Vermicompost an organic fertilizer and a great way to get rid of your kitchen waste

Vermicompost is an excellent fertilizer and everyone can prepare it. Those of us who have their own garden as well as those who want to make compost at home. It’s not complicated, but you have to follow few rules to prepare a good “worm humus” – which is another name for this organic fertilizer. This method of composting is a “living method”, and your compost will change from day to day, so you don’t have to worry about unpleasant smells (if done correctly).

Earthworms as the basis

Vermicomposting is actually a process where you try to take care of earthworms as best as you can. Earthworms are an important part of vermicomposting. If “your” earthworms suffer from a lack of air, from drought or, too much moisture, they will not do well and neither will your compost. Plus you will certainly notice the typical “aroma” of rotting and decaying food. Keep in mind that earthworms only eat fruits and vegetables! Potato peels, leftover vegetable scraps, banana peels etc. – all of these belong in compost. Please, do not put meat, cheese or bones in the compost.

Photo: Pixabay

Can you add something else to your compost besides fruits and vegetables?

Other option to enrich your compost is to add paper napkins or coffee grounds – earthworms enjoy this waste. If you are thinking about eggshells, you may add them to the compost too, but make sure to let them dry overnight and grind them into the smallest pieces possible. You should also cut fruits and vegetables into small pieces because earthworms can process small pieces easier. The smaller the better.

How to maintain the correct humidity?

Keep the temperature between 4 and 25 °C. This temperature is suitable and earthworms can live and work easily. But humidity is also important. If you’re new to composting know that you will probably need to add water to your compost to get it going. However, when the composting starts you should watch the water content carefully. Compost tends to suffer from excessive moisture – but you can easily get rid of excessive water by “pumping” it out. You can also put a foamy egg pad or other paper in the compost to absorb the excess of water.

How should you use vericompost?

There are devices called vermicomposters and they are equipped with a little valve at the bottom. After two to three months of composting, you should see a liquid coming out of the valve which is actually called a “worm tea”. Yes, nasty, but that’s nature, and this liquid is very nutritious for your plants – you can use it for indoor and outdoor plants . Just dilute it with water in 1:9 ratio before use. If you have more worm tea than you can use, store it in a cool, dark place. And that’s it!

Preview photo: Pixabay