[compost_tea] Re: More information on storing worm castings/vermicompost

From: hi_yield1 <hi_yield1_at_yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 02 Jan 2004 07:06:28 -0000

Thanks Kelly,
I will talk to our local Co-Op people and someone at the university.
When I find someone who can identify our local worm population I will
gladly pass it on. You gave me allot to think about and maybe as you
suggest it's not the number of tenants it's a lack of housing? Again
thanks and take care Hi_Yield.

--- In compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com, "Kelly Slocum" <kelly_at_b...> wrote:
> Kirk! I was hoping you'd be here. Thank you for the very kind
welcome!
>
> Hi_Yield, I'm not clear on your goal in using or wishing to
encourage
> worms, so please let me know if my response misses the mark.
>
> The majority of worm species commonly used in vermicomposting or
> castings production systems are not worms that over-winter as
adults in
> climates like that of Alaska as they are not burrowing species that
can
> escape the cold extremes. Because they tend to be surface dwelling
> species (in nature), referred to as epigeic worms, the adults are
killed
> by the freezing temps. The amazingly hardy cocoons, however,
survive
> even Alaskan cold to hatch a new generation of worms when spring
thaws
> arrive. As such, many epigeic worms will survive in your garden
> provided the soil environment is suitable to them, just not
necessarily
> as adults.
>
> Eisenai fetida, commonly called the redworm, is the species most
> commonly used in North American worm beds designed for waste
management
> or castings production, and is common to many areas of Alaska. Of
all
> the worm species identified for use in vermicomposting systems this
> species has been identified as the one most tolerant of
environmental
> fluctuation, handling and variation in feedstock. It is a prolific
> breeder and is found on nearly every land mass of the planet, thus
there
> are rarely concerns about introducing an alien species that might
cause
> local environmental concerns.
>
> It sounds as though you are trying to increase worm populations in
your
> garden soil, however. If this is the case then the typical
> recommendation is to not introduce any worms at all, but to amend
the
> soil so that localized worm populations will be drawn to the garden;
> sort of the "if you build it, they will come" idea. It's important
that
> you keep in mind that the type and number of worms currently living
in
> your soil are the type and number that can be supported by your
soil in
> its current state. Worm populations will naturally achieve a
status quo
> based on available food, space and environmental conditions. Adding
> more worms is often simply a death sentence for them because were
the
> environment suitable for more worms more worms would be present.
If you
> want more worms, you must correspondingly increase food resources,
and
> that means organic matter and its corresponding load of
microbiology.
> Earthworms derive the bulk of their nutrients not from organic
matter or
> soil particles, but from the bodies of the microorganisms living on
that
> organic matter and soil. As such, worms cannot survive in
biologically
> barren soils, and microbiology suffers in exposed soils with too
little
> organic matter, and in chemically contaminated soils. Mulch the
soil,
> increase the biology using good tea, plant roots and organic matter
> additions, and the worms will ultimately come to work
synergistically
> within this food web.
>
> Another challenge to trying to add worms to your soil is the need to
> understand which worms will do well in your area, which is what I
> believe you were asking specifically. So, to answer succinctly, I
don't
> know, though I wish I had such data! Determining suitable species
is
> not as simple as determining the local temperature range. Different
> soil series, moisture levels, plant types, even barometric pressure
> patterns in a given area will influence the worm species that can
and
> will survive. Few areas of the world have surveyed their local worm
> species/populations, thus it is unlikely the data on which worms are
> best for your soil have been collected. Your local agricultural
> university or department of the environment would likely be those
who
> would have such information had it actually been collected. If you
find
> that they do, I would genuinely appreciate it if you would be
willing to
> share it with me!
>
> Kelly
>
> Kelly Slocum
> Chief Science Officer, Vice President
> Bon Terra, Inc.
> phone 360.253.5465
> fax 360.253.5466
> email kelly_at_b...
> htttp://www.bonterra.net
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: hi_yield1 [mailto:hi_yield1_at_y...]
> Sent: Thursday, January 01, 2004 3:50 PM
> To: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [compost_tea] Re: More information on storing worm
> castings/vermicompost
>
> Dear Kelly
> What kind of worm would you recommend for the far north, Alaska. I
> would like for them to be able to overwinter in the garden and I
have
> some that do. But if I was to bring some in what species would you
> advise? Thanks Hi_Yield1.
>
> --- In compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com, "Kelly Slocum" <kelly_at_b...>
wrote:
> >
> > I realized after my post regarding worm castings storage (and the
> emails
> > that post generated) that we may not have adequately addressed the
> issue
> > of moisture content as it relates to storage. Plastic containers
> are
> > often viewed as advantageous for castings storage because they do
> not
> > breathe and will help to hold moisture in the material. When
> castings
> > have a moisture content no greater than that of potting soil from
a
> > freshly opened bag (approximately 15%-30% moisture) the plastic
> helps to
> > maintain that moisture level, preventing rapid drying and, thus,
the
> > potential damage to the biology. This relatively low moisture
level
> > also ensures that oxygen flow/diffusion through the materials is
> > sufficient to maintain aerobicity. If the castings are too wet,
> > however, air flow, and more importantly oxygen diffusion through
and
> > into the castings "pellets" can be decreased, a condition further
> > exacerbated in plastic containers by the fact that plastic does
not
> > allow for fresh air movement into the container as well as do more
> > porous materials like wood. So, in our discussions of how best to
> store
> > castings we need to include the topic of moisture level.
> >
> > When castings first come out of a worm system they tend to be
rather
> > wet. It is best to dry them before storing by spreading in thin
> layers
> > in a protected environment like a barn or garage floor. This
> should be
> > done out of direct sunlight as UV light can damage the beneficial
> biota,
> > and fans are not recommended as they can cause rapid drying of the
> > surface material. If there is insufficient room to spread the
> castings
> > they can be piled, but the pile should be periodically turned to
> prevent
> > over-drying of the surface materials while the center of the pile
> > remains wet and can potentially become anaerobic. Frequent
turning
> is
> > not necessarily recommended, however, as another advantage to this
> > drying phase is that it is also allowing the fungal biomass in the
> > material to increase (in castings that had sufficient fungal
> content and
> > fungal foods to begin with). Frequent turning can inhibit this
> process.
> >
> > While we do not want castings to be stored in an overly wet
> condition,
> > nor do we want them to dry completely. While 15% moisture will
> actually
> > feel very dry (castings will flow very much like dry sand at this
> > moisture level) there is still a fair amount of water associated
> with
> > the stuff. Castings that are completely dry will feel gritty and
> sharp,
> > like sand, and become hydrophobic, meaning they will not be
> re-wetted.
> > You can leave completely dried out castings in a bucket of water
> for a
> > month and they will not adequately recover their ability to hold
> water.
> > So dry them down, but don't dry them out!
> >
> > I hope this provides a more comprehensive explanation for storing
> > castings and helps to provide a base of information that helps
folks
> > make a better informed decision on castings storage concepts. I
> > apologize if my previous post caused confusion!
> >
> > Kelly
> >
> > Kelly Slocum
> > Chief Science Officer, Vice President
> > Bon Terra, Inc.
> > phone 360.253.5465
> > fax 360.253.5466
> > email kelly_at_b...
>
>
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Received on Fri Jan 02 2004 - 09:35:20 EST

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