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Introduction
Even the farmers of Ancient Egypt saw earthworms as a guarantee of future harvests. Aristotle called them the intestines of the earth. And this is true: by passing earth and plant debris through their intestines, worms enrich the soil.
Vermicompost obtained from worm secretions has the following qualities:
An excellent fertilizer, in 1 gram there are 1.7 x 1017 all sorts of microorganisms, mainly actinomycetes and nitrogen fixers.
No pathogenic microorganisms
They have a stimulating effect on the plant due to the presence of biostimulants.
The concentration of calcium and magnesium increases by 2 times, phosphorus by 7 times, potassium by 10 times, the content of humic acids increases several times.
Only in the 50s of our century the question arose about breeding worms specifically as producers of a very valuable, environmentally friendly fertilizer. The concept of “Vermiculture” arose - the culture of breeding worms. The red Californian worm was bred, which is used to create vermiculture.
What is the California Worm?
The California red worm is a new breed of earthworm Eisenia foetida. It was obtained at the University of California, as a result of the hybridization of various breeds of earthworm, in 1959.
Features of the California worm:
1. Habitat - a special substrate rich in organic compounds (manure, composts, organic waste and garbage) but not soil.
2. Long-lived - lives 16 years, laying 20 cocoons per season.
3. He eats twice as much per day as he weighs.
4. Doesn't crawl out of the boxes in which he is bred.
5. The temperature range at which the worm normally exists is from plus 4 to plus 40 degrees.
Biohumus can be grown both on an industrial scale and in an apartment, on a balcony and in a summer cottage.
Breeding Californian red worm
The “Californian” is a wonderful “pet.” It can be placed in a box made of wood or plywood, even in a cardboard box, but lined with polyethylene on the inside, in an old glass aquarium, in a plastic box. Closed joint stock company Fart recommends three plastic containers: the first with a solid bottom, the second and third with perforated bottoms. All containers are inserted into one another. Below - with a solid bottom.
The procedure for working with these containers is as follows:
Pour clean, dry sand into a container with a solid bottom. We place a holey container on it. In this container we put a layer of “living” soil (sold in stores, produced by the company “Fart”) or a layer of fertile garden soil - a 1 cm layer, put a food substrate on top with a layer of 3 - 5 cm, then dust the food layer with “new soil” (a product of the company “Fart”) or eggshell powder, on top a layer of “living earth” or soil - 1 cm. Worms are placed on the surface of the soil. The prepared substrate is moistened. A lump of substrate, if squeezed in your hand, does not crumble when you unclench your fist. Cover the top of the containers with a piece of polyethylene.
When the substrate is processed in a holey container, place a 3rd container on it, charged in the same way as the 2nd.
After 1.5 - 2 months, all the worms from the container will crawl into the 3rd container and begin to work in it. Biohumus has formed in the 2nd container, which can be used. Thus, by changing containers, we obtain fertile vermicompost.
The sand in the lower container becomes very wet after a while, and moisture accumulates in it as a result of the work of the worms. Sand with moisture is also a useful soil additive. Wet sand should be replaced with dry sand.
If it is not possible to purchase the containers described, you can get by with the above-mentioned containers. Sand must be placed at the bottom - it serves as drainage. Then a layer of soil 1 - 2 cm, a layer of food waste 3 - 5 cm, again a layer of soil 1 - 2 cm. A little ground eggshell is added to the food waste - “Californians” do not like an acidic environment. It is more difficult to separate vermicompost from such containers than from containers. You can keep the worms on a starvation diet for a while, and then put food in a certain place, all the worms will crawl to this place. It is convenient to use such containers for preserving the Californian worm in the winter, so that in the summer you can move it to the garden or vegetable garden.
What do you feed the California worm at home? Peels from raw vegetables, especially potatoes, must be thoroughly crushed (turned through a meat grinder), otherwise they will not be processed.
Perfectly processed:
banana skins;
citrus peel;
apple cores;
drunken tea and coffee grounds;
moldy bread, bread crusts and rolls;
leftover cereals, pieces of cheese;
rotten tomatoes, apples and other plant waste.
