Alvares, Rahul; Natural history -- India -- Anecdotes
First, 6-8 holes should be made (one at each corner and four in the
middle of the crate). A pot or a bucket needs about 3-5 holes. The
crate or pit must first be filled with a one inch layer of pebbles or
broken bricks. Then, a half to one inch layer of sand should be spread.
Over that, a five to six inch layer of soil should be spread. Then
Lampito mauritii and Perionyx excavatus earthworms should be
introduced. The soil must then be moistened with water. A little bit of
cowdung (nitrogen) and some hay (carbon) should be spread on it, and
the contents of the pit left for 20-30 days. This is called a vermibed.
The cowdung and hay will allow the worms to multiply. With this, the
vermicompost crate or pit will be ready for processing organic waste.
All organic waste should be evenly spread out on the vermibed. As far
as possible add garbage in small quantities regularly rather than
dumping large quantities at one go. The earthworm begins processing the
garbage immediately. Water the container occasionally so that the
vermibed remains moist. Once the container is full with organic waste,
it should be covered with a little soil and allowed to decompose
undisturbed. Only watering the pit should continue. After it has
decomposed fully (roughly 45 days) watering must be stopped for about 3
to 5 days. This will force the earthworms to migrate down to the bottom
of the container which will have some moisture as compared with the top
soil. Then the top layer of soil which is really the organic matter
which has been converted into manure should be removed without
disturbing the vermibed. This organic manure can be used for plants.
Vermiwash
A drum, barrel or bucket can be used for making vermiwash. The drum or
bucket should be placed on supports a little above the ground. A hole
should be made at the bottom of the container. A pipe should be pushed
through the hole and a tap attached to the outer end.
The bottom of the drum should be covered with a layer of gravel (about
6-8 inches). Over it, a layer of sand (6-8 inches), and then a layer of
soil (6-8 inches) should be spread. The earthworms should then be
introduced and the soil moistened a little. Then a little bit of
cowdung and hay should be mixed together and scattered over it. This
should be left for a few days.
Whenever vermiwash is needed, water should be sprinkled with a shower
or, gradually poured on top of it (5 litres of water for a 150 litres
drum). The water will pass through the earthworm burrows and the
organically rich soil will become liquid manure and can be collected at
the bottom of the container. As the hay and cowdung is eaten up by the
earthworms, this should gradually be replaced.
Conclusion
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