via leeching into artesian basins).
- Surface pollutants, which in turn increases the amount/risk of pest and disease outbreaks.
Worm Farm Benefits•
on November 30th, 2009•
The Benefits for your Garden:
Worm castings are recognised through out the world as the richest natural, chemical free plant food known to man. (WonderwormUk.com, 2008)
Castings are odourless, non toxic, and are suitable to use on all plants, including delicate seedlings.
Castings contain:
A neutral pH of 7 no matter what the diet of the worm. (“If you are looking for worms, you are in the right place!” http://members.tripod.com/-wormigrow/)
Beneficial bacteria, plant growth hormones, vitamins, enzymes, amino acids, selenium, organic carbon.
5 times the available nitrogen, 7 times the available potash, and 11/2 times the available calcium than found in good top soil.
(“Earthworms as a natural resource” Chapman, Ingrid.)
Humic acid: which is a beneficial fungal activator.
Fulvic acid: which is a beneficial bacteria activator.
Auxins: which is an organic substance characterised by its ability to promote growth, particularly in roots. It is an active ingredient in rooting compounds.
Not a single trace of E.coli, salmonella or other pathogens as they are destroyed due to the competition from the active micro flora and intestinal secretions.
Most of our human pathogens are anaerobic and cannot survive in the aerobic environment created by worms.
A “slow release” quality.
After digestion, the undigested material moves through the alimentary canal of the worm, a thin layer of oil is deposited on the castings. This layer erodes over a period of 2 months. So although the plant nutrients are immediately available, they are slowly released to last longer.
(“If you are looking for worms, you are in the right place”
http://members.tripod.com/-wormigrow/)
By adding worm castings to your existing garden soil you will be actively helping plant growth by:
Increasing the organic matter (humus) content.
This will make your soil less likely to become compacted.
Increasing the water retaining qualities.
Castings can retain up to 9 times there weight in water.
(Sherman-Huntoon, Rhonda. “Potential markets for vermiculture and Vermicomposting operations”)
Increasing the drainage which reduces water logging and root rot.
Adding beneficial bacteria which aids in plant health.
Promoting the aeration qualities.
Providing food for beneficial organisms.
Providing an immediately available water soluble plant food which is rich in nutrients.
Castings act as a powerful biocide against disease and nematodes. Castings strenghthen the cell walls increasing the plants resistance to fungal disease, frost, and insect attack. The point of terminal wilt is also greater.
Worm Farm Benefits, Worms•
on November 29th, 2009•
Generally the worms used for composting are called red worms:
Eisenia andrei/fetida or Lumbricus rubellis.
These worms are ideal for composting as they are ferocious eaters, surface dwellers and prolific breeders.
If you hear the term “red wigglers” you know your purchasing the right type of worm.
There are other types of worms that can be used:
African night crawlers:
Eudrilus eugenia, but as the name suggests, if their not happy they WILL crawl away in the night.
Gardeners friend worms:
Amynthus gracious/corticus.
Tiger worms:
Eisenia fetida.
Blues:
Perionix excavatus/spenceralia.
Garden earthworms are not suitable for composting so please leave them be in the garden so as they may tunnel deeper down in the soil to help the garden.