You can feed the worms grass and leaves. It is not recommended to feed worms with meat waste.
How to feed regularly?
When you have containers, feeding intervals are 1.5 - 2 months, i.e. We feed when we charge the container. In single containers we give a little at a time every 2-3 days, trying to feed in such a way that the unprocessed substrate does not accumulate.
California worms work “in the wild”
In the month of May, the “Californian” can be moved outside to a compost heap made from household garbage, rotted manure, and weeds. Recommended for a standard “bed”, on a bed measuring 2 x 1 m from 30 to 100 thousand worms. The worms are placed on a heap prepared in advance, made up of well-composted manure mixed with sawdust, straw, and weeds can be used to feed.
Feed is added every 10 days. Depending on the weather, water the compost 2-3 times a week. By the end of the season we get wonderful vermicompost. California worms must overwinter in a warm place. They are placed in warm sheds, special boxes, or they winter at home, in a city apartment.
conclusions
California red worms are not demanding to keep. If certain conditions are met, they reproduce well and produce fertile vermicompost.
Something to remember
1) Worms should be kept in warm rooms in winter, although they can live at temperatures from plus 4 to plus 40 degrees, they work actively at air temperatures of plus 15 - 25 degrees.
2) The mixtures in which the worms live must be moist. To retain moisture, cover the containers with a piece of polyethylene.
3) Feed only plant residues. Eliminate meat waste from the diet. Potato peelings must be chopped.
4) Crushed egg powder should be added to food; worms do not like acidic subtracts.
St. Petersburg Farmer Assistance Service
List of used literature
1) L. Genkin “Bioconversion is underway” w. Chemistry and life, number 4, 1991
2) M. Nadv “Worms are trump cards” w. Chemistry and life, number 12, 1990
3) “Let the worm work” Closed joint stock company “Fart” St. Petersburg 1995.
You won’t find such an animal as California worms in reference books – that’s absolutely certain.
California worms are bred artificially and are not a natural, biological species. This is a kind of hybrid - voracious and very useful for farmers, poultry farmers, and fish farmers. In addition, “Californians” are extremely unpretentious and omnivorous animals.
The appearance of Californian worms is as follows: the body has a red-burgundy color, much smaller than our rain worms; once in the light, they instantly hide, burrowing into the soil. And such speed is justified: worms can die in the light.
All about California worms
Being capable of reproduction already at the age of three months, a pair of “Californians” is capable of producing offspring of one and a half thousand individuals within a year, if only the living conditions are suitable and there is enough food. So no one will have problems with breeding Californian worms.
In order to create such conditions, nothing out of the ordinary is required: wooden boxes filled with a mixture of organic waste and garden soil, room temperature and darkness.
It will also require the attention of the owner, who wants to obtain complete vermigrunt from the worms (vermicompost fertilizer, as it is also called).
Indeed, vermicompost is a fertilizer that provides real benefits. If you add it even to clean sand, it will ensure seed germination and seedling growth! And if you use ordinary garden soil, then to dramatically increase fertility, adding only 15-18% vermicompost is enough. Even super-clayey, heavy soil will become fertile. If you want the seedlings grown indoors to outperform the seedlings of your neighbor who has a heated greenhouse, add 25% vermicompost fertilizer to the soil. And most importantly, you don’t need any additional fertilizing, any chemicals or “fragrant” mullein. They say that even incomplete, immature seeds germinate in vermicompost, it is such a strong stimulant.
Those owners who are engaged in the production of vermigrunt (vermicompost) do not have problems with protein feed for poultry; they do not experience mortality of young animals because Californian worms are an excellent food when bred. “Californians” are also used for breeding fish in individual ponds and pools (aquariums).
California worms, breeding
How is vermigrunt prepared, how are worms propagated and settled? Nothing complicated, we assure you. All you need is a few boxes with a cracked bottom, a lot of organic waste and some regular garden soil. Since vermigrunt, if you look at it, is worm excrement, and in order to have a lot of it, “Californians” will have to pass a lot of food through their digestive system. What kind of food is this? Paper, cardboard, onion peels, all kinds of vegetable and fruit peelings, tea leaves, coffee grounds, fallen leaves, wilted flowers from a vase, rotten apples, seed husks - everything that can decompose. There are also limitations: it is not advisable to give printed materials, especially colored ones, to worms for processing.
