» Worms
Soil, as you know, is the foundation of all living and developing things on our planet, the basis of life. In order for its power not to dry up, the fertility of the soil must be constantly restored, and the most important workers in this direction are earthworms. Everything ingenious is extremely simple - the quality of the land, its fertility and high crop yields directly depend on the waste product of an ordinary earthworm. We will tell you further how to breed it at home, how and what to feed it and what care to take.
Breeding worms at home is not at all difficult. And the matter can become a very serious business, and there are at least two good reasons for this:
- creeping creatures multiply very quickly, gain useful biomass and are excellent feed for poultry (poultry farms, farms engaged in poultry breeding and egg production);
- the product of active vital activity is vermicompost– the highest quality and environmentally friendly fertilizer for farms and greenhouses.
In addition, in pharmacology these animal organisms are also used to make medicines. The use of vermicompost on personal plots and in household will allow you to significantly increase the egg production of poultry, soil fertility, and increase the yield of vegetables and fruits without the use of chemical fertilizers.
Varieties of annelids
The most common common representative of bristle annelids is the earthworm. But it is they, freely found in nature, that are least suitable for reproduction in artificial conditions. Representatives of this subspecies reproduce rather slowly, have difficulty adapting to new conditions and unfamiliar food, and live relatively short lives. They are, perhaps, only suitable for breeding for your own personal household needs.
For industrial breeding and production of vermicompost, the Russian scientist, Professor A. M. Igonin bred a special breed “Staratel”. By crossing different breeds of species living at a sufficient distance from each other, he was able to obtain individuals with completely new qualities:
- long life expectancy - from 4 to 16 years;
- reproduces quickly;
- easily tolerates changing food (any type of food can be used - from fallen leaves and grass to human food waste).
Prospectors adapt as quickly as possible to the conditions of artificial propagation and provide an excellent increase in biomass and humus.
Another variety that meets the requirements industrial production, - red Californian worm. Individuals of KKCH also multiply very quickly, increase their useful mass, process various organic human waste into vermicompost, and serve as an excellent protein feed for agricultural and fish farming.
The prospector worm is the fastest reproducing individual. In 1 year it can produce offspring of 1500 worms Household breeding technology
Necessary equipment and place for breeding
If you decide to start breeding worms, you first need to carry out preparatory work– select and prepare a place or container. The containers can be wooden, plastic or cardboard boxes (it is clear that cardboard containers will have to be changed frequently), and piles.
They are placed in a barn, garage, or any other specially designated place where the necessary conditions can be met - substrate humidity of at least 70-80% and temperature from 12-15 o C to 22-24 o C. Worms can also be bred in normal conditions. compost heap, pit.
One convenient option is to use two or three perforated boxes stacked on top of each other. The lowest one has holes around the perimeter at the top of the sides. This box is intended for vermicha – the liquid component of vermicompost. A box with perforated walls and bottom is placed on top of it, a nutrient medium for worms is placed in it and individuals are populated; the top of the boxes should be covered with burlap or other “breathable” fabric, since creepy crawlies love dark and damp places.
Making a worm
You can breed individuals on the street, right in the garden, by separating a certain place for this and fencing it with boards or other available material.
Approximate dimensions of the worm: width 1-1.2 m, height 30-40 cm, length arbitrary. Compost is placed on the bottom in a thick layer, leveled and well moistened. Then for 5-7 days the compost heap needs to be covered with material that allows air to pass through.
This could be old burlap, cardboard, or a layer of straw, which need to be watered from time to time with rain or well-settled water (at least 2-3 days).
Chlorine must completely evaporate, since it is poisonous for worms of any kind.
After a week on each square. m, a recess is made in which the creepers are placed, and again the worm chamber is covered with breathable material.
Compost preparation
As compost for putting in boxes or pits, you can use mixtures of rotted manure, bird droppings, peat, straw, leaves and stems of vegetables and weeds, crushed eggshells and food waste.
Fresh manure should never be used, it contains a large number of ammonia and the individuals die. Rotted manure 2-3 years old will also be of little use, since it no longer contains useful nutrients.
All organic materials suitable for cultivation are collected on a heap (or in a specially designated place), covered and, periodically moistened, kept for 1.5-2 months.
