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4-h Vermicomposting Lesson 1 Final

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82 views12 pages

4-h Vermicomposting Lesson 1 Final

Uploaded by

krishgoyal961
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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4-H Vermicomposting

A school enrichment program


for 5th grade youth
Lesson 1 - Vermicomposting

• Objectives
– What is vermicomposting?
– How does vermicomposting take place?
– How can vermicompost be used?
– What are the benefits of vermicompost?
– What are the categories of worms?
What is Vermicomposting?

• Use of worms and


microorganisms to
change plant tissue
into vermicompost
that is rich in
nutrients
• Plant tissue in the
worm bin is consumed
by worms, making
them consumers
Where Can I Vermicompost?
• Can take place in
classrooms, offices
and homes, wherever
food scraps or other
organic matter is
being generated or
delivered
• Being used to help Food scraps that can be used in
solve N.C. hog waste worm bins include fruits and
problem vegetables. Don’t use this as
an excuse to not eat your
vegetables!
Organic matter that Microorganisms help
worms eat passes to decompose the
through their digestive organic matter in
tract and is excreted as the worm bin
castings

Worms and castings


What Are Worm Castings?

• Castings contain
undigested plant
residues, bacteria,
and soils
• Castings improve soil
and helps plants
grow big and healthy
How Do Castings Help Plants
and Soil?
• They break
clumps of soil into
pieces that allow air
and water to enter
into the soil
• They add
nutrients to soil that
are needed by
plants to grow
How Can Castings Be Used?
• Castings can be
mixed into soil:
– in gardens
– on lawns
– around trees
– in nurseries
– on farm fields
– for houseplants
Advantages of Vermicomposting
• Reduces garbage disposal costs
• Produces less odor and attracts fewer pests
• Saves electricity and water used for in-sink
garbage disposals
• Produces free, high-quality soil amendment
• Requires little space, labor, or maintenance
• Produces free worms for fishing
Earthworms in History

• Aristotle described them as the


“intestines of the earth”
• Cleopatra declared earthworms
sacred and established laws to
protect them
• Charles Darwin demonstrated
they improved soil and plant
productivity
Marcel Bouche’s
Categories of Worms
• Epigeic – (e-pi-‘jee-ik) types live at soil
surface in decaying plant or animal residues
• Endogeic – (en-doe-jee-ik) types live
underground and eat soil to extract nutrition
from degraded organic residues
• Anecic – (an-ee-sik) types burrow deep in the
soil but come to the surface at night to forage
for freshly decaying organic matter
Worm Facts

This is a 10-foot Giant Gippsland Worm

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