|
|
How to tell when enough earth worms are in your vermicompost KIT:
Here again, there is a difference of opinion. Some say that only so many per square inch. But then others say that they really overcrowd them and they do fine. Personally I'm always to anxious to start a new unit to let them max out. So, when it looks like there is enough, I move half of them. If it doesn't look like there is enough, I leave them. This tendency of mine is with my general attitude that they work for me, not me for them.. So, if it's a nice day and I feel like doing some physical labor, I separate them. If its a hot, cold, muggy, I don't want too, kind of day then they aren't overcrowded at all!
I feel that if they aren't overcrowded that they will multiply faster, as with almost any type of creature. "Go forth and multiply". Be your own judge, a good indicator is if they start hanging out around the edges of the bins, looking for "new territory", this will usually be the larger adults and breeders.
What to do with the EXTRAS?
Since most people that enter the earthworm, vermicomposting business can't wait to sell their first bunch of earthworms, rightly so, since that is the general aim in the first place, there are some considerations that should help you to decide at which point in time to do this.
Each worm that you sell will produce about 8 babies each 2-4 weeks, so it will produce about 208 to 416 per year. But when you figure that each one of those will likewise start producing at about 3 months old and their babies at three months old. That one worm is worth about 12,288 worms in offspring per year. So the question would be if you sell early, the guy you sell to is getting the production, not you and is that what you really want to do? I have always preferred to get several good working bins and then sell off the excess, later instead of earlier...
I envision a huge demand for earthworms in the very near future, the earthworms have always sold fairly well, but its only when they can be put to a good use that they really become invaluable. Using them for vermicomposting is a very good use.
Keep it clean, feed it to the worms... and enjoy.
Assignment:
Write to me how your kits are doing... Judy or post on blog keep checking them for signs of trouble.
Next lesson we start on AVSA and how it works and can work for you.. If you haven't downloaded your AVSA plans yet, now is the time to do it! We will be using these plans in the last lessons, to make scale models and see how AVSA works and how it can work for you!
Judy
|
FREE Earthworm Lessons on line and Newsletter If you find the free information on this website useful or informative, please consider making a donation in any amount to help us keep it that way for others. Thank you Can't make a donation? Help out by telling a friend, so they may benefit also.
|
T-Dome Homes Basic Manual