Own vermifarm
If you decide to get your own small worm farm, then, first of all, you need to arrange a place to keep the worms, stock up on containers, prepare compost and provide comfortable conditions for breeding.
The purchase of breeding stock is of decisive importance. The most suitable species, as already mentioned, are California red worms or prospectors. One family consists of 1500 individuals. In order to populate 1 cubic. m of compost requires 1-3 families of breeding stock.
Moving into a new place must be done with great care. First, a few individuals are released into a small amount of prepared soil in a separate container, the soil is leveled and the container is closed. After a couple of days you need to add some food. If all the worms are active, mobile, and have a characteristic red color, the entire population can be populated. If dead individuals are found, then it is necessary to correct the acidity of the soil (the most favorable environment is considered to be with an acid index of 6.5-7.5 pH).
How to feed earthworms
Earthworms are true vegetarians and they cannot tolerate protein foods: meat, fish, eggs. When buying breeding stock, you need to find out what the seller fed his wards, since the most common food is the one they tried “from birth”. Nevertheless, they quickly get used to new food, especially Prospectors. It takes some time to get used to a certain type of food, so new components should be introduced into the food supply gradually, giving the worms the opportunity to adapt.
Plant residues, potato peelings, cabbage leaves, and various food scraps from the kitchen are suitable as fertilizers. plant origin, tea room and coffee grounds, straw, grass, dry bread. Just everything you add to the compost pile should be shredded for easier and faster processing by the creeps. Otherwise, the process of acidification, fermentation or rotting of the products may begin.
You need to feed every 2-3 weeks. Pour the fertilizer over the entire surface of the boxes or piles, evenly, 7-10 cm thick, until the thickness of the processed humus reaches 50-60 cm and the substrate takes the form of evenly processed biomass. The approximate cycle time is 3-4 months from the time of stocking.
Feed the worms every 2-3 weeks Care and reproduction
The main care on worm farms or worm farms is to maintain the temperature regime, timely feeding, and maintaining the humidity level when watering with warm rain or settled water.
Being in favorable conditions, the worms begin to reproduce. In the compost they lay cocoons - small balls of yellow-sand color. Each cocoon contains several eggs, from which small worms appear 2-3 weeks later, and after another 7-8 weeks they are ready to produce offspring. The unsurpassed leaders in reproduction speed are Prospectors - one individual produces offspring of 1,500 individuals per year.
Possible markets
Worm farming can really become profitable business, if you worry in advance about the market for processed products and increased livestock.
- Vermicompost is an environmentally friendly fertilizer, highly effective in increasing the productivity of agricultural crops, growing seedlings, flowers, etc. Therefore, consumers of vermicompost can be farmers, greenhouses, flower greenhouses, as well as private entrepreneurs engaged in plant cultivation.
- Living biomass is a valuable nutritious protein feed for poultry farms and poultry farms.
- Live food in the form of worms serves as an indispensable nutritional product for fish farms.
- Worms are in great demand as food for pets in zoological stores.
Production profitability
According to the calculations of farmers involved in earthworm breeding, the profitability of a vermifarm is within 150%. One Prospector per year produces offspring of 1,500 individuals and about 100 kg of the most valuable fertilizer - vermicompost. From 1 ton of prepared compost you can get up to 600 kg of high-quality fertilizer and 10-15 kg of new individuals.
Farms for growing worms and producing vermicompost are not only cost-effective and profitable farming, but also enrichment environment useful substances, the possibility of obtaining environmentally friendly food products.
Stems, leaves and other organic waste processed by worms quickly turn into humus, which can be added to the ground for indoor plants, applied to the soil at summer cottages to increase its fertility, used for the preparation of liquid fertilizers.
Worms fully utilize organic residues, resulting in high-quality vermicompost, exceeding in all respects the quality of compost obtained by the conventional method.
Reservation for worms
It would be tempting to release California worms straight into the garden, but this event will turn out to be useless. The worms will not find enough food for themselves and will simply leave in search of new nourishing places or die from hunger and cold, since in addition they are also thermophilic. California worms are functional at temperatures from +5 to +40 °C. In addition, the compost needs to be maintained optimal humidity 60-70%. Therefore, in hot weather, be sure to water the pile. Detrimental to California worms and direct sunlight, so fertilizer should be placed in shaded areas.
