Growing California worms at home. Red California worm. Biotechnology of cultivation of the Californian worm. Plant growth stimulator BioVit

Numerous fishing enthusiasts are well aware of such an indispensable attribute of their hobby as California red worms, but even the most avid of them do not always know what exactly is called what they use as bait. And even more so, they do not suspect that they can be used not only in this capacity, but also in at least several others.

Types of earthworms

Let's start with the fact that worms are the most common type of invertebrates on the entire planet, and their habitat does not include Antarctica. In fact, there are a huge number of their types and subspecies. Biologists distinguish three main categories, depending on the behavior of worms in their natural environment. These are Anecic, Endogeic and Epigeic.

The first species "prefers" existence on the surface of the soil, and these worms dig deep into the holes, usually vertically down. The main food for this species is organic matter, which they process into humus. This category is characterized by an instant extinction of activity and the ability to reproduce when moving from the usual habitat to any other, including artificial, which, for example, is necessary when breeding them. This variety plays essential role in soil formation, and its practical use is limited to natural soil formation without human intervention. Plus anglers use it as bait.

The second type "prefers" a more mineralized soil, in which there is much less organic matter. Worms of this category dig horizontal holes, do not like the surface and need constant processing of the soil. Thus, they saturate the earth with various nutrients, enriching it for further use by vegetation, and also increase the oxygen content in it. The use of this variety of earthworms is also for the most part uncontrolled and mostly natural.

The third type is the one that will be discussed in the article, since it is Californian worms, as they are also called, that can easily endure artificial living conditions, and their use has a specific economic benefit. This species prefers the top layer of soil for life, and to be more precise, all kinds of organic matter, which it is so rich in. These are leaves, the remains of trees, bark and so on. Californian worms do not dig deep and branched systems of passages.

The popularity of this species from an economic point of view is due to the possibility of its breeding in artificial habitats. The main factor is only the presence of a sufficient amount of organic material, which is quite easy to implement, as well as the absence of the need to use a deep layer of soil. Breeding California worms There are a number of important technical issues that need to be taken into account.

Worm business

To understand the basics of worm breeding, it is necessary to give several definitions used by professionals in this field of activity.

Compost is a fertilizer obtained from organic waste as a result of their decomposition with the direct participation of microorganisms. The most common sources for its manufacture are peat, manure, bird droppings, foliage and a variety of garden waste.

Vermicompost, or biohumus, is a product of compost processing by earthworms, bacteria and some other organisms. In particular, California worms can be used as a result of certain breeding work to improve the overall quality of the resulting production activities fertilizers.

The production of vermicompost is the main driving force behind the worm breeding business, as this product is in certain demand. And not only within the framework of the domestic segment of agricultural activity, but even abroad, which should also be considered when preparing plans for the development of one's own business in this area. And although such a business may include the very distribution of worms and their cocoons as a completely self-sufficient part of it, biohumus is the most profitable investment.

Using vermicompost

The most common application of this fertilizer is associated with the cultivation of various vegetable crops. This applies not only to greenhouse forms like tomatoes or cucumbers, but also potatoes. The increase in yield achieved with the use of vermicompost reaches 40%. Biohumus is also extremely effective in growing strawberries, wild strawberries and other types of berries cultivated in different regions. At the same time, they are characterized by an increase in productivity up to 60%. Obviously, the use of this fertilizer is in good demand, which means that it can be easily sold and made money on it.

We should not forget about the rich importers of vermicompost. For example, the countries of the Arab world, in particular the UAE, widely use vermicompost for growing different cultures, collecting up to three harvests per season. At the same time, they pay well for high-quality vermicompost. Thus, the cost of one ton of products fluctuates in the range of 2 thousand dollars. In Europe, biohumus is bought for 600 euros, which also looks very attractive. In Russia, these products are not so valuable, for example, a forty-liter package costs about 400 rubles. That is, with a competent approach to advertising and sales, you can still earn money by selling vermicompost. However, to get into this market, you will have to work hard and not only earn good name, but also to create a truly efficient production structure.

Main economy

Since the article deals with the cultivation of the California worm, you should know the main advantages of its use from an economic point of view. And although there is an opinion among the people about the incredible characteristics of this variety, this should not be led. Advertising activities in this area really inflate the numbers to incredible proportions. California red worms are reported to live up to 15 to 16 years, which is a common misconception. In fact, the life expectancy of individuals does not differ much from that of their domestic relatives, amounting to a period of 5-6 years.

