Vermiculture

'Vermiculture' literally means worm growing or worm farming. When earthworms are
used primarily for the production of compost, the practice is referred to as
vermicomposting.

Why all the excitement about earthworms?

Earthworms are truly amazing creatures that hold vast potential for addressing many of
our current ecological concerns, including climate change and food security. Perhaps
surprisingly, this is not breaking news.
After writing The Origin of Species Charles Darwin devoted much of the rest of his life to
the study of earthworms. In his book The Formation of Vegetable Mould through the
Actions of Worms with Observations on their Habits Darwin wrote The plough is one
of the most ancient and most valuable of man's inventions, but long before he existed,
the land was in fact regularly ploughed, and still continues to be ploughed by
earthworms. It may be doubted whether there are many other animals which have
played so important a part in the history of the world as have these lowly organised
creatures.
Earthworms aerate, till and fertilize the soil, breaking down organic waste into plantavailable forms, improving the soil structure and nutrient and water-holding qualities of
soil. In the past 50 years in particular, the use of chemical fertilizers, over-tillage of the
soil and the use of pesticides have killed earthworms and other beneficial organisms,
leading to poor soil fertility, loss of soil structure and soil erosion. At the same time,
rotting organic waste dumped in landfills is polluting our underground water supply and
releasing vast amounts of the greenhouse gases responsible for global warming.
Earthworms eat organic waste and give us healthy soil and organic fertilizer in return.
Put simply, it is a deal that humanity cannot afford to pass up.

Some earthworm facts

As worms move through soil and decaying organic matter, they ingest (eat) and aerate it,
depositing castings as they go. These castings are rich in nutrients and beneficial soil
organisms. Inside the gut of one worm there are enzymes and masses of bacteria and
microbes. Everything that passes through the gut of an earthworm is coated with these
beneficial microbes and bacteria.
While fertile soil has in the region of 5-million microbes per gram, worm castings have
been found to contain up to 100-million microbes per gram - up to 20 times more! In the
soil, these microbes continue to break down organic matter into plant-available forms,
thereby enabling plant roots to take up nutrients that would otherwise have stayed bound
in the soil. These beneficial organisms also suppress the growth of pathogens, which
means healthy soil and healthy plants.
Not surprisingly, it is these very microbes that play a major role in determining soil
fertility, so it is ironic that earthworms are the very creatures that are killed by inorganic
fertilizer applications. While we have been taught that bacteria are 'bad', the vast
majority of bacteria are not pathogenic to humans, in fact many are beneficial and
essential to sustaining the processes of life.
As long as the decaying organic matter is maintained at the correct pH and prevented
from becoming anaerobic (when there is too little oxygen), no foul odours are created,
pests are not attracted and the process remains hygienic. It is only when the pH is out of
balance or the decaying organic material becomes anaerobic that pathogens and toxinproducing bacteria begin to proliferate, and pests are more likely to be attracted.
Researchers have identified and named thousands of distinct species of earthworm, but
to date only around six have been identified as useful in vermiculture systems. These
species have the ability to tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions and

fluctuations and they are not adversely affected by handling and disruption of their
habitat. Other qualities that make these species suitable include relatively short life
spans, and rapid growth and reproductive rates.
Eisenia fetida, its close relative, Eisenia andrei, and Lumbricus rubellus are the
earthworm species most commonly used in vermiculture. They are referred to by a
variety of common names, including red worms, red wigglers, tiger worms, brandling
worms, and manure worms. They are often raised together and are difficult to tell apart.

What is FullCycle's interest in vermiculture?