When you have collected enough organic waste, you can prepare a hostel for worms:
- Place everything on the bottom of the boxes lined with paper in a layer of 5-7 cm, add a little garden soil on top.
- To bind with organic matter, lightly mix and compact.
- The mixture should be moist, but not wet, breathable.
- You can let in new residents.
First place a fairly good handful of California worms on top of the box, and they will immediately burrow themselves and hide from the light. And they will immediately begin to work, eating all the “goodies”. By the way, try to notice how quickly the worms hide: if they crawl on top for a long time, it is better to collect them and hide them again where they were stored before. This situation suggests that either the temperature of the substrate is too high, or the worms are not satisfied with the increased acidity. Both acidity and temperature may depend on the quality of the organic matter present; analyze the composition and quantity.
If everything ended well and the worms hid in the substrate, you can add the same portion of the swarming mass. Only the speed of obtaining vermigrunt depends on the number of immigrants: if there are few worms, you will wait a long time; if there are many, you will not have time to feed them. And you will have to feed it from time to time, adding fresh kitchen waste, until the box is filled to the very top with vermigrunt.
The boxes can be kept even in a living room, stacked one on top of the other on racks and covered with a wooden shield or plywood to protect them from light. Since the waste will be completely recycled, you will not feel any unpleasant odors.
Let's say the boxes are already full to capacity and there are a lot of worms there. What to do next, how to free the vermicompost fertilizer from worms, how to move the latter to new apartments? It's also easy. It is enough to prepare new boxes by analogy with the previous ones and place sieves with vermigrunt on top of them, in which the worms no longer have food - everything is eaten. Having smelled fresh food, they themselves, without your help, will crawl through the openings of the sieve and fall down in hundreds. Moreover, you will leave the sieves uncovered, and the light will encourage the worms to hide as quickly as possible. During the autumn-winter period, you will be able to prepare a sufficient amount of vermicompost fertilizer for the needs of your plot, for growing seedlings. It is best to store finished products at normal temperatures in plastic bags.
If you have the opportunity to prepare vermicompost in the summer, there are also no obstacles. You can always choose a place on the site where there is little light, where precipitation will not fall, and not very hot. There is no point in building shelving here; you can use some kind of large chest-type box. The most important thing is that it should not stand on the ground, but at least on bricks, so that wild earthworms do not crawl into it from below. By the way, when you pour soil into boxes with organic waste, pass it through your hand, as if sifting between your fingers: this way you can select earthworms, if there are any, and release them into the wild, preventing them from contacting California worms, thereby breeding will not produce mutants. In the chest box, make several holes in the bottom for ventilation and drainage of excess liquid.
If it is impossible to prepare jutohumus fertilizer in the winter, before the onset of cold weather, select the worms from the chest and send them to a cool place for the winter, where they will simply sleep until spring. The temperature is desirable within 5 degrees.
You may have a question: what will happen if not all the worms move into the new boxes and some of them remain in the vermicompost. But nothing terrible will happen if Californian worms end up in natural conditions under: they will also do their job there, but gradually losing their uniqueness due to crossing with wild relatives.
Fishing enthusiasts know well that an indispensable condition for a good bite is the right bait, which today can be purchased in specialized stores. Professionals use Californian worms for this purpose. However, not everyone knows that they can be used not only as bait.
Earthworms: varieties
Worms are the most common type of invertebrate animals. Their habitat excludes only Antarctica. There are many species and subspecies of these creatures.
Depending on behavior in the natural habitat, biologists distinguish three types:
- Epigeic.
- Endogeic.
- Anecic.
Worms that belong to the latter type live on the surface of the soil. They dig burrows only vertically and feed on organic matter. The activity of this category immediately fades away if it moves from its usual habitat. This is why they are difficult to breed. This type of worm plays an extremely important role in the process of soil formation. Their practical use is limited to soil formation. They can also be used as fishing bait.