California worms allegedly exist in temperature conditions from 2 to 40 degrees. This is also not true, their activity practically disappears already at 35 degrees, not to mention the fact that at 4 degrees they begin to die. In general, all advertising tricks are quite obvious. Despite all this, the Californian worm still has some advantages over its domestic counterparts, so it is profitable to buy it just to create your own business.

Real Pros

Among the widely advertised pluses that really take place, we can mention the activity even in winter time year, which cannot be said about the rain variety, as well as the compactness of the populations that Californian worms prefer to live in (by the way, their photos can be seen at the beginning of the review).
In addition, it is necessary to note the higher level of reproduction of this species in comparison with the usual one. And although advertising exaggeration also takes place here, the figures are called almost ten times, in fact this figure is somewhere in one and a half to two times higher. So California worms still have obvious advantages, which determines the choice of many zealous hosts.

Breeding

The breeding process can be considered in two main forms: in industrial, when it is necessary to work with big amount individuals, and home, when an ordinary garden plot can also become a source of good income.

Breeding California worms involves the proper organization of activities and following certain guidelines. Consider the main points of creating your own business, first within the garden plot, and then in an industrial setting.

gardening

The California worm is purchased in the form of either adults, or fry, or in cocoons, depending on the season, financial possibilities, etc. In the garden plot, it is necessary to prepare a square pit a meter per meter and a depth of about 70 cm. So that the worms do not set off to explore the expanses of a garden partnership, you should tamp its lower surface and cover the walls with boards. The nutrient medium, or, as it is also called, the substrate with worms, falls into the pit and is carefully leveled with a pitchfork. Then a layer of simple substrate is added. To obtain vermicompost, it is necessary to carry out the so-called extract of worms.

Naturally, several weeks must pass before obtaining biohumus of normal quality, so that the worms have time to process the nutrient medium. The hood is the addition of a substrate layer on top, its thorough loosening, after which the worms crawl out into this upper layer. Next, you need to carefully remove this layer, saturated with them, and transfer it to a new hole to continue the cycle of creating vermicompost. The average extraction time is about three to four weeks.

The resulting layer of recycled compost is sieved, dried, after which it can be sold at a price that an enterprising businessman can negotiate with a fertilizer customer. Well, the worms continue their labor activity in the next pit, performing a cycle of developing new products. This is how Californian worms are mainly used at home.

Another important point- production of the substrate. The waste at hand is shredded. It can be paper, straw, tops or any other organic filler. The resulting mass is located near the pit and is watered with liquid manure. The humidity to be created is about 80%. Checking whether this mass is sufficiently moistened is very simple. If nearby worms do not crawl into it, you must continue to water. The substrate must be loosened once every two weeks.

From the point of view of small investments in the business, it is the Californian worm that is convenient. Breeding at home does not require serious investment, you just need a sufficient amount of patience and interest in this matter, because, obviously, you have to deal with creatures swarming in the ground and in the presence of not very pleasant smells. In any case, this is a job for true enthusiasts.

Industrial volumes

If we are talking about a professional approach to how to breed a California worm, then there are certain nuances. In the previous section, we talked about the number of individuals in 10-20 thousand pieces. When it comes to the volume of a million worms, the approach is somewhat different.

This requires from 10 to 15 square meters. square meters in indoors. The temperature to be maintained is in the range of 15 to 30 degrees Celsius. Natural ventilation and artificial lighting will be required, plus a water supply, preferably non-domestic, as chlorinated water can kill the entire population. Well or river water is quite suitable.

Careful attention should be paid to protecting the premises from rodents, which can easily destroy a large part of the colony. That is, you will need a hard coating of the floor, as well as walls. The height of the mother liquor should be from two to two and a half meters. Breeding California worms as a business is an activity that requires the same careful preparation like any high-tech area.

You will also need to purchase racks on which trays with colonies of worms will be located. Boxes are best used perforated, made of plastic, to ensure the required level of oxygen and easy removal of excess fluid. In each tray, a population density of up to 20 thousand individuals should be planned.

To make a substrate in an enclosed space, it is necessary to spread manure or planned organic waste in a layer of 20 cm and cover with a film. The temperature should be around 55 degrees Celsius. A day later, the resulting mass must be brought to 30 degrees and moistened to 80%. The resulting substrate is laid out in boxes with a layer of 5 cm. At the same time, good ventilation should be remembered in order to remove the resulting gases from the room.

