Alternative Bin for Vermicomposting

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 02:53:19 +0100

Here's how a 5-gallon water bottle can be reused.

Preventing worms from crawling out

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 01:18:08 +0100

Carbon/Nitrogen (CN) Ratio

Sun, 12 Jun 2011 09:38:26 +0100

Back when I've just started, I was so extremely delighted with my very first vermicompost. It wasn't so bad with the waiting. Every other day I'd go and have a peek at my bins. Yep there they are. Those lovely football-shaped castings lying in a neat pile.I was so very proud until a friend of mine ask me what's the CN ratio of my pile of casting.

Feeding your vermi is crucial when the quality of casting is a consideration. It's not just throwing in whatever organic material you can lay your hands on. Below is a table of CN ratio of the materials that you feed to your vermi.

Vegetable wastes 12-20:1

Cabbage 12:1

Tobacco 13:1

Cow manure 20:1

Leaves 40-80:1

Corn stalks/stover 55-60:1

Soybean stover 32:1

Peanut straw 20:1

Sugar cane trash 116:1

Oat straw 74:1

Wheat straw 80-105:1

Paper 150-200:1

Sawdust 100-500:1

Grass clippings 12-25:1

Coffee grounds 20:1

Rice straw 50-105:1

Rice hull 91:1

Sesbania 18:1

Water hyacinth 18:1

Bark 100-200:1

Fruit wastes 35:1

Poultry manure (fresh) 10:1

Poultry manure (old) 6.7:1

Horse manure 25:1

Swine manure 8.4-13:1

Cattle manure 16:1

Sheep manure 29:1

Human manure 8:1

Sewage sludge 8.7:1

Newspaper 50-200:1

Pine needles 60-110:1

Rotted manure 20:1

Thanks to Joel Adorada (vermicompost_owner mailling list)

knowledgebase

Alternative Bin for Vermicomposting

Preventing worms from crawling out

Carbon/Nitrogen (CN) Ratio