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| What is it... | | | Application | | | "Quotes" | | | Findings | | | Raising Worms |
| WHAT DO WORMS LIKE? Worms like food. Worms live to eat, worms eat to live. What is good food for worms? Any decomposing organic material make a suitable food for a worm. WHAT MAKES A GOOD ORGANIC FERTILIZER? Anything organic makes a good organic fertilizer once it has been composted. WHERE DO WORMS FIT INTO THIS? Once the decomposition process has started with a food stock of 50% nitrogen and 50% carbon, the microbes which feed on the mixture is just the smorgasbord the red worm is looking for. In turn, it consumes the host of bacteria the pile can provide until the pile can no longer support that type of microbial life. Interesting point being the microbial life that exists in the belly of a worm can survive on used food stock. These same microbes are what plants need to function and thrive inside its intricate system. As the plant absorbs these microbes, they continue to live, eat and excrete inorganic materials that are quite necessary to the plant's growth. This elaborate web of life and symphony of symbiosis begs the question, "Is this the beginning or the end of the food chain?" WHAT IS A WORM'S FAVORITE FOOD? Manure (nitrogen) - a byproduct or waste produced by a herbivore; cattle, equine, goats, rabbits, and chickens. Carbon - bedding, wood shavings, paper, cardboard. Ideal worm food once composted until pile drops below 90°. HOW MUCH CAN A WORM EAT? The red worm (esinia fetida). It has been reported is capable of consuming its own body weight in a single day under ideal conditions; temperature, moisture, food source, and adequate space and drainage. SHOULD I RAISE WORMS? Worms should not be thought of as another job to do. Worms should be thought of as a labor saving device engineered to convert a waste product into a valuable organic soil conditioner that sells for a bit more than you pay for your feed? Now there is some food for thought! Anyone can raise red worms. The question is how many should I buy? You don't want to exceed your readily available food stock, so remember to start small. Worms can double their biomass every 3 months if conditions are kept ideal. I have read that worms cannot survive below 38°. Imagine my surprise when I harvested castings in frozen conditions and I saw frozen worms coming out of the end of the harvester. Curiosity got the best of me, so I brought the stiff, frozen worms inside to thaw. In one hour, they were like limp, lifeless, overcooked gray noodles, void of any sign of life. After 3 hours however, they had regained their composure as well as their dark red complexion. Although red worms (Esinia Fatida) may not thrive in all conditions, its survival skills are impeccable. To further prove this true, I plan to start an outside worm bed, slant fed in a migrating fashion sandwiched between two pieces of black felt. When all available food stock for worms are depleted, they will exit the area leaving it completely free for the explicit purpose of harvesting castings. Watch our web site for further progress on this matter. If your needs are on the personal level through commercial distribution, a worm farm can be easily maintained to your needs. Five factors govern this philosophy: Food stock, water, temperature, square footage, and drainage. |
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