The next stage is the habituation of worms to a new climate for them, and then to the substrate. Crates of new formula are placed on top of the worm trays. The next step is simply to maintain the optimal level of humidity in the trays. When the worms process the substrate, the resulting vermicompost is separated, dried, sieved and sold to customers.

Thus, the red Californian worm, the breeding of which can be commercialized, can bring a decent income to an enterprising rural dweller.

Some technical points

The issues discussed in the article quite generally reveal an area that has a decent technology, not sticking to which means easily ruining painstaking work for many weeks. The main driving force behind the business is California worms. How to breed them is a whole layer of technology that a beginner should know, adjusting environmental conditions to the unpretentious needs of their "workers". However, there are a couple more important questions. For example, what are California worm cocoons and where can I get them?

In fact, worms lay their eggs immediately after mating. Of course, this is very different from the system used, for example, by birds, but the principle is similar. The worms copulate, after which they form a so-called cocoon in the body, which is separated and then, when opened, can contain from one to five small individuals.

There are specialized agricultural firms involved in the supply of this biomass. By the way, as part of your own worm business, you can create a branch of cocoon breeding activities. For this, there is a separate technology that an entrepreneur can also take note of and master.

The convenience of using cocoons in the worm business is due to obvious conditions. The most important thing is transportation, and in terms of breeding, also the value of this product. Therefore, this feature of the reproduction of worms should also be paid attention to when designing your own business related to their breeding.

Conclusion

As already mentioned, there is some publicity euphoria associated with the incredible qualities that the California worms supposedly possess. Public opinion varies within a fairly wide range: from laudatory to degrading. However, obviously, there are certain advantages of this type of worms over the same earthworms, especially in terms of creating your own business for breeding them. Good reproducibility, unpretentiousness, improvement in the quality of fertilizers, in the creation of which they take the most important part - this is not a complete list of pluses.

In addition, there are at least several aspects of the use of Californian worms. Firstly, this is actually the creation of vermicompost as the most valuable and sought-after product on the modern agricultural market. Moreover, the demand for it over the past few years continues to grow steadily. With the increase in production capacity, new opportunities for implementation will also appear. Yes, right now United Arab Emirates buy biohumus for fabulous money. Of course, you will have to work hard for this, but if an entrepreneur has a desire to produce in this area, then entering the international market is quite real.

Secondly, such a business, obviously, will increase the number of worms on a makeshift farm, if, again, the owner strictly follows the technology. This means that it is possible to sell the "producer" itself, without reducing the capacity, but, on the contrary, increasing the number and improving their living conditions.

Thirdly, it is possible to deal with the supply of so-called cocoons, that is, the offspring of the population. And this is another effective way to make money in the field of worm breeding.

In general, this activity requires not only careful planning, but also a certain amount of enthusiasm and desire to mess with manure and other, to put it mildly, not the most fragrant substances. So business is unusual and for a certain circle of people it can become a source of good stable income and a way of self-expression in an attempt to make this world a little better. In addition, it does not require special investments. Of course, the size of the initial investment depends on the scope of the entrepreneur, but, as a rule, at first, the amount of a thousand dollars to open a business will be more than enough.

vermicompost, or biohumus.

red california worm" (KKCH).

Benefits of biohumus

Earthworm food

- bread crusts;

Earthworm Care

Usually food is added to the worms every 1.5-2 weeks. The frequency of feeding depends on the number of worms in the box (in the ridge) and on the temperature of their content. When the temperature approaches the optimum (24 degrees), the activity of the worms and the amount of food they consume increase.

Earthworms need oxygen, therefore, after reaching a substrate layer thickness of 20 cm or more, it is regularly loosened (pierced).

To pierce the ridge, use special vermicompost pitchforks with round ends or rounded pins.

Everything starts anew.

Wintering of earthworms

The use of biohumus

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Worms for breeding

(Temporarily out of stock)

Californian for sale worms for breeding in a large plastic box (container) with a supply of feed (substrate). We send orders to all regions of the Russian Federation and the CIS countries, as well as abroad. For small production volumes, we recommend using the container breeding method. During the winter season delivery via transport company carried out in warm mode - the worms will remain intact.

California worms for breeding from the manufacturer

Order and we will save the price! Pick up when it suits you!

3450 2950 rubles when ordering 1 container with a population of the Californian worm;

3350 2850 rubles from 2 to 4 pieces;

3250 2750 rubles from 5 to 9 pieces,

3150 2650 rubles from 10 pcs.