To use California worms, prepare a hole (or container) 70-100 cm deep. Compact the bottom and cover the walls with natural material to prevent worms from crawling away. Place the soil mixture with worms in the hole and level it. Place plant debris (not soil) 6-10 cm thick on top. Organic matter should be added approximately once a week., during this time the worms will process the previous portion (productivity depends on temperature).
When the biomass reaches a height of 70-80 cm, the resulting product can be collected. Carefully loosen upper layer containing the worms and move it to another pit or container. Repeat the procedure 2-3 times at weekly intervals to remove the remaining worms. You can remove the remaining humus and use it for any need. To prevent worms from being taken out with a portion of humus, you can distract them by putting in banana skins or rotten apples, and only then remove the finished humus from the other side
Care all year round
Reds California worms will not survive the winter in open ground. For the winter, they are transplanted from the compost bin into regular fruit or vegetable boxes. The bottom and walls of the containers are covered with film. Part of the finished humus from the compost box is mixed with peat, rotted manure and poured into prepared boxes. Carefully sorting out the humus, select all the worms and transplant them into a new home. For the winter, boxes are placed in the basement or on an insulated balcony.. Darkness will not harm the worms, but they will have to be fed in winter.
Complete feeding of worms includes manure. True, before it gets to the “worm factory”, it must ferment. To do this, it is soaked in a tank of water. With good nutrition and care, the first batch of vermicompost can be obtained within 3 months. Completely eliminate bad smell it won't work. It does not come from worms, but from decaying organic matter. The smell intensifies if the food for the worms is too wet, the rotted remains have caked, the contents are too sour (to reduce the smell, add citrus peels and onion peels).
How to get vermicompost?
Ready humus can be used for preparing liquid fertilizer. 1 part of the prepared humus is poured with 10 parts of water and left for several days. The resulting infusion is used as a liquid fertilizer for flowers, vegetables, indoor plants, as well as bushes and trees. During the growing season, such fertilizing can be done once a week.
This allows you to grow large-scale and environmentally friendly crops. We will tell you in this article what is included in this organic matter, how it differs from other fertilizers and how to make vermicompost with your own hands.
What is vermicompost and how is it used?
Vermicompost or vermicompost is a product of processing various organic agricultural wastes. This is precisely why it differs from the same or, which are formed as a result of the action of various bacteria and microorganisms.
Vermicompost has such characteristics as improving the structure of the soil and its water-physical properties. In addition, the concentration of phosphorus in it is somewhat higher than in other organic matter. The advantages of vermicompost also include:
- content from 10 to 15%;
- acidity pH 6.5-7.5;
- absence of foreign bacteria, heavy metal salts;
- the presence of antibiotics and a large number of microorganisms that participate in soil formation;
- faster development and more stable immunity in those fed with this organic matter;
- valid for three to seven years.
- for the prevention of plant diseases and their ability to easily tolerate temperature changes;
- to accelerate the process of seed germination and to increase the number of seedlings;
- to increase volumes and accelerate crop ripening;
- for rapid recovery, restoration and increase of soil fertility;
- to combat harmful insects (effect up to six months);
- to improve the decorative appearance of flowers.
- planting and sowing plants in open ground and in ;
- feeding all types of agricultural plants;
- resuscitation and land reclamation;
- various activities in forestry;
- fertilizing flower plants and growing herbs.
Vermicompost can be applied to any soil and in any quantities, the recommended application rates are 3-6 tons of dry fertilizer per 1 hectare for large areas, for small areas - 500 g per 1 m².
A liquid solution for watering plants is prepared from 1 liter of vermicompost, which is diluted in 10 liters of warm water.
Biohumus is sold ready-made in granules and in liquid form (aqueous suspension).
Did you know? Americans first started breeding worms on special farms (vermiculture) in the 40s of the last century. Vermiculture then spread to European countries. Today it is best known in Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands and other countries.
It can be easily prepared at home. There are two ways to do this:
- in open areas;
- in room.
In both the first and second cases, it will be necessary to equip a special composter for breeding. On an industrial scale, vermifactories are used for this.
Read more about how to prepare vermicompost in the following subsections. In general, this process consists of five stages:
- selection of species and purchase of worms;
- making a composter;
- composting animals;
- care and feeding;
- extraction of worms and vermicompost.
