Hold on there, CH--vermicomposting is much more than throwing regular yard earthworms into your compost...and the results are much more than just regular compost (which is pretty great stuff too!). Here is a great intro to vermicomposting piece by New Mexico State:
http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_h/h-164.pdfOnce you start vermicomposting, you will be "hooked"! (and that is a worm pun, since you can use them as bait as well
)
Since I see my vermicompost as SUPER compost, I don't just go throw a ton in my garden bed, but use it as an amendment, or make a tea. Here is info I give in educational classes:
WHAT IS VERMICOMPOST?
A natural amendment of mostly finished worm compost (food and bedding) enriched with worm “poop†and mucus.
WHY USE VERMICOMPOST? (from Wikipedia)
Vermicompost is richer in many nutrients than compost produced by other composting methods. It is also rich in microbial life which helps convert nutrients already present in the soil into plant-available forms. Unlike other compost, worm castings also contain worm mucus which keeps nutrients from washing away with the first watering and holds moisture better than plain soil.
Soil Use of vermicompost:
• improves its physical structure;
• enriches soil with micro-organisms, adding plant hormones such as auxins and gibberellic acid, and adding enzymes such as phosphatase and cellulase; "microbial activity in worm castings is 10 to 20 times higher than in the soil and organic matter that the worm ingests" according to researcher Clive Edwards];
• attracts deep-burrowing earthworms already present in the soil;
• improves water holding capacity;
• enhances germination, plant growth, and crop yield
• improves root growth and structure
How I use Vermicompost:
• Where I put seeds in, I prep with a light coating of vermicompost. For example--I make a 1 inch depression along a row to plant my bush beans and sprinkle vermicompost into that depression. For lettuce, I lightly sprinkle vermicompost along the top, broadcast my seed, then lightly cover with garden soil.
• When I put transplants in (broccoli, cabbage, tomatoes, peppers, etc.), I sprinkle around the edge of the root zone, after planting
• To increase plant health of mature plants, I will sprinkle vermicompost around root zone
* I also make a foliar tea with the vermicompost for plant health
Come check out my Blog and Website:
http://blog.txwormranch.com/www.txwormranch.com