Plastic empty perforated boxes - 350 rubles / piece. (size 60x40x20cm, volume 40 liters, see photo below).

There are worms of different ages in the box

• adult worms 10% (from 5 to 12 cm, about 1000 pieces);
• fry of worms 40-60% (juvenile individuals ranging in size from 1 to 3 cm, 2-5 thousand pieces, are not counted separately, since they are very small). Watch a video about them at the bottom of the page;
• cocoons of worms 20-30% (diameter 2-5 mm, one cocoon is taken as 5-7 worms, 100-300 pieces, not counted separately).

You get worms of all ages and sizes in a plastic container in which the worms will breed and bring even more offspring, producing biohumus. If you want to grow worms in a container, you need to purchase (for each container of worms you purchase) an additional 2 empty containers. You can also buy a population of worms in any container convenient for you by prior agreement. Worms tolerate transportation without problems and can live in a container with a supply of substrate without additional feeding for about a month. In vermicultivation, the increase in the number of worms depends on the observance of breeding technology: support constant temperature, humidity, timely feeding, air extraction, division, loosening, acidity of the substrate, ventilation and other factors. You can familiarize yourself with various breeding technologies on our website.

The population includes adult worms, fry of the California red worm and cocoons. From 5 to 7 tiny worms (juveniles) come out of one cocoon. In the first week after emerging from the cocoon, the worms are very small and thin. Over time, they gain weight and change their color. Worms for breeding is in a breathable spunbond bag in a container. For safe transportation, the container is placed in a large breathable polypropylene bag and, if necessary, insulated during the cold season. Bottom lining made of thick layers of paper or cardboard. We carry out all packing activities for the order free of charge. The substrate (food for worms) is enough for at least 4 weeks. You can buy worms for self-delivery from a farm in the Moscow region or Moscow, we also organize delivery to all regions of Russia through a transport company. The total weight of one container is from 12 to 15 kg, depending on the humidity and density of the substrate. As a rule, the average weight is 14 kg, but when received in another city, it may be 1 kg less due to the evaporation of some of the moisture during long-term transportation. All orders are collected before shipment and reach the customer without any damage.

Number of worms in a container and transportation

If we calculate the average volume and weight of the substrate per adult, we obtain the following data. The volume of the entire substrate, taking into account the geometry of the container, is approximately 58x40x15 cm = 34800 cm3 and the weight is 15000 gr. At the same time, the feed does not occupy the entire height of the container of 20 cm, since there should be a small margin on top for better ventilation and to prevent excessive compression by third-party goods. Accordingly, all adults have a volume of 34800 cm3. With their number of 1000 pieces, we get an average volume of 34.8 cm3 and a weight of 15 grams per worm.

California worms breeding at home

Malek processes the minimum amount of food, especially during transportation - they can be neglected in the calculations. This volume is enough for one month, and during transportation, the worms do not process it very quickly due to third-party vibrations, noise and small temperature drops.

Who benefits from purchasing the California worm population

• Novice farmers who are just planning to engage in vermicultivation and want to try this type of activity;
• To increase the California worm population by adding adult worms, fry or cocoons to beds, piles, etc. on an existing farm;
• Fishermen in regions where fishing worms are absent in the ground for various reasons or their cost in fishing shops is very high;
• Fishing shops that have the opportunity to grow fish worms for resale, as this is much more profitable than buying packaged worms;
• When vermiculturing at home, for the production of biohumus in small volumes and the cultivation of worms for fishing at any time of the year. Fertilizer is perfect for various house plants and garden plots;
• For feeding pets: lizards, snakes, rats, fish, spiders, mice, newts, etc.

Plastic perforated container for breeding worms

For the container method (see photo below) of growing worms and producing biohumus, plastic containers are used, perforated on the sides and at the bottom, 60x40x20 cm in size. The entire composition of the breeding stock is contained in a bag of dense spunbond. The bag itself is included in the price. To breed worms in a container way (information about this method is available in the corresponding section of the site), you will need an additional two empty containers per population. The formation of a fully filled rack of three tiers takes approximately 2-3 months, while the number of adult worms, fry and cocoons approximately doubles.

Packing worms

Worms for breeding with a supply of substrate, neatly placed in a spunbond bag.

Before sewing up the bag, a little rotted foliage or grass is placed, which was previously moistened. Then the bag is sewn on top.