Selecting and purchasing worms for compost
You can find and collect earthworms yourself or purchase them at the store. Most often, red Californian worms are used in vermicultivation (bred on the basis of dung worms in the 50-60s of the twentieth century), but many companies also offer other types: prospector, dung, earthen, Dendrobena Veneta (European worm for fishing).
Experienced vermicompost producers claim that the best of these species for vermicultivation are California red and prospector. The first ones reproduce well, live long (10-16 years), work quickly, but their main disadvantage is intolerance to low temperatures.
Did you know? In one day, one worm can pass through its digestive system volume of soil equal to the mass of its body. Thus, if we consider that on average this crawling animal weighs about 0.5 g, then 50 individuals in 24 hours on a hectare of land can process 250 kg of soil.
The prospector was also bred from a common dung worm. It is fast in reproducing fertilizer (produces up to 100 kg of vermicompost), is not susceptible to diseases and epidemics, reproduces well (breeds up to 1500 individuals) and is able to tolerate low temperatures- goes deep into the soil to avoid freezing. 
You can purchase worms in specialized stores, including on the Internet, or in vermiculture farms. They are usually sold in families, at least 1,500 pieces each, which includes 10% adults, 80% babies and 10% cocoons. When purchasing animals, you need to pay attention to their mobility and body color.
Composter design
As we have already noted, vermicompost can be prepared both in a summer cottage and in an apartment or house. Any premises are suitable: garage, barn, basement. Some people install worm traps in the bathroom. The main thing is to build a composter or compost pit or heap.
On the street, a home for worms is set up in the form of a box made of wooden boards without a bottom or lid. The box must be placed in a place sheltered from the sun on the ground, in no case on concrete, since excess accumulated water will need a way out.
The sizes can be different, for example 60-100 cm in height, 1-1.3 m in length and width. In an apartment, a house for worms can also be built from a wooden or plastic box (container), or from cardboard boxes nested one inside the other. household appliances. Suitable for breeding worms large aquariums. You can use a plastic sieve placed in a plastic bowl or container.
In order to fit as many worms as possible in a small room, boxes or containers can be placed one on one in several tiers or racks can be made. This way you can place about a million crawling animals on an area of 15-20 m².Preparation of compost (nutrient substrate)
For any species of worms it will be necessary to prepare a nutrient substrate, which should consist of:
- manure or food waste plant origin, leaves, tops - one part;
- sand - 5%;
- hay (straw) or sawdust - one part.
Before placing the worm composter in the composter, the substrate must be special treatment- composting. It must be heated to the required temperature over several days. To do this, it is either simply heated in the sun (the desired temperature is easy to achieve from April to September), or lime is added to it (20 kg per 1 ton of raw materials). 
Composting should last for 10 days. From the first to the third day the temperature should be at +40 °C, the next two days - at +60...+70 °C, from the seventh to tenth day - +20...+30 °C.
After preparing the compost, you need to test it by running several worms onto the surface. If the animals go deeper after a few minutes, then the compost is ready; if they remain on the surface, the substrate still needs to stand.
The optimal acidity of compost is 6.5-7.5 pH. If the acidity rises above 9 pH, the animals will die within seven days.
You can also check the substrate for acidity using the testing method. Release 50-100 individuals per day. If after this period all individuals are alive, then the compost is good. If 5-10 individuals die, it is necessary to lower the acidity by adding chalk or lime, or reduce the alkalinity by adding straw or sawdust.The optimal compost humidity is 75-90% (will depend on the type of worms). If humidity is below 35% for a week, animals may die.
The most suitable temperature for the life of worms is +20...+24 °C, and at temperatures below -5 °C and above +36 °C the probability of their death is greatest. 
Adding (releasing) worms to compost
The worms are carefully laid out over the entire surface of the substrate in the composter. For each square meter there should be 750-1500 individuals.
Important! Since worms do not tolerate bright light, the top of the composter must be covered with dark material that allows air to pass through.
Adaptation of animals will be carried out over two to three weeks.
Care and conditions for keeping compost worms
The substrate in the composter is subject to regular loosening and watering. The worms also need to be fed.
Loosening should be done twice a week using a stake or special forks for vermicompost. It is carried out to the entire depth of the substrate, but without mixing.
