Vermiculture

[MrFancyPlants]

Does any one regularly use vermi-compost? My sister had a worm bin inside her apartment for about 5 years, and now that she has a house she has moved the compost outside and I have not had a chance to sample the wares yet to see if the consistency has changed, but I have really enjoyed using it as a minor organic component in my soils. I like the fact that when dry it can broken into chunks and it can be added as another granular soil component. Ive found that it doesn't break down, per-se, but that over time the particles just shrink. When repotting I often find that the roots of the plants have grown directly into the chunks of vermi-compost.

 

[Vance Wood]

Does any one regularly use vermi-compost? My sister had a worm bin inside her apartment for about 5 years, and now that she has a house she has moved the compost outside and I have not had a chance to sample the wares yet to see if the consistency has changed, but I have really enjoyed using it as a minor organic component in my soils. I like the fact that when dry it can broken into chunks and it can be added as another granular soil component. Ive found that it doesn't break down, per-se, but that over time the particles just shrink. When repotting I often find that the roots of the plants have grown directly into the chunks of vermi-compost.

I may be confusing this stuff with something else but if it were me I would look into it before I started playing around with it. I have heard that one of these soil amendments is made of asbestos, its either vermiculite or perlite, I don't remember which now---or neither, but I would investigate. It's better to be safe than sorry.

 

[JudyB]

Vermiculture = Worm Poop.

Unless you are feeding them asbestos, I don't think it's a problem...

 

[Poink88]

Different stuff Vance This one is basically worm poop

 

[Poink88]

Oops...Judy beat me to it.

 

[Poink88]

Ive found that it doesn't break down, per-se, but that over time the particles just shrink. When repotting I often find that the roots of the plants have grown directly into the chunks of vermi-compost.

Sounds like a good replacement for Akadama!

 

[Austin]

I may be confusing this stuff with something else but if it were me I would look into it before I started playing around with it. I have heard that one of these soil amendments is made of asbestos, its either vermiculite or perlite, I don't remember which now---or neither, but I would investigate. It's better to be safe than sorry.

Vermiculite was used as insulation be for fiberglass typically used in the attics of houses.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

Sounds like a good replacement for Akadama!

wormydama? Additionally it comes with built in fertilizer and micro nutrients. My main worry is that it might be too rich when used in high proportions of the soil mixture. You could let it age a bit first to get around that though.

 

[Vance Wood]

Vermiculite was used as insulation be for fiberglass typically used in the attics of houses.

Here is a link you might want to consider.
http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/eh/hlthhaz/fs/vermiculite.htm

Here's another:
http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/vermiculite.html

One can make the argument I'm not using insulation but can you guarantee the source of the vermiculite you are using? When you consider the amount of dust that can be raised during the mixing process of a bonsai soil do you really want to go down this road------I don't.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

But, still off topic Vance. I'm talking about vegetable matter, and junk mail, that has been actively composted by a bin full of red wiggler worms, or are they blue ones. Vermi is the Latin word for worm, or worm said with a German accent, or something.

 

[Vance Wood]

But, still off topic Vance. I'm talking about vegetable matter, and junk mail, that has been actively composted by a bin full of red wiggler worms, or are they blue ones. Vermi is the Latin word for worm, or worm said with a German accent, or something.

I see what you are saying. If you are certain that this is only worm poop and not vermiculite as a substance for worms to poop in. If it were me I would look into it just to make sure. Hey look--- I am only concerned about your safety. I had a friend who lost a lung because he inhaled too much powder from sifting through peat moss. There was many years ago a bonsai dude on TV that used nothing but peat moss to plant his bonsai in and he died of lung cancer due to peat poisoning. Bonsai is not so safe as most people think it is so----please be certain, sometimes there is a lot in a title.

 

[Poink88]

Vance,

Vermiculture is a way of composting using worms. They just poop what they are fed which is usually table scraps, clippings, fruit peeling, green veggies, etc. It is no more harmful than your regular dirt.

 

[Vance Wood]

Vance,

Vermiculture is a way of composting using worms. They just poop what they are fed which is usually table scraps, clippings, fruit peeling, green veggies, etc. It is no more harmful than your regular dirt.

GREAT I am happy, I learned something new, worm casing are a wonderful source of natural fertilizer.