Sheets of thick cardboard paper are placed at the bottom of the container to maintain moisture.

The sewn bag with worms is placed in the container.

The container is packed in a bag made of breathable polypropylene fabric for shipment to another region.

If the order is with additional empty containers, they are nested inside each other. A container with worms is placed on top, then everything is fixed on the sides with adhesive tape.

We send orders to clients in other cities in additional containers through a transport company, one of the terminals is located in Moscow. You can see what the order ready for shipment looks like in the next photo.

Instructions after the acquisition of breeding stock

After receiving a container with worms for breeding, do not rush to immediately cut the spunbond bag and, moreover, mix the entire composition of the substrate (compost). If you received an order through a transport company, then the green (or white) woven polypropylene bag in which the container is located must be removed. It is used only for order transportation, as it is tear-resistant, resistant to punctures, cuts, abrasion and inert to various chemicals. After receiving, wait until the worms have processed most of the substrate and get used to other, including temperature conditions. To do this, after receiving the order, we recommend waiting 15-20 days from the date of sending your order.

Cut the spunbond along the perimeter (you can leave the leftovers on the side and bottom), or you can dissolve the central seam. After that, start feeding the worms. Prior to this, without cutting the spunbond, we recommend making several indentations on top with your fingers and pouring 150-250 grams of water at room temperature into them once every 5 days. Thus, water will slowly penetrate through the spunbond and moisten the substrate. Can not use warm water from the tap, because it contains many chemical elements harmful to worms. It is better to use spring or rain water, and not necessarily completely clean and transparent. If this is not possible, pour into a glass cold water from the tap and let it stand for at least 12 hours. If a puddle forms at the bottom of the container during moistening, then it is no longer necessary to add water and the substrate has sufficient moisture. For more information on breeding worms, see the relevant sections of our website (menu on the left).

Earthworms in the soil are a factor in its fertility and a condition for the normal development of plants.
The main enemy of earthworms is man. Many people do not know the priceless virtues of these earth workers, and sometimes they consider earthworms to be harmful creatures. This delusion arose from ignorance. Therefore, it is necessary to explain that there is no other such useful animal - a friend of the earth and the basis of our well-being - as an earthworm.

A huge amount of food waste is annually taken to the city's garbage dumps.
Being a lover of indoor plants, one day I decided to try to get biohumus in an apartment using the vermicultivation method.
I read the necessary information about it and got down to business. During the winter, without any complications, our family of three, with the help of earthworms, received about 150 kg of excellent fertilizer from food waste.
This biohumus is enough not only for indoor floriculture, but for gardening and horticulture (for planting 2-3 thousand potato bushes or 1 thousand tomato bushes).

A successful home experiment on the production of biohumus and the fact that I am an apologist for the principles of organic farming contributed to a serious mastery of vermicultivation.

The use of earthworms

Vermicultivation is a process of recycling organic waste using earthworms.
The resulting product is called - vermicompost, or biohumus.

Selection of the dung worm (genus Eisenia-foetida) in the United States has resulted in a line known as the "red California hybrid", or " red california worm" (KKCH).
KKCh provides a rapid increase in biomass and the fastest disposal of waste, is a long-liver (lives up to 16 years).

Basically, earthworms are bred for the production of biohumus.
In addition, worms can also be used live (as food for various domestic animals, fish, amphibians and reptiles, as well as some species of birds and rodents).

Benefits of biohumus

All more people now tend to consume organic food. IN different countries vegetables grown on biohumus are much more expensive than those grown on manure or mineral fertilizers.

On the soil fertilized with vermicompost, you can not only grow eco-friendly products, but also increase the yield of the site by 2-3 times or more.
According to the ability to restore soil fertility, one ton of biohumus replaces 15 tons of manure.

The most important advantage of vermicompost is that its application does not increase the contamination of the soil with weeds (when applying ordinary manure, the contamination increases by 30%).

Biohumus is non-toxic, free from chemical additives and from many pathogenic microorganisms. It improves physicochemical characteristics soil, prevents the leaching of nutrients from it; reduces the effect of harmful salts and phytotoxic elements, radionuclides and heavy metals.

Biohumus as one of the main components of soil for greenhouses increases the duration of the use of the substrate up to 3-5 years. At the same time, the quality of products is significantly improved, the amount of nitrates in it is sharply reduced.

