Wondrous World of Worms!! Rhianna Simes OSU Land Steward Coordinator

Wondrous World of Worms!! Rhianna Simes OSU Land Steward Coordinator

Vermicomposting Vermi-culture- is the artificial rearing or cultivation of earthworms Worm bin- is any container that holds earthworms, their bedding and food (used in vermicomposting) Vermicompost- is the excreta of earthworm, which is rich in nutrients, necessary for healthy plant growth (aka castings)

The Chinese character for worm translates to Earth Angel Feliz como un lumbris Earthworms are also called nature s plough It may be doubted whether there are many other animals which have played so important a part in the history of the world as these lowly organized creatures (Charles Darwin 1881) Earth worms are amazingly strong, and can easily shift stones 60 times there own weight.

4400 named species of earthworms on this planet Broken into three categories, largely descriptive of their habits in the soil, endogeic, anecic and epigeic.

Worm species and categories Endogeic- Lateral burrows Rarely surface Eat soil Medium sized Epigeic- Live in top soil Prefer loose organic litter Feed on surface debris Do well in dense populations Ex: Eisenia fetida Anecic- (night crawlers, Lumbricus terrestris) Permanent lateral burrows 6ft+ (personalized) Build midden mounds near burrow entrance Have little retractable hairs (setae) Very large with less pigmentation

Worms in the soil They took human sewage slug, cow dung and rice straw and composted it with worms. They checked it for deadly bacteria. They found it contained all 7 of the deadly bacteria, (ecoli, etc.). They checked every 7 days At the end of 35 days, all the deadly bacteria had been destroyed through the process generated by the worms. Study of Earthworm activity, India, 2006

Advantages of Vermicomposting Vermicompost is an eco-friendly natural fertilizer Prepared from organic waste Free to produce 100% natural and organic It improves soil aeration, texture and soil tilth It increases the water retention capacity of soil Keeps food scraps out of the landfill Does not take much space Great way to get rid of sensitive documents Nutrients are available immediately It is fun!

Anatomy of the Earthworm Interesting Worm facts: -Both male & female organs -Have 5 hearts -Breathe through their skin -Baby worms are hatched from a worm egg called a cocoon -Use their pharynx to make their food small enough to eat

Life Span Red wigglers can live for three or four years. Each worm can release 100 or more eggs per year, and two or more young worms hatch from a single egg. A baby worm takes four to six weeks to reach sexual maturity.

Building a worm bin Similar ingredients to composting: 1. A container with air holes 2. Kitchen Scraps or yard debris -Fruit peels, veggie scraps, old flowers, grains, or cereal 3. Bedding or dry, organic material -Newspaper, coco fiber, straw, or leaves 4. A bit of native soil 5. A protected place to keep them

Worm bins Don t have to be fancy or expensive Any container with air holes will work Avoid temperature extremes Examples of common bin styles:

Coolers make great outdoor bins

What do I feed my worms? Fresh or decaying organic material anything found in natural world (with exceptions) The smaller the pieces the better Examples: fruits, old food, leaves, veggies, grains, pasta, grass, & other plant matter Avoid: -Overloading your bin with citrus or fruits with a lot of seeds Seeds will often re-sprout

Worms do not want to eat»dairy Products like Cheese and milk»synthetic fibers or plastic»sugary foods like cake and cookies»animal meat»manure from carnivorous animals ( like dogs, & cats)

& synthetic fibers What bedding should I use? Shredded newspaper Old documents (no colored inks) Old cotton rags, sheets, blankets Dry leaves Coco fiber Straw Avoid magazine or glossy pages, lots of colored inks,

Layering your worm bin Start with bedding Then add organic material / veggie scraps Add your worms A little native soil Then more bedding Repeat layers Note: Always end with bedding to prevent flies and bad smells

Always end with bedding Helps reduce fruit flies, bad smells, and retains moisture

Worms crawling up the sides of the bin Take the lid off and let the bedding dry out a bit Add crushed egg shells to reduce the acid level in the bin Mix shredded newspaper in with the bedding (the worms may be lacking air space). Moisten dry bedding so it is slightly damp.

Other creatures in the worm bin Spring tails (look like little grey mites) Pot worms (tiny, transparent worms) Soldier Fly larva (segmented, tan) Avoid letting flies, gnats, earwigs, centipedes, or beetles in your worm bin

Separate worms from their castings

Methods for Harvesting Castings There are many ways to harvest worm castings: 1. dump and sort 2. let the worms do the sorting 3. divide and dump 4. alternate containers

Dump and Sort

Migration Method Worms go towards food and away from the light

Creating Sections

Bag method

Optional: Screen castings

Utilizing your Worm Castings Use an old spoon or cup to scoop out castings Put in your watering can = tea Top dress potted plants Add to vegetable garden Create tea bag and soak in water Amend old potting soil

Applications in the garden Make sure worms have something to eat (Tidy gardens = less food for worms) Avoid tilling, instead work soil with a digging fork Mulch, Mulch, Mulch!! Leave roots in soil at end of season Add organic matter at least 4 times per year Avoid plastic and landscape fabric Maintain soil moisture Without the work of this humble creature, who knows nothing of the benefits he confers upon mankind, agriculture, as we know it, would be very difficult, if not wholly impossible Charles Darwin

Case Study: Ruch silty loam?

What happened?

Organic Matter is KEY!

Other Questions? Can I put kitty litter in my worm bin? Can magazine pages go in the worm bin? Should I put paper napkins in my bin? Can I dig up worms from my yard and put them in a worm bin? What sense can I use to easily trouble shoot my worm bin? What do I add on top to food scraps in the bin? How do I encourage worms in my garden?

Resources Worms Eat My Garbage Mary Appelhof The Worm Book Loren Nancarrow www.worms.com www.compostguy.com www.vermiculture.ca

May the Worms be with you! For more information or to purchase worms Worm sales benefit the Land Steward program $20 per pound Please call or email the Land Steward Coordinator rhianna.simes@oregonstate.edu *541-776-7371 x226

Living On Your Land 1-day educational conference Saturday, April 5 th 2014 For more information email rhianna.simes@oregonstate.edu