2. Overview
a. Background
b. Definition of Vermicompost
c. Materials
d. Suitable species
e. Procedure
f. Harvesting of worms and compost
g. Harvesting of vermicompost
h. Using of vermicompost
i. Comparison between normal compost & vermicompost
j. Benefits of vermicompost

3.  Vermicomposting is as old as life on planet Earth
 Michigan biology teacher Mary Appelhof arrived at the idea of home
vermicomposting.
 In 1972, she realized she wanted to continue composting in winter months
despite living in a northern climate, and ordered 1 pound of red wiggler
worms, or Eisenia fetida. She created a shallow bin in her basement, loaded
it with bedding and added her food scraps. By the end of the winter, they
had consumed 65 lbs. of garbage and produced worm compost that
resulted in impressive vegetables in her garden.
Background

4. What is it?
 Vermicompost is the product or process of composting using
various worms, usually red wigglers and other earthworms to
create a heterogeneous mixture of decomposing vegetable or
food waste and vermicast (worm castings or worm manure, is
the fecal matter of an Earthworm).
This process of producing vermicompost is called
vermicomposting. Vermicompost is an excellent, nutrient-rich
organic fertilizer and soil conditioner.

5. Materials Required
1) Worm Bin
2) Bedding
3) Water
4) Worms
5) Food Scraps
6) Temperature- 12`c to 25`c, ideally

6. Suitable Species
Eisenia fetida Eisenia hortensis
Lumbricus rubellus Eudrilus eugeniae
Perionyx excavatus

7. Procedure of vermicomposting
 Select a location for your worm bin
 Prepare bedding. It should be very damp, spread evenly and filling
three-quarters of the bin
 Sprinkle a couple of handfuls of soil (from outdoors or potting soil) into
it to introduce beneficial microorganisms and to aid the worms'
digestive process
 Gently place worms on top of the bedding. Leave the bin lid off so
worms will burrow into the bedding.
 Add food scraps, once they settle

8.  Dig a hole in the bedding, place food scraps and cover with at
least an inch of bedding. Wait a week before adding more
food
 Leave untouched to get worms used to new surroundings
 Bury food scraps in a different area of the bin each time (any
time of the day)
 Other creatures may be observed

9. Harvesting Worms & Compost
 After about six weeks, worm castings seen
 In three or four months, harvest the castings. Partially
decomposed bedding, food scraps and worms will be seen
with castings
 This mixture is Vermicompost

10. Harvesting Vermicompost
Two Methods:
 Place food scraps on only one side of worm bin for several
weeks, most of the worms will migrate to that side. Remove
the Vermicompost from the other side of the bin and add fresh
bedding.
 Repeat process on the other side of the bin

11.  Empty contents of worm bin onto a plastic sheet where there is
strong sunlight/artificial light. Wait 20-30 minutes and scrape off
top layer of compost
 Pick up worms that get scattered in groups and gently return
them to the bin in fresh bedding
 Worm eggs contain two to ten baby worms. Place the eggs back
inside bin

12. Using Vermicompost
 Either use immediately or after storing
 For outdoor plants, mulch/mix material into soil. Can also be
used as a top dressing on outdoor plants or sprinkled on your
lawn as conditioner
 For indoor plants mix with potting soil. For top dressing, remove
decaying bedding and food scraps from the castings. No worms
or eggs in the castings, as they will not survive
 "compost tea" to feed plants

13. 1. Heat of regular compost kills many beneficial microbes
2. Vermicompost is aerobic thus may have up to 1000 times the microbial
activity of normal compost
3. Increased microbial activity in the soil means better disease resistance
4. Vermicompost can be generated in 1/3 the time of regular compost
5. Vermicompost contains more nutrients than other forms of compost.
6. A traditional compost pile may require less of an investment than
vermicomposting.
7. Vermicomposting does not require as much space as traditional
compost piles and can be done indoors or outside
Comparison Between Normal Compost and
Vermicompost

14. Benefits of Vermicomposting
1) Recycles waste in an environmentally-friendly way
2) Keeps more garbage out of landfills
3) A sustainable way to produce low-cost nutritionally-valuable
organic fertilizer
4) Very little time or labor is required
5) Can be done year ‘round in Chicago

15. 6) It can be done indoors odorlessly
7) Can be done by all ages who will dig in
8) Income generation through sale of worms and vermicompost or both!
9) Materials available to everyone
10) The system is easily reproducible by others once you learn how to do it

16. Vermicompost Production in BADC