There are fundamental differences in the effect composts and vermicomposts have on plant growth. This is explained by the fact that processes of various nature occur in them, in which communities of microorganisms that are very different from each other participate.

Conditions for breeding earthworms

Breeding earthworms is easy for everyone to master.

It is necessary to exclude the possibility of penetration to the worms of moles - the worst enemies of earthworms. In the case of cultivation of worms on the street, a protective net is used or a platform is concreted to keep the worms at an angle (to reduce stagnant water).

With year-round production of biohumus, boxes with worms are placed in utility rooms - in garages, sheds, basements, attics, even in an apartment. The air temperature suitable for keeping earthworms is 15-25 degrees.

The cultivator of worms should be covered with mulch (straw, hay, burlap) from drying out and light.
In the apartment, a box with worms is covered with a lid. The lid and bottom of the box must be perforated.

A box with worms is placed on a pallet, where excess liquid drains. Sand can be poured into the tray and then used to mix into the soil of the garden.

A neutral environment with an acidity of 7 pH is optimal for keeping worms. In an environment with an acidity of 6 pH or more than 8 pH, all worms die within a week.

The prepared wet substrate should stand for 5-7 days before settling with worms. During this period, the substrate must be periodically moistened to remove residual ammonia.

Earthworm food

In a day, one worm is able to process a large number of organic matter equal to its own weight (the average weight of an earthworm is 0.5 g).

Worms feed on almost any organic matter:
- large manure cattle(fermentation 3-6 months);
- pig manure (fermentation for at least a year);
- rabbit or goat manure (can be given immediately);
- kitchen waste (potato peelings, etc.);
- used tea leaves (tea and coffee);
- bread crusts;
- soaked and shredded newspapers or cardboard, etc.

It is not recommended to use manure that has lain for more than two years after completion of composting as feed for earthworms. It already contains very little of the nutrients needed by the worms. Such manure can be used as an additive in the composting of organic waste.

You can speed up the fermentation of fresh manure with the help of EM preparations (EM - effective microorganisms). In this case, the manure will be ready for use by worms in 0.5-1 month.

Earthworms are vegetarians, do not use animal waste to feed them(meat, egg white and yolk, etc.).

All food given to earthworms must be minced or ground in some other way. because worms cannot process solid food.

Maintain a constant feed composition because the nascent worms tune in to the food they first tasted. When the composition of food changes, some time must pass for earthworms to adapt to it.

Earthworm Care

Caring for worms comes down to feeding, maintaining a favorable temperature, watering and loosening the compost ridges (box substrate).

On the wet compost (substrate) ready for settlement, place the earthworms and distribute them evenly.

Breeding California worms at home

Within a week after settling, check whether the worms are willing to move into the new substrate. If the surface of the worms is clean, and they themselves are mobile, this is evidence of their well-being.
When the worms are lethargic, not active, do not try to hide from the light, these are signs of their severe damage by various pesticides from the new food for them. You may then have to prepare new compost for the worms from another source of organic matter. But such a need is extremely rare.

Worms need moisture, do not forget to water the substrate regularly.

The optimum moisture content of the substrate is 80%. Earthworms are very sensitive to fluctuations in compost moisture, especially to its decrease.
Watering the substrate is carried out using a watering can with small holes.
Do not water the compost directly from the faucet. Use pre-settled (3-5 days) water with a temperature of 20-24 degrees.

The first feeding of worms is carried out a few days after settling in the compost. The feeding operation is as follows. On a quarter of the surface of the ridge or box, fresh food is layered 3-5 cm thick and evenly distributed.

As the worms eat food, a layer of food of 5-7 cm is again applied to the substrate. At this stage, the food is applied to the entire surface.
And so periodically continue to feed the earthworms until the box is completely filled, or until the height of the ridge reaches 50-60 cm.

Usually food is added to the worms every 1.5-2 weeks.

The frequency of feeding depends on the number of worms in the box (in the ridge) and on the temperature of their content. When the temperature approaches the optimum (24 degrees), the activity of the worms and the amount of food they consume increase.

Earthworms need oxygen, therefore, after reaching a substrate layer thickness of 20 cm or more, it is regularly loosened (pierced). To pierce the ridge, use special vermicompost pitchforks with round ends or rounded pins.
Loosening the compost (without mixing the layers) is carried out 2 times a week; it is pierced to the depth of worms and cocoons.

