Waste management

A large number of micro organisms break down food and other organic waste. This is known as compost or hummus, a dark, nutrient-rich soil conditioner. However, if composting is done carefully, it need not result in inviting rodents and other pests.

Worms aerate the soil, which in turn helps the soil hold more water. They clean up dead organic matter by eating it and turning it into premium natural organic manure. Earthworms increase the richness of the soil by adding Nitrogen, Potash, Calcium, Magnesium, Boron, Zinc, Manganese, Copper...thus eliminating the use of fertilisers which affect the soil in the long run.

Earthworms can be fed all forms of food waste and kitchen waste, so long as it is organic. They love coconut shells, vegetable waste, fruit waste, wood, egg shells, nails, hair, leaves, tea leaves and soiled cotton tissues.

To make your own vermicompost bin, start with a layer of dry straw at the bottom, which will allow air to circulate up through the bin.

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Then alternate layers of dry waste like leaves, straw and stripped up newspaper with grass, garden waste, and food scraps. Always keep a bucket of dirt next to your bin so that when you add a layer of kitchen waste like uncooked fruit and vegetables, you can sprinkle it with dirt to kill unpleasant smells and discourage flies. Top this off with a dry layer.

Mix everything up well at least once every two weeks with a pitchfork and your vermicompost will be ready in three months. After three months, your waste products will be converted to vermicompost within 24 hours. If done correctly, vermicompost is not smelly but has a rich, loamy, topsoil aroma about it.

The finished product can be used as fertiliser replacement in gardens and indoor plants. Research has proved that vegetables and fruits grown in a vermicompost farm stay fresh for a longer time and there is a marked improvement in their quality and nutritional content.

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