It's estimated that last year in the United States, 21 million tons of food waste was burned or dumped into landfills. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated that over 64% of the waste generated in the United States is organic.
Instead of disposing of these materials in landfills, they can be recycled, composted, or
vermicomposted.
You can recycle your waste with the help of worms. Vermicomposting (composting with worms) turns many kinds of kitchen waste into a nutritious fertilizer for plants. When worm compost is added to soil, it increases the nutrients to plants and enhances soil texture and drainage.
Using worms to decompose food waste offers these advantages:
* It reduces kitchen garbage disposal costs;
* It produces less odor and attracts fewer pests than putting food scraps into a garbage container;
* It reduces the cost of water and electricity that kitchen sink garbage disposal units use;
* It produces a free, high-quality soil (compost);
* It doesn't take much space, labor, or maintenance;
* It produces free worms for fishing.
What type of earthworm should I use for vermicomposting?
Of the 4,000+ species of earthworms, only half a dozen of them are suitable for
vermicomposting. The most commonly used species is Eisenia fetida (Red wigglers).
Where do I obtain Eisenia fetida earthworms for vermicomposting?
Don't buy vermicomposting worms from a bait shop. You need at least 1,000 worms, and bait shops only sell about a dozen worms per cup. Buy them in bulk (roughly 1,000 earthworms per pound) from a worm grower.
How often do I feed the worms?
Feedstock throughput in vermiculture is based roughly on how many worms you have. Eisenia fetida will consume 50% to 100% of their body weight per day. Assume the worms will eat half of their body weight each day. The number of worms you have is measured in pounds; there are approximately 1,000 red wigglers per pound . So, one pound of worms can consume half a pound of food per day in the proper conditions.
Instead of disposing of these materials in landfills, they can be recycled, composted, or
vermicomposted.
You can recycle your waste with the help of worms. Vermicomposting (composting with worms) turns many kinds of kitchen waste into a nutritious fertilizer for plants. When worm compost is added to soil, it increases the nutrients to plants and enhances soil texture and drainage.
Using worms to decompose food waste offers these advantages:
* It reduces kitchen garbage disposal costs;
* It produces less odor and attracts fewer pests than putting food scraps into a garbage container;
* It reduces the cost of water and electricity that kitchen sink garbage disposal units use;
* It produces a free, high-quality soil (compost);
* It doesn't take much space, labor, or maintenance;
* It produces free worms for fishing.
What type of earthworm should I use for vermicomposting?
Of the 4,000+ species of earthworms, only half a dozen of them are suitable for
vermicomposting. The most commonly used species is Eisenia fetida (Red wigglers).
Where do I obtain Eisenia fetida earthworms for vermicomposting?
Don't buy vermicomposting worms from a bait shop. You need at least 1,000 worms, and bait shops only sell about a dozen worms per cup. Buy them in bulk (roughly 1,000 earthworms per pound) from a worm grower.
How often do I feed the worms?
Feedstock throughput in vermiculture is based roughly on how many worms you have. Eisenia fetida will consume 50% to 100% of their body weight per day. Assume the worms will eat half of their body weight each day. The number of worms you have is measured in pounds; there are approximately 1,000 red wigglers per pound . So, one pound of worms can consume half a pound of food per day in the proper conditions.
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