With the stable work of earthworms in a box (ridge), the compost is stratified into three zones.
The first upper zone - the surface horizon (5-7 cm) is a fresh substrate, which is food for worms. Its amount is constantly changing, as the worms feed on it constantly, and new layers are periodically added.
The middle zone (10-30 cm) is working, the bulk of the worms live in it.
The third lower zone is a vermicompost accumulator; as the worms work, it constantly increases in height.

The process of obtaining biohumus ends when the nutrient substrate is completely processed by worms. The duration of the process is usually 3-4 months from the beginning of the settlement of worms in the substrate.

When the container is filled with ready biohumus, the worms with part of the old substrate are transplanted into another container.
Everything starts anew.

Exemption from worms of ready biohumus

The need to sample worms arises when the nutrient substrate is completely processed. This is also required when the density of breeding worms exceeds the optimal population density (from 30 to 50 thousand pieces per 1 sq.m).

Worms can be transplanted from biohumus into another container manually, but this is not easy. In order to choose worms from ready-made vermicompost without hassle, it is better to stop feeding them for a while (an additional few days) to let them get hungry.
Then, on 1/3 of the biohumus area, a portion (5-7 cm layer) of new food is laid out, into which hungry worms move on their own. Place straw cuttings (or torn paper) dipped in sugar solution on top. Also, to attract worms, you can use the pulp of vegetables and fruits or a layer of humus (5-10 cm).

After two or three days, the layer of feed, together with the worms that filled it, is removed from the biohumus.
This operation must be repeated three times within three weeks to collect all the worms (including the juveniles that emerged from the cocoons).

To facilitate the release of ready-made vermicompost from worms, you can use boxes of a special design with a mesh bottom. When such a box is filled with biohumus, another box with feed is placed on it - so that the bottom of the upper box lies on the substrate of the lower one. Worms from the lower box crawl into the upper box with fresh food.
Unfortunately, we do not sell special boxes for breeding earthworms with a mesh bottom, as well as double boxes with a mesh in the middle.

In the garden version of a special double box with a grid in the middle (see the title photo), the separation of the worms occurs according to the horizontal principle. When one part of the box is filled with vermicompost, fresh food is placed in the second adjacent part. Then the worms themselves crawl there through the holes in the partition of the box, leaving pure biohumus for further use.

Raw vermicompost freed from worms is a smearing mass of dark color. It is collected with a scoop, dried to 40-50% moisture, sifted through a sieve and packaged for storage.
Dried vermicompost can be stored at ambient temperature (from -20 to +30 degrees). But freezing biohumus is still not recommended in order to exclude the loss of its biological activity.

Wintering of earthworms

The best place to keep vermiculture in winter is a heated room.
The thickness of the substrate depends on the frequency of feeding the worms.
Since the top layer of the substrate dries quickly in a warm room, it must be moistened regularly.

When keeping vermiculture in winter for outdoors the substrate should not be moistened. When the temperature reaches -5 degrees, the substrate 40-50 cm high is covered with a layer of fermented manure (20-30 cm), watered and covered with straw (hay) to a total height of 100-120 cm.
Upper layer 5 cm thick can freeze through, which is not dangerous for worms, since it is a heat insulator. Worms in the process of life emit heat, the amount of which depends on the number of individuals.

In the spring, awakened worms will feed on manure or top layer compost.

Features of breeding earthworms in the apartment

When breeding earthworms in an apartment, there may be a smell from the waste that the worms feed on; insects may appear.
As a rule, the smell is emitted by the food that has just been put in (and if animal protein is present in the food, then the smell can be quite unpleasant).
In this case, the new food can be sprinkled on top with ready-made vermicompost. EM preparations can also be used to combat unpleasant odors. You can bring a certain amount of land from the dacha and periodically sprinkle the substrate with it. You can cover the substrate with raw burlap.

Ready vermicompost bad smell no, it smells like ordinary earth. Besides, earthworms secrete substances that serve as a kind of deodorant.

The use of biohumus

The main benefit of keeping earthworms is that you can make valuable fertilizer from your free waste.
It is enough to purchase 1.5-3 thousand worms and populate them in compost in order to obtain an amount of vermicompost within a year sufficient to fertilize a plot of 3-4 acres.
A population of 1,500 earthworms populated on 2-3 square meters of compost is able to provide your garden plot with two tons of first-class fertilizer.

Biohumus produced by earthworms can be used for growing all types of plants (potted flowers, seedlings, vegetables in open and closed ground, for planting fruit crops, grapes, medicinal plants). Especially useful is the use of biohumus in greenhouses, where it is very important to exclude the possibility of diseases.

