Garantia ECO-WORMS Guide D'utilisation page 8

GENERAL PRESENTATION
WHAT IS VERMICOMPOSTING?
Vermicomposting is a technique that uses a natural ecological process. Earthworms are put into a container (the
composter), where they eat the organic waste we supply to them regularly as food left over from our meals. The worms
eat the equivalent of their own weight in organic matter every day, and reduce the initial volume they have ingested by 5. After a digestion
phase, the worms expel an odourless matter with the same consistency as soil known as worm compost.
WHAT IS VERMICOMPOST USED FOR?
Vermicompost is a soil amendment rich in plant
nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium,
calcium and magnesium). It enhances soil aeration and
structure, and also improves its water-retention capacity.
It has a relatively neutral pH. Plants treated with
vermicompost are much more productive, and generally more resistant to disease. The
compost may be used in the garden before the soil is turned over, and is spread directly on to
the soil to a height of 3 mm. For potted plants, it is mixed into the soil in the proportion of one
third of compost to two thirds of soil.
WHICH WORMS SHOULD BE USED FOR VERMICOMPOSTING?
The Eisenia Foetida earthworm is frequently used in vermicomposting.
It lives quietly in darkness at a temperature of around 20º C. In nature it
is found under piles of dead leaves, compost or manure. An adult
Eisenia Foetida weighs between 0.3 and 0.5 g, and is 7 – 9 cm in
length.
This earthworm has no eyes and finds its way around with light-sensitive
organs. Its body is formed of rings called segments. These are surrounded
by longitudinal muscles and circular muscles. To move forward, the
earthworm contracts its circular muscles and stretches its body. Each segment
has short bristles on the ventral side to help it move along. The circulatory system
consists of a large contractile dorsal blood vessel that conveys the blood forward. Five lateral hearts convey the blood backwards in a
ventral blood vessel. The digestive tract is quite sophisticated. The adult Eisenia Foetida (about 8 weeks) is able to ingest the equiva-
lent of its own weight in organic matter per day. The Eisenia has no lungs and breathes in oxygen through its skin, which is permanently
moist and viscous.
DID YOU KNOW?
REDUCING MEANS TAKING ACTION
Waste in France more than doubled between 1980 and 2009, from 180 kg to 374 kg per person per year! Between 25%
and 30% of the waste in your rubbish bin can be composted, and so vermicomposting can help you make a contribution
to sustainable development with this simple everyday task.
THE BENEFITS OF WORM TEA
The Eco-Worms composter also produces a liquid with a substantial content of
nutrients, minerals and trace elements mostly produced by the water in kitchen waste
(approximately 80% of its mass). Also known as worm tea, this liquid is collected in
the Eco-Worms composter's conical lower section. When diluted (10%), this extract
is an excellent fertiliser as an alternative to commercial liquid fertilisers for potted
plants. The kit has a specially designed 500 ml measuring cup to help you measure
out the liquid (1 x 500 ml to 5 litres of water).
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