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Collecting Vermicompost
Commercially available vermicompost
systems will all have instructions on how to collect the vermicast and all may differ
but if you have built your own system, your method may be different from any of
them.
The one thing in common with all systems is that the vermicast will
end up on the bottom. This is because the worms will be constantly
consuming uneaten food in their bedding and depositing their castings in it or
just above it, eventually turning their entire bedding into pure vermicast.
In nature, this is how they contribute to the improvement of existing soil and
build up topsoil. Some castings will end up among the unfinished waste and
on top directly under the cover but in general most will continue to build up in
the region just under the fresh waste. As the depth of the vermicast
bedding increases and the bedding cools, the worms move upwards to where the
temperature is raised by the action of the
microorganisms in the decomposing waste. By the time you are
ready to collect the finished vermicast, there will be few mature
worms in it.
When to Collect the
Vermicast
If you have chosen to let one system finish while starting another,
it is time to start collecting vermicast when it has built to a
depth that some can be removed while still leaving enough to serve
as bedding.
In a new system this may take four to six months,
but as the system establishes and the population of worms increases,
it can be collected every month although there is no harm in leaving
it longer and collecting more at a time. By collecting the
vermicast in this way, if your system is the right size for your
needs, it will never fill up!
When adding your waste, as the
system establishes, you will notice a pattern developing. You
fill the system, it drops, you fill it, it drops… and so on.
At first it seems it will never fill. In a large system it is
not unusual to see the level drop 10 inches almost overnight!
Part of the drop is because of compaction of the waste material. However,
gradually the vermicast is building up and less and less room
becomes available for fresh waste. If you are going to finish
one system and start another, it is time to do this when the system
isn't dropping enough to make room for your new
waste.
Collecting from
the Bottom
A small to medium, lightweight system
made from a circle of wire or a plastic
bin can be lifted up to dig out the vermicast. Let the system
dry for two or three weeks beforehand so the vermicast will shrink away from the sides
and make the job easier. Then lift the sides and
support them on bricks. Shovel the bottom-most vermicast out and
let the system 'drop' then drop the sides back
down. Vermicast is light and granular so it is
easy to remove.
A larger system should have a removable side
or bottom panel and a grate. The grate will support the weight
of the unfinished compost while you dig out the vermicast with a
wide shovel. Drying the system for a few weeks beforehand will
lighten the work but don't let it dry to a point where the worms are
at risk.
In any system, always leave enough vermicast and
cooled compost for bedding.
'Finishing' A System
Except for a large system with a grate, by far the
easiest way to collect your vermicast is to let the first system
finish while starting another one. Having prepared your second
system, push the fresh and partly eaten waste aside in your first
system and remove the cooled 'live castings' from underneath to use
as bedding for the new system. This will contain all the worms
you will need for a quick start. All generations will be
represented - eggs, hatchlings, juveniles and adults. Spread
the remaining food back over the old system, cover with some 'clean'
waste such as grass clippings or shredded paper, replace your
protective cover and leave for about six weeks. In this time
the remaining worms will have just about finished the food and they
will all be near the top seeking more. Simply remove the top
layer where there is any uneaten food and put it in your new
system. This will further boost the worm
population. What is left will be finished vermicast. If
your system is made from a circle of wire, simply undo the join and
you will be left with a lovely 'cake' of vermicast. If the
system is light, completely lift the sides off to reveal your
cake. Otherwise, dig it out from your removable panel or
side. Re-prepare this first system to be restarted from the
second when that becomes full.
If you are not ready to use
your vermicast right away, it can be stored in a heap and kept
'alive' by keeping it moist. Worms will hatch in it but won't
stay if there is no food value left. Store it in a corner of
the garden where any leaching will be of benefit to the soil.
Do not store in an airtight container as all the living organisms in
it will die and produce a dreadful smell
02/01/2009
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