The second type of worms live in soil rich in minerals. They require less organic matter to ensure their vital functions. They dig holes horizontally, but do not like to be on the surface. They process the soil and thereby saturate it with various nutrients, and also enrich it with oxygen.
Epigeic worms tolerate artificial living conditions well, so they are most often used for breeding for economic gain. This type of worm prefers the top layer of soil, rich in organic matter. They thrive in the remains of bark, trees and leaves. The conditions for breeding the California worm provide for a number of subtle points.
Worm breeding business
To understand the basics of worm breeding, you must first understand the main concepts used by professionals. Compost is a fertilizer made from organic waste. It is obtained with the participation of microorganisms. The most common sources for the production of this fertilizer are manure, peat, foliage and bird droppings. The product of compost processing by earthworms is called vermicompost. The California worm can be used at home to improve the quality of fertilizers.
Worm breeding: main areas of activity
One of the main directions of the California worm breeding business is the creation of vermicompost. This product is in high demand both among farmers and private households. This type of fertilizer is in demand even abroad. Agree, there is something to think about if you are planning to expand your business in this area. Vermicompost today is a fairly profitable investment.
Vermicompost
This fertilizer is actively used for growing various vegetable crops. This applies not only to greenhouse vegetables, but also to root vegetables, such as carrots or potatoes. When using vermicompost, you can increase productivity by 40%. Vermicompost is incredibly effective when growing berries such as wild strawberries. This fertilizer is in high demand today. This means that you can make a good business selling it. Importers of vermicompost are currently quite rich countries, such as the United Arab Emirates.
The use of this fertilizer makes it possible to obtain high yields several times a year even in fairly aggressive climatic conditions. High-quality fertilizer is valued. Today they can offer about $2,000 for a ton of products. Of course, in Europe it does not cost so much, but the price of 600 euros is also quite good. This means that with the right approach you can make good money selling vermicompost. In order to not only get into this market, but also to gain a foothold in it, you will have to try hard.
Economic expediency
This review mainly discusses how to breed Californian worms. First of all, you should study the main advantages of using this type from an economic point of view.
Many believe that Californian worms have some incredible characteristics that distinguish them from other varieties. It is believed that they can live 15-16 years. This is wrong. Life expectancy is exactly the same as that of their domestic relatives, and the maximum is 6 years. There is also an opinion that Californian worms are able to survive in extreme temperatures (from 2 to 40 degrees). This is also not true: worms begin to die when it gets below 4 degrees outside, and in hot climate conditions above 35, they lose activity. However, despite the huge amount of unreliable information, this type has certain advantages.
Positive points
The real advantages that distinguish Californian worms include the fact that they remain active even in the cold season. It is also worth emphasizing the compactness of populations and the high level of reproduction compared to simple earthworms. Here the numbers indicated in the advertisement do not lie at all. So there are obvious advantages to using this type.
Breeding
Why are California worms so good? Breeding at home usually takes place on the territory of a simple garden plot. In this case, this work can be a good source of additional income. To properly breed worms, it is necessary to organize activities in a certain way and strictly follow directions. Let's consider the main features of creating a business within a private sector.
How to breed worms in your summer cottage?
Many people today are interested in such a topic as breeding Californian worms. Households will be quite sufficient to start this type of business. You must first purchase adult worms or fry. This mostly depends on your financial situation. For breeding on the site, it is necessary to prepare a square-shaped pit. Its depth should reach approximately 70 cm, and its dimensions should be one meter by one meter. To prevent the worms from spreading to the rest of the dacha community, the lower part of the pit is covered with boards and compacted well. After this, the nutrient medium is dumped into the pit. To obtain vermicompost, worms should be extracted. It takes several weeks for them to process the nutrient medium.
Extraction means adding a layer of substrate and loosening it. The worms will then crawl out to the top layer. This saturated material must then be transferred to a new pit to continue the vermicompost cycle. On average it takes approximately 3-4 weeks. The compost processed in this way is sifted and dried. In this form it can be sold. At the same time, the worms can calmly continue their work in the next pit.
What is the substrate made from?
Any waste on hand is suitable for this purpose: straw, paper, tops, organic filler. This mass must be placed near the worm pit and watered with liquid manure. Loosen the substrate once every two weeks.
