Advantages And Benefits Of Vermicomposting

Vermicomposting is the use of worms to convert organic waste into fertilizer. Plants live off of water and photosynthesis, but all fertilizers are useful in promoting growth. Fertilizers exist naturally in the form of organic amendments, which deliver such essential nutrients as Phosphorus, Nitrogen, Potassium, and a few other macro/micro nutrients like iron, calcium, and magnesium. Nutrients also exist as a raw element, as in chemical fertilizers. Synthetic fertilizer delivers the nitrogen, but not all of it is absorbed, leading to runoff, which can cause contamination of drinking water, and algal blooms. Furthermore, chemical fertilizers are petroleum based, which means that over a long process, petroleum is turned into ammonia for the fertilizers. Petroleum is extracted from oil, which is a nonrenewable resource, which means that eventually without oil, there will be no chemical fertilizers.
Natural compost on the other hand is renewable. It does not come in an inaccurate spray, and it delivers more nutrients directly to the plant, instead of only ammonia. …show more content…
This form of fertilization is especially useful for the small time gardener. Worms have been converting waste into organic material for time immemorial, but the practice feeding worms waste for fertilizer started in the seventies. Mary Appelhof was a biology teacher in Michigan; One day, she realized she wanted to keep worms over winter, so she built a bin in her basement, fed the worms often, and created an enterprise in worm containers. It is smart to build a worm bin in a well shaded area, as worms don’t prefer direct heat. Once the bin is all set up, wait a while before adding food, and add small amounts whenever you