How & Why Vermicomposting is Better than Traditional Composting?

How & Why Vermicomposting is Better than Traditional Composting?

Probably the most misleading thing about vermicomposting is that it includes the word “composting.”

 “organic matter that has been decomposed and recycled as a fertilizer and soil amendment.”

And while that is a fitting description of vermicompost manufacturer in India as a product, it might send the wrong message about vermicomposting as a process. This leads to some pretty bad outcomes to people who treat composting and vermicomposting as the same thing.

Comparison of Each Method includes:  

1. DEPTH

·         Hot composting bins and piles can be any depth. Throw it in!

·         Vermicomposting worms usually prefer to live in the top 6″ – 12″ of the bedding, so these bins cannot be as deep. Using a tray-based composter overcomes this limitation.

2. CONVENIENCE

·         Hot composting can only be done outdoors. The exception is industrial-sized composting programs, which have specialized buildings and equipment. Scraps need to be carried outside and dumped into the composter. Hot composting requires land. Therefore, hot composting is uncommon in urban and even suburban areas.

·         Vermicomposting can be done outdoors or indoors. When maintained properly, there is no odour. Apartment dwellers can compost with worms. Homeowners can move their composting program indoors during the winter. Some households find indoor composting more convenient than outdoor. You should cut food up small and bury it. Outdoors, a little care must be taken to prevent the worms from overheating or drowning

3. SPEED

·         Hot composting takes 6 – 9 months to produce fertilizer.

·         Vermicomposting takes 2 – 3 months to produce usable compost for your garden and plants. You can harvest the compost and leave the worms in the bin

4. VOLUME

·         Hot composting can handle any amount of organic material.

·         Composting worms can eat up to half their body weight per day. However, if you over-feed them, the worm bin will stink, become acidic, and possibly kills the worms. You will need to hold extra scraps in the fridge or freezer, or otherwise dispose of them. Note: Large amounts of grass clippings will over-heat the worm bin in no time flat!

5. PATHOGENS

·         Hot composting should kill most pathogens that come with the organic matter. For example, you can risk adding seeds, and manure. Heat might kill the bad microbes and sterilize the seeds. No guarantees!

·         Vermicomposting runs cool and will not kill pathogens. Follow vermicomposting guidelines, and few bad microbes will grow.

6. COST V/S VALUE

·         Hot composting does not require money. You can pick any outdoor surface a good distance away from your home and start immediately. The resulting compost might have a street value between $6 and $30 per cubic yard.

·         Vermicomposting requires purchasing worms and perhaps a tray-based composter. This small investment could serve you in perpetuity! A well-maintained worm population will reproduce and grow to the capacity of the bin. Compost from worms is worth much more: rs23,223.45 to rs1,70,305.30+ per cubic yard! Why? Compost from worms contains valuable soil-friendly microbes excreted by the worms, so it’s darker and richer than regular compost. We sell compost made by our worms.

                                                                         SUMMARY

When it comes down to it, vermicompost manufacturer in india is a physical process under moderate temperatures using techniques dictated by the limitations of the worms’ burrowing and eating capacity and tolerance of environmental conditions. It is best suited for faster processing of smaller quantities of waste.

Composting on the other hand, is a more chemical process, occurring under high temperatures and not bound by limitations on depth. And while hot composting is slower, it is better suited to processing large amounts of waste.

So don’t let the name fool you!  And don’t let your neighbor toss Red Wigglers into a hot compost pile!