The California worm, whose photo is probably familiar to many, has a special investment appeal. Breeding it does not require large investments. It is enough to show a little patience and interest in this activity. After all, not everyone will like to deal with unpleasant odors and creatures crawling in the ground.
Industrial breeding
When it comes to preparing vermicompost in large volumes, a number of nuances arise. If for a private farm you need Californian worms in a volume of 10-20 thousand individuals, then on an industrial scale a population of at least a million is usually taken. Also in this case, you will need a room with an area of 10 to 15 square meters, with artificial lighting and a constant temperature of 15 to 30 degrees. It is also desirable that the room have a natural water supply system. Particular attention should also be paid to protection against rodents. To accommodate worm colonies, you will need to organize shelving.
Conclusion
Breeding Californian worms is a profitable business that has a number of features. Although it requires a minimal investment, you will still need some degree of preparation and a desire to be directly involved in the production process itself.
Some of the most useful creatures on Earth. In 1959, in the USA, in the state of California, breeding scientists managed to develop a new species. This is how they appeared. Thanks to the new features, it has become easier to cultivate and improve depleted soils.
So what are the distinctive features of California earthworms?
Firstly, the new species is long-lived. These simple invertebrates live on average up to 15 years. And this is 4 times more than ordinary rain “savages”.
Secondly, during the season they quickly reproduce in their natural environment, laying up to 20 cocoons. In greenhouse conditions, reproduction occurs at an even greater speed.
But the main advantage is the ability to breed them even in ordinary apartments, since Californian worms are quite calm and do not crawl out of their breeding boxes.
Value for nature and agriculture
It is difficult to find the same necessary and irreplaceable assistant in agriculture and husbandry as the red Californian worm. Many animals, birds and fish feed on it. For the first time they began to be bred en masse in America. Thanks to this, it became possible to switch to natural, safer ways to improve soil health. However, in the process of artificial cultivation, some difficulties appeared related to the diet of the worms.
As it turned out, this species can only eat the food to which it was initially accustomed. That is why it is recommended to take cocoons for breeding. Only this approach will eliminate the risk of losing an entire population of adult individuals. This is due, first of all, to the fact that Californian worms are unable to assimilate new food; from birth they are “programmed” for a certain diet.
What do California worms eat?
Like any other subspecies, the Californian one feeds on plant debris. For mass breeding, worm hutches are built, where a nutrient substrate is placed. The main food is humus or manure. Fresh manure needs fermentation, that is, it must rot. In addition, you need to ensure that the substrate is always moistened; to do this, it is covered with polyethylene. California worms completely process organic waste in manure in a short time, leaving so-called “heaps” behind them. In fact, this coprolite is a valuable fertilizer containing a lot of nutrients and easily digestible substances. The humus in which the worms live is odorless, so home breeding is also possible.
When breeding in an apartment, it is necessary to take into account the temperature regime. The warmer it is, the more active the reproduction process will be. As food, you can add crushed potato peelings, fruit scraps, banana peels, coffee and tea to the main substrate. At the same time, you must not forget about moistening the substrate. Ultimately, you can get valuable fertilizer and increase the number of worms in your area several times. Due to their physiological characteristics, these invertebrates secrete a substance that neutralizes unpleasant odors, which means that breeding at home is quite acceptable.
I provide information about Californian worms from Vitaly Zabudko’s blog ( moyhytor.wordpress.com/2015/07/12/red-California-worm) :
California red worm
Even the farmers of Ancient Egypt saw earthworms as a guarantee of future harvests. Aristotle called them the intestines of the earth. And this is true: by passing earth and plant debris through their intestines, worms enrich the soil.
Only in the 50s of the 20th century the question arose about breeding worms specifically as producers of very valuable, environmentally friendly fertilizer. The concept of “Vermiculture” arose - the culture of breeding worms. The red Californian worm was bred and used to create vermiculture.
What is California Worm?
Among all the species of earthworms existing in the world, only a few can be cultured under artificial conditions.
But the most universal in their characteristics and the most economically attractive are the worms belonging to the “Red Worms” species.
