Using Worms To Make Compost

Using Worms To Make Compost LIVESTOCK Miscellaneous Rhonda Sherman does worm composting by the book In fact she wrote a book called “The Worm Farmer’s Handbook” and she operates a worm composting system at North Carolina State University’s Compost Learning Lab “Often people will see a YouTube video on the subject and decide to try it ” says Sherman an extension specialist “After they have product they will contact me and ask where to sell it ” She recommends developing business and marketing plans before thinking about equipment And then start small Sherman suggests learning to feed and maintain about a pound of worms before expanding Her book can help It covers about 2 dozen successful vermicomposting operations in detail including her own at the Compost Learning Lab She uses 45 by 48-in vegetable-hauling bins with smooth sides and ventilation slots on every side and on the bottom Each bin holds up to 1 300 lbs and costs about $230 She insulates the bins to stabilize the temperature which in her case with an open barn is really hot in the summer and quite cold in the winter Sherman starts with 6 in of moist mature compost fully cured and with a small particle size This prevents it from heating up She adds 1 lb of worms per square foot of surface area She then adds about an inch of dairy manure feedstock at a time She feeds raw manure with straw but recommends pre-composted manure to eliminate weed seeds and break down the straw “A 5-gal bucketful is about right for the bin ” she says “I dump it in and spread it around leaving a couple of inches of bedding exposed around the edges This is a safe zone for the worms ” As the worms consume the chunky manure the surface begins to flatten out When it is flat like a pool table it is time for more manure In her open barn it can take a week between feedings In a temperature-controlled system it might take only 2 or 3 days “No matter what kind of system you feed according to consumption not on a schedule ” says Sherman The only problem with her system is harvest She removes the top 6 in where most of the worms can be found and digs out the castings If Sherman’s system is labor intensive Tom Christenberry’s is not Vermicomposting for nearly 50 years he has tried a variety of systems but prefers trenches in the ground He has had them outside in greenhouses and in long barns “I’m retired now but still do some vermicomposting in the backyard ” says Christenberry of Wilson N C “The trenches were the easiest system to manage and the cheapest They let you take advantage of the warmth of the earth ” The trenches were uniformly 3 ft wide and about 18 to 20 in deep Half-in thick plastic panels lined the side walls to keep the worms in the trench About 6 in of 80 percent moisture wood fiber-based compost such as ground-up wood chips were placed at the bottom of the trench With an open-topped system it is essential to keep the area lit at night “The lights keep the worms from climbing out of the beds at night ” says Christenberry The width allowed him to straddle the trench with a tractor He would drop in the woody compost and then apply the feedstock manure he prefers hog manure for its fine grain using a manure spreader without the spinner “I would lay down a 2 1/2-ft wide stream of manure never more than 3 in thick ” says Christenberry “This left spaces at the sides for the worms to escape to should the manure start to heat ” Christenberry would start out with Sherman’s 1 lb of worms per square foot and manage from there “In a month they can double ” he says “By the end of 2 months you should move half of them out and into another bed ” In addition to managing the worm count Christenberry emphasizes an 80 percent moisture level for the worms and maintaining a comfortable temperature Excess moisture drains away through the wood compost base Adding moisture is as simple as driving over the trench and applying a mist as needed Temperature is a matter of the facility He recommends a greenhouse or open ended barn In more northern climates he suggests closed barns with heated water piped through the trench in the winter “When you see someone doing something well copy it the best you can and follow their suggestions ” says Christenberry “People get greedy and take shortcuts like keeping too many worms in a bed Just like having too many cows or hogs in a pen they won’t do well ” Sherman notes that Christenberry was unique in using hog manure for his vermicompost Most operations use dairy manure However University of Ohio researchers evaluated product from multiple different feedstocks and found Christenberry’s best overall Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Rhonda Sherman North Carolina State University Dept of Horticultural Science 160 Kilgore Hall Raleigh N C 27695 sherman@ncsu edu or Thomas Christenberry 1305 Buxton Rd Wilson N C 27896 christenberry@myglnc com

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