Earthworm systems are typically managed for one of three reasons; waste management,
production of worm biomass and production of castings (vermicomposting). FullCycle's
interest in vermiculture primarily has to do with the promotion of environmentally sound
waste management practices, but also the beneficial re-use of waste/resources through
the production of solid (vermicompost) and liquid fertilizer (vermi-tea or worm tea).
FullCycle sells Can-O-Worms and Worm Factory, among the most popular domestic
worm bins worldwide. FullCycle aslo designs, commissions and manages modular
vermiculture systems for on-site organic waste management at hotels and businesses.
At these commercial installations, maintenence schedules and the health of the system
can be monitored via an SMS system called EMON, which stores data in a database for
later analysis on-line. The system automatically warns managers by SMS if the data
received is outside pre-defined parameters, or if there are problems requiring attention.
Our goal is to supply, develop and in certain cases maintain well-run systems that meet
the stringent requirements of our clients, providing both exceptional service and
environmental quality.
The earthworm is one of nature's pinnacle "soil scientists." Earthworms are liberated,
cost effective farm relief. The worms are accountable for a variety of elements
including turning common soil into superior quality. Worms facilitate the amount of air
and water that travels into soil. They break down organic matter and when they eat,
they leave behind castings that are an exceptionally valuable type of fertilizer.
Charles Darwin's primal struggle to survive and reproduce entailed the terminal
disappearance called extinction (extinction being the death of the species and so the
death of deaths). Darwin was haunted by irredeemable loss and studied the benefits of
worms over one hundred years ago. Today, his foresight on the topic of Vermiculture
(worms) has influenced the profit margin for many farmers across the country.
The art of composting has been part of our global culture since ancient times. The
basic principles are quite simple, and adhering to them will result in an efficient and
successful outcome. Studies have shown that home composting can divert an average
of 700 lbs. of material per household per year from the waste stream. Municipal
composting carries a greater environmental cost, but not nearly as high as if leaf and
yard waste are disposed of by conventional means.
Today there are several different reasons why composting remains an invaluable
practice. Yard and food wastes make up approximately 30% of the waste stream in the
United States. Composting most of these waste streams would reduce the amount of
Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) requiring disposal by almost one fourth, while at the
same time provide a nutrient-rich soil amendment. Compost added to gardens
improves soil structure, texture, aeration, and water retention.
When mixed with compost, clay soils are lightened, and sandy soils retain water better.
Mixing compost with soil also contributes to erosion control, soil fertility, proper pH
balance, and healthy root development in plants.

The standard means of disposal for most yard and food waste include landfilling and
incineration. These practices are not as environmentally or economically sound as
composting. Yard waste which is landfilled breaks down very slowly due to the lack of
oxygen. As it decomposes, it produces methane gas and acidic leachate, which are both
environmental problems
Vermicomposting is the easiest way to recycle food wastes and is ideal for people who
do not have an outdoor compost pile. Composting with worms avoids the needless
disposal of vegetative food wastes and enjoy the benefits of a high quality compost. It
is done with "redworms" (Eisenia fetida) who are happiest at temperatures between
50o and 70o F and can be kept indoors at home, school, or the office. Worms process
food quickly and transform food wastes into nutrient-rich "castings."
The worms will gradually reproduce or die according to the amount of food they
receive. A sudden addition of a large amount of food waste may attract fruit flies, so
increases should be made gradually.

Suitable species
One of the earthworm species most often used for composting is the Red Wiggler (Eisenia fetida or Eisenia
andrei); Lumbricus rubellus (a.k.a. red earthworm or dilong (China)) is another breed of worm that can be used,
but it does not adapt as well to the shallow compost bin as does Eisenia fetida. European nightcrawlers (Eisenia
hortensis) may also be used. Users refer to European nightcrawlers by a variety of other names, including
dendrobaenas, dendras, and Belgian nightcrawlers. African Nightcrawlers (Eudrilus eugeniae) are another set of
popular composters. Lumbricus terrestris (a.k.a. Canadian nightcrawlers (US) or common earthworm (UK)) are
not recommended, as they burrow deeper than most compost bins can accommodate. [4]
Blueworms (Perionyx excavatus) may be used in the tropics.[5]
These species commonly are found in organic-rich soils throughout Europe and North America and live in
rotting vegetation, compost, and manure piles. They may be aninvasive species in some areas.[1][6] As they are
shallow-dwelling and feed on decomposing plant matter in the soil, they adapt easily to living on food or plant
waste in the confines of a worm bin.
Composting worms are available to order online, from nursery mail-order suppliers or angling shops where they
are sold as bait. They can also be collected from compost and manure piles. These species are not the same
worms that are found in ordinary soil or on pavement when the soil is flooded by wate

Large scale
Large-scale vermicomposting is practiced in Canada, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, and the United
States.[7][8] The vermicompost may be used for farming, landscaping, to create compost tea, or for sale. Some of
these operations produce worms for bait and/or home vermicomposting.
There are two main methods of large-scale vermiculture. Some systems use a windrow, which consists of
bedding materials for the earthworms to live in and acts as a large bin; organic material is added to it. Although
the windrow has no physical barriers to prevent worms from escaping, in theory they should not due to an
abundance of organic matter for them to feed on. Often windrows are used on a concrete surface to prevent
predators from gaining access to the worm population.

Movement of castings through a worm bed.

The second type of large-scale vermicomposting system is the raised bed or flow-through system. Here the
worms are fed an inch of "worm chow" across the top of the bed, and an inch of castings are harvested from
below by pulling a breaker bar across the large mesh screen which forms the base of the bed.
Because red worms are surface dwellers constantly moving towards the new food source, the flow-through
system eliminates the need to separate worms from the castings before packaging. Flow-through systems are
well suited to indoor facilities, making them the preferred choice for operations in colder climates.