Vermicomposting

Vermicomposting process gives us very good quality compost in a matter of few days, this happens with the help of earthworms. These "creepy-crawly" creatures are the most useful gardeners.
They break down dead plant material and other organic wastes, recycle the nutrients, and turn over the soil. During this process the worms also regenerate and their population doubles in approximately 10 weeks.
The compost is ready when the material is moderately loose and crumbly and the color of the compost is dark brown. It becomes black, granular, lightweight and humus-rich.

Earthworms are introduced into the loamy soil bed, which the worms will inhabit as their home. About 100 earthworms (a combination of epidemics and anecics) should be introduced into a compost pit of about 4m x 1m x 0.5m, The vermibed should always be kept moist, but should never be flooded.

Handful? lumps of fresh cattle dung are then placed at random over the vermibed. The compost pit is then layered to about 50 mm with dry leaves or preferably chopped hay/straw. For the next 30 days the pit is kept moist by watering it whenever necessary. The bed should neither be dry nor soggy. The pit may then be covered with coconut or Palmyra leaves or an old jute (gunny) bag to discourage birds. Plastic sheets on the bed are to be avoided as they trap heat.

After the first 30 days, as above, wet organic waste of animal and/or plant origin from the kitchen or hotel or hostel or farm that has been pre-digested is spread over it to a thickness of about 50 mm. This can be repeated twice a week. All these organic wastes can be turned over or mixed periodically with a pickaxe or a spade. Care should be taken not to disturb the vermibed in which the worms live. Keep adding garbage till the compost pit is nearly full. Continue to keep the pit moist for another 30 to 45 days, turning over the material in the pit with care avoiding injury to the worms. Turning over can be done on every fifth or seventh day with the help of a forked spade