The red earthworm usually has the commercial name “California”, since it was in the state of California in the United States of America that its intensive cultivation began in the fifties of the last century.
Among the various species obtained as a result of various selections, the red worm obtained by the American Barrett as a result of selection of a common dung worm is widespread and successfully reproduced.
The California red worm is a new breed of earthworm Eisenia foetida. It was obtained at the University of California, as a result of the hybridization of various earthworm breeds, in 1959.
Its length is up to 10 cm, diameter is 3-5 mm, body weight is about 1 g, the appearance of a new generation in 21 days, the onset of puberty in 90-120 days. The offspring of two worms can reach 1.5 thousand individuals per year. After 40 days, the worm population doubles.
Worm biomass contains a whole complex of biologically valuable substances and is used to feed all types of animals and fish, both raw and processed.
The value of feed when adding worm biomass increases by 20-25%. The worm is also processed into protein meal containing 67% protein and 20% fat. Flour, in addition to other amino acids, also contains especially valuable ones - lysine 8%, methionine 3%.
Protein flour is most effectively used for the production of animal feed, as a food additive.
Features of the California worm:
DIFFERENT LIFESPAN AND FERTILITY OF THE FOREST RAINWORM AND THE RED CALIFORNIA WORM.
1. Title; 2. Life expectancy, years; 3. Frequency of copulations, days; 4. Number of newborns in the cocoon.
California red worm - (16) (7) (2-21);
Forest earthworm (8000 different species) - (4) (45) (1-4);
The habitat is a special substrate rich in organic compounds (manure, composts, organic waste and garbage), but not soil.
Long-lived - lives 16 years, laying 20 cocoons per season.
He eats twice as much per day as he weighs.
Doesn't crawl out of the boxes in which it is bred.
The mixtures in which the worms live must be moist. To retain moisture, cover the containers with a piece of polyethylene.
Crushed egg powder or lime should be added to food, since worms do not like acidic subtracts.
They can be bred both on an industrial scale and in an apartment, on a balcony and in a summer cottage.
Breeding California red worm.
The “Californian” is a wonderful “pet.” It can be placed in a box made of wood or plywood, even in a cardboard box, but lined with polyethylene on the inside, in an old glass aquarium, in a plastic box.
Closed joint stock company Fart recommends three plastic containers: the first with a solid bottom, the second and third with perforated bottoms. All containers are inserted into one another. Below - with a solid bottom.
The procedure for working with these containers is as follows::
Pour clean, dry sand into a container with a solid bottom. We place a holey container on it.
In this container we put a layer of “living” soil or a layer of fertile garden soil - a layer of 1 cm, put a food substrate on top with a layer of 3 - 5 cm, then dust the food layer with “new soil” or eggshell powder, on top of a layer of “living soil” or soil - 1 cm.
Worms are placed on the surface of the soil. The prepared substrate is moistened. A lump of substrate, if squeezed in your hand, does not crumble when you unclench your fist.
Cover the top of the containers with a piece of polyethylene. When the substrate is processed in a holey container, place a 3rd container on it, charged in the same way as the 2nd.
After 1.5 - 2 months, all the worms from the container will crawl into the 3rd container and begin to work in it. Biohumus has formed in the 2nd container, which can be used. Thus, by changing containers, we obtain fertile vermicompost.
The sand in the lower container becomes very wet after a while, and moisture accumulates in it as a result of the work of the worms. Sand with moisture is also a useful soil additive. Wet sand should be replaced with dry sand.
If it is not possible to purchase the containers described, you can get by with the above-mentioned containers. Sand must be placed at the bottom - it serves as drainage. Then a layer of soil 1 - 2 cm, a layer of food waste 3 - 5 cm, again a layer of soil 1 - 2 cm.
A little ground eggshell is added to food waste - “Californians” do not like an acidic environment.
It is more difficult to separate vermicompost from such containers than from containers. You can keep the worms on a starvation diet for a while, and then put food in a certain place, all the worms will crawl to that place.
It is convenient to use such containers for preserving the Californian worm in the winter, so that in the summer you can move it to the garden or vegetable garden.