Water only with warm (+20...+24 °C) and only settled water (at least three days). Chlorinated tap water can kill animals. Rain or melt water is good for irrigation. Watering is convenient using a watering can with small holes.
Californian worms are now particularly popular among farmers, summer residents and owners of personal plots who are creating their own eco-farms.
The products of the chemical industry, which have generously “fed” the earth over the past decades, have borne fruit - many new plant diseases have appeared, the number of mutated pests has increased, which are becoming increasingly difficult to control. And one can only guess what chemical “cocktail” is contained in the vegetables and fruits grown on this land and consumed by us.
Therefore, many people want to buy Californian worms in Izhevsk in order to have their own environmentally friendly vermicompost fertilizer.
Earthworms are a priceless gift of nature
Earthworms are a unique creation of nature. These little underground workers bring great benefits and improve environmental situation Location on. And if you also consider that growing these useful inhabitants of the top fertile layer of soil does not require any material costs or physical effort, then it becomes clear why many people now have their own mini-farms.
Red Californian worms all the benefits:
Own production of vermicompost fertilizer
California worms process any waste (manure, weeds, mulch, rot, vegetable waste) and produce record number the purest biologically active fertilizer vermicompost.
Development
plant root system
Living in the garden, in the raspberry field, in the vegetable garden, red Californian worms are real underground plowmen who dig tunnels to supply the root system with oxygen. As a result, productivity increases.
Soil fertility is not restored if you feed it with chemical fertilizers. This is just a poisonous artificial stimulation of plant growth. Earthworms create a fertile layer of soil.
From us you can buy selected broodstock of worms for breeding in Izhevsk in order to increase the yield in the garden and vegetable garden, and receive excellent organic fertilizer vermicompost.
A small encyclopedic reference
Aristotle called earthworms the “stomach of the world,” and the ancient Egyptians considered them “holy animals” and deified them.
In Darwin's writings there is a very clear theory that we now have just such fertile soil suitable for growing plants partly thanks to earthworms.
The Americans T. Baret and D. Oliver are considered the pioneers of vermiculture (growing worms). They told the world about the importance of these small soil inhabitants for eco-agricultural technologies. By the way, California red worms are guests from the state of California. It was there that he was bred as a result of selective selection. So we need to thank farmers from distant America for the fact that now everyone can buy Californian worms in Izhevsk or any other city.
California Worms - Benefits of Breeding
Free
eco-fertilizer
Promotion
productivity by several times
healthy
soil without chemicals
Want to buy California worms?
We have selected and tenacious breeding stock, completely ready for breeding at home!
Breeding worms at home
Red Californian worms process any waste and produce large amounts of vermicompost fertilizer. True, he is somewhat picky about the conditions of detention, since the Californian worms themselves come from the southern edges of the neighboring continent. It is very important to provide it with a suitable temperature and soil moisture - about 20 ° C with moderate humidity of 80-85%.
You need to start breeding at home in a worm barn. A shady area of the garden or a compost pit is suitable for this. Pour 15-30 cm of substrate onto the prepared area (you can take rotted manure or ready-made compost in its pure form or mix it with soil).
Moisten the substrate to keep it moist and stock it with stock. You need to pour the California worm into the worm trap along with the substrate in which you bought it. You need to sprinkle them with your substrate on top and you can cover them with mulch so that the soil does not dry out quickly.
What to feed worms
They perfectly eat any rotten organic matter, they can eat peelings of vegetables and fruits (preferably chopped), leftover tea leaves, and boiled porridge. You cannot put completely fresh manure in the worm house, as it rots and the soil temperature rises significantly.
It is also important not to over-acidify the substrate. Therefore, you should not pour the remains of sour milk or kefir into the substrate. You can feed the livestock with crushed eggshells - it normalizes the acidity of the soil and neutralizes the acid from fruit waste. This is especially important if you add them in large quantities.
In general, the diet of your new pets may consist of any waste that is in the countryside or on personal plot. In our instructions you will find more detailed recommendations about what to feed the worms.
California worms buy in Izhevsk
We purposefully breed the Californian worm, we know everything about its preferences, optimal housing conditions, and wintering. Call us or leave a request - we will tell you about the benefits of a home eco-farm!
The cost of one family is 2500 rubles.