Composting with redworms

Before livestock manure becomes worm bedding, it's pre-composted. Mixing promotes aerobic microbrial activity.

The most common worms used for composting are Eisenia fetida and Eisenia andrei. They may be little, but these worms have enormous appetites. Red marsh worms (Lubricus
rubellus), are also good composters. Redworms are a great investment! Here's why:

Fun Facts

• Young, rapidly growing redworms can eat more than their own weight of organic matter each day.
  
  
• On average 1 lb. of redworms will consume about 8 oz. of food each day.
   
• Depending on environment, redworms generally live about one year.
  
  
• Redworms reach maturity in about 10 weeks.
  
  
• Redworms replace themselves many times over, doubling in population
  every 3-4 months.
  
  
• When redworms die, they contribute essential nitrogen to the soil.
  
  
• Earthworms are being used to help clean up contaminated soils.
  
  
• Plants grown in soils amended with worm castings have been shown to be more disease and parasite resistant.
  
  
• Worms have both male and female reproductive organs (referred to as "hermaphrodites"), but they do not self-fertilize.
  
  
• Worm hatchlings emerge 2-4 from a lemon-shaped cocoon. Cocoons are about the size of cracked whole wheat.
  

Vermicomposting Challenges

Since we grow worms outdoors rather than in a climate-controlled building, weather is our biggest challenge. In Colorado, it's hot and dry in the summer, and cold, windy and dry in the winter. Maintaining the right environment so the worms will thrive is something we have to work at.

Another concern is the agricultural practices of surrounding properties. When they use herbicides, pesticides and synthetic fertilizers on crops, fields, lawns, and open space, it can impact our worms and the quality of the vermicompost we’re able to produce. We're working with our neighbors to try to minimize those risks.

We also worry about worm predators and diseases. By maintaining the proper environment, we can reduce those problems as well.

Currently, we do almost everything by hand, but as we grow our operation, we'll mechanize some tasks so we can operate more efficiently while still keeping our worm farm environmentally friendly.