How to prepare worm humus for your garden at home

make compost with worms allows you to take advantage of organic kitchen scraps and obtain a top quality fertilizer. It is ideal for use in home gardens that we can have on balconies and terraces, where it is not possible to make a compost pile directly on the ground. But above all the vermicomposter It is a way of knowing and participating in the processes of life.

at the time of convert organic household wastein a compost of high quality the most difficult obstacle to overcome is the instinctive reluctance to work with worms, however essential they are for the fertility of the soil.

A small piece of plastic or wooden furniture can accommodate a few thousand california worms, which transform organic waste from the kitchen and from plants into an extraordinary ecological fertilizer. There is no need to fear that the worms will escape – they flee from the light – nor will they produce odors. On the contrary, the vermicomposter is very clean and comfortable.

What does worm humus consist of?

He most common vermicomposter consists of several trays or perforated and superimposed drawers. The base has a tap to collect the liquid that comes off, and the entire piece of furniture is usually raised on legs.

If you are a DIYer can be built with woodbut in specialized stores and on the internet there is a wide range of models with different materials, shapes and sizes.

Once you have the vermicomposter, you will need the worms, which are also found in specialized stores. The usual thing is to start with a package of about a thousand –in round numbers– california red worms (Eisenia fetida).

The first thing to do is prepare the bed in the first tray, which is above the base with the tap. On this tray is a piece of sack of raffiawhich will act as a filter, and on top of that coconut fiber is spread (It is usually sold in the form of a dry and pressed tablet that must be rehydrated).

Near the sides of the tray -the center is left free- the first 250 grams of food are buried in the coconut fiber: vegetable waste from the kitchen. Highly acidic foods like oranges or lemons do not appeal to them. Instead, the remains of bananas or strawberries love them.

Small amounts of wet paper or cardboard can be added, as well as remains of plants and flowers. Never give them meat or fish, or remains of meals prepared with sauces.

From tray to tray

After putting the first food the worms are cast, which will quickly hide to avoid the light. When the first tray is processed, that is, filled with humus until it touches the upper tray, stop feeding the first tray and put the vegetables only in the second.

Then the worms They will move towards it. We proceed in the same way with the third and when it is full it is time to collect the humus of the first that, once empty, will go to the top position.

Some worms may remain in this first tray, but if you don’t want to remove them with your hands, you can remove the piece of raffia and leave it uncovered.

The light will cause the worms to take refuge in a lower tray. The collected humus is kept in a raffia bag, in a dark, dry and ventilated place. The time that passes between the opening of the vermicomposter and the extraction of the first tray ranges between 2 and 10 months, depending on the number of worms, the size of the trays, the food and the temperature.

humidity and temperature

For the worms to live at ease, it is necessary that their environment has 70% humidity.. Normally it is enough that they provide food, but if the material crumbles easily it means that there is a lack of water.

Then you have to water moderately – first you have to open the lower tap and put a bucket to collect the accumulated liquid. Instead, if the humus is squeezed and liquid emerges, it is a sign that there is excess moisture.

In this case, you should stop providing fresh remains and put more dry leaves and chopped cardboard. Regarding the temperature, the ideal range is between 15 and 25 ºCalthough worms work between 4 and 35 ºC.

make your own earthworm humus It offers no difficulties and the plants and the environment appreciate it.

Tips for preparing worm humus for your garden at home

The vermicomposter: There are models in recycled plastic or wood, with different numbers of trays. Is It is necessary to place it in a place safe from direct sunlight., the rain and the wind. If the worms are fed correctly, the vermicomposter does not give off odors or attract insects.Liquid fertilizer: once a week the tap is opened to collect the dark liquid that accumulates in the lower basin. It is an ideal fertilizer for indoor and outdoor plants. (for this, one part is diluted in three of water). Contributes to balance the soil, which prevents the appearance and growth of pests.Worm humus: it is collected from the trays. It is black in color and has a spongy texture that melts in the hands. You have to put it in a bag and wait between 15 and 30 days before use. It’s a fertilizer very rich in nutrients which serves to reinforce the plants, especially in spring and autumn.