What do you feed the California worm at home??
Peels from raw vegetables, especially potatoes, must be thoroughly crushed (turned through a meat grinder), otherwise they will not be processed.
Perfectly recyclable:
banana skins;
citrus peel;
apple cores;
drunken tea and coffee grounds;
moldy bread, bread crusts and rolls;
leftover cereals, pieces of cheese;
rotten tomatoes, apples and other plant waste.You can feed the worms grass and leaves. It is not recommended to feed worms with meat waste.
How to feed regularly?
When you have containers, feeding intervals are 1.5 - 2 months, i.e. we feed when we charge the container. In single containers we give a little at a time every 2-3 days, trying to feed so that the unprocessed subtract does not accumulate.
Life of a worm in the wild.
In May, the “Californian” can be moved outside to a compost heap made from household garbage, rotted manure, and weeds. Recommended for a standard “bed”, on a bed measuring 2 x 1 m from 30 to 100 thousand worms.
The worms are placed on a heap prepared in advance, made up of well-composted manure mixed with sawdust, straw, and weeds can be used to feed. Feed is added every 10 days.
Depending on the weather, water the compost 2-3 times a week. By the end of the season we get wonderful vermicompost.
Breeding on a livestock farm
What is the best way to produce vermicompost??
The substrate should consist of approximately 2/3 manure, 1/3 peat plus the addition of green manure or straw. In this case, the yield of vermicompost will be the largest.
Wintering
For the winter, it is imperative to cover the “wormhouse” with a half-meter layer of straw, since, unlike its Russian relatives, the Californian does not go deep into the winter and can freeze out if measures are not taken.
Another serious danger to worms are mice and moles, which readily eat worms. It makes sense to keep a safety stock at home or in a warm room in winter.
Substrate processing cycle
The cycle of substrate processing in trays is usually about 5 months, with the number of worms increasing five to ten times, depending on the care taken to maintain optimal conditions. If adult worms are separated every 2 months, the reproduction of vermiculture can be further accelerated.
Advantages and disadvantages
The California red worm reaches sexual maturity at three months of age, when it can be considered fully mature.
Two earthworms per year can produce an average of 1,500 young worms under fairly normal temperate climate conditions. Thus, one pair produces 3,000 young worms annually over five generations.
This pair, grown in an optimal environment of constant average temperature, constant and controlled humidity, adequate food and sufficient water, can produce 7 to 10 young worms per capsule and up to 20 to 21 young worms when reared in a greenhouse.
The Californian earthworm differs from the ordinary earthworm by its higher vital activity and the ability to process food faster and more completely. As a result of processing one ton of substrate, about 600 kg of vermicompost is obtained, and the increase in worm biomass is 100 kg.
As noted above, the only drawback of the California worm is that it is too heat-loving.
Its instinct of self-preservation is weakened at subzero temperatures, and therefore, when its habitat cools, the California worm does not go deep into the ground to the freezing depth, but gathers in one place in large quantities and freezes safely.
So, if you are going to breed this type of worm, you should take care of a good worm cage with a positive temperature in winter, or you will have to insulate the clamps well when growing them outside.
Here is some essential useful information:
note
It should be borne in mind that it is very difficult for adult worms to get accustomed to new food. This is firmly connected with their biological feature - worms are programmed to consume food immediately after birth, so they can no longer get used to another.
Therefore, when buying technological worms, you need to take this risk into account. New substrates should be populated only with cocoons of worms; then, upon hatching, the worms will be configured to process only this type of food.
Helpful advice
Overwintering Californian worms can be done in the following way - dig a hole with a diameter of 1.5 - 2 meters and a depth of about 20 cm, in late autumn load the worms into it and cover it with a 50 cm layer of fallen leaves. The control batch should be stored in the cellar in a box with a capacity of 2-3 buckets .
I don’t believe that in central Russia Californian worms will survive under a layer of leaves 50 cm thick - you can check if you don’t mind the worms.
I think it is worth trying to grow Californian worms to get a personal feel for them, but you should mainly focus on growing native earthworms, Prospector worms and Dendroben worms.
I invite everyone to speak out in