Thus, by producing vermicompost on your own, you rationally use waste and save money, getting a high-quality product that you are sure of. Indeed, in packages with purchased substrates, stones, sticks, bones and other garbage are often found.

If you use biohumus to grow indoor plants, then earthworms or their cocoons may accidentally get into the flower pot. Do not worry: earthworms cannot bring any harm to plants.

With the beginning of the use of biohumus, in 2006, in our summer cottage, the first tomatoes in the open field ripened in the third decade of July.
We practice the principles of organic farming. We grow plants in raised fenced beds. We use a Fokin flat cutter.
We do not use pesticides and mineral fertilizers. We use only biohumus for root feeding of plants. For foliar top dressing, we use BioVit, a complex preparation made from biohumus.

Plant growth stimulator BioVit

BioVit is a powerful biologically active plant growth stimulator, due to which it is possible to increase the yield by another 30-40%.
With BioVit minerals get to plants in the form prepared for them. The fact is that the plant is not adapted to consume mineral solutions directly. If mineral salts are introduced artificially, then the plant will increase the water content of its tissues in response to this. That is, the fruit will weigh more, and there will be less useful substances in it. After all, if a person consumes a lot of salt, he will feel thirsty - the same thing happens with a plant.

In nature, the plant consumes mineral salts through microorganisms that transport the mineral to the roots, converting it along the way. Or the plant consumes salts of fulvic and humic acids, the reactions of which with minerals actively occur in the soil in the presence of a sufficient amount of humus. BioVit contains directly salts of humic and fulvic acids, which are full complex NPK (the main nutrients needed by the plant).
BioVit also contains microelements in a normalized form: copper, manganese, zinc, etc. Microelements in a small amount are vital for a plant, since they are actively involved in almost all of its life processes. For example, manganese is directly involved in photosynthesis.

The use of biohumus and BioVita allows you to organize a complete root and foliar nutrition of plants. This best affects the growth, flowering and yield of plants, allows you to get environmentally friendly and nutritious fruits.

Sergei Grigorievich Polovitsa, ( [email protected])
director of Vermi-Land LLC (Kyiv, Ukraine)
www.vermilend.narod.ru

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home< Разведение Калифорнийских червей в домашних условиях.

Breeding California worms at home.

Breeding the red Californian worm (KKCh) at home is a very profitable occupation, because the food for the KKCh is any organic waste that is processed by the worm into a balanced environmentally friendly biohumus fertilizer. Also, the Californian worm multiplies very quickly, which allows the worm to be sold biomass and by the piece to fishermen's shops and agricultural enterprises, as protein supplements for animals and birds.

by the most the best view earthworm for breeding in domestic and industrial settings is the red California worm. Before buying worms, please note that the worms must be mobile and red in color. At first, the worm should be in its native substrate in order to get used to the new food.

A high-quality breeding stock of the red California worm (family) should consist of at least 1500 individuals.

For breeding at home, the California worm is used in boxes, piles (lodges), compost heaps or pits. Organic waste is used as food for worms: manure, bird droppings, plant tops, fallen leaves, straw, wood chips, sawdust, food vegetable waste, cardboard, paper, etc.

The basic rules for preparing the substrate (compost) for the further colonization of worms:

• do not use chlorinated water to moisten the compost. Chlorine is poison for worms.

  Growing earthworms in the garden and in the apartment

  If the water is chlorinated, you need to stand it for 2-3 days, the chlorine will go away, you can also use rainwater

• it is forbidden to use fresh manure, because in the process of manure burning, its temperature will rise to 70-800C and the worm will die
• it is not recommended to use old manure that has lain for more than 3 years, it contains a small amount of useful substances for worms.

Organic waste is collected in heaps and moistened. In this way, they rot for 1-3 months.

Compost pile dimensions:

• collar width 1.2-2 meters
• height 20-30 cm
• any length.

The California worm easily gets used to different feeds, therefore, when using different composts, we recommend doing a trial colonization. A little ready-made substrate is placed in the box and 50-100 adult worms are populated. If in a day they are all alive, then the compost is suitable for further settlement. If 5-10 worms died, then the reason for this may be increased acidity or alkalinity. With increased acidity, add a little limestone or ordinary chalk, with increased alkalinity, add straw or sawdust to the compost, you can also add tops of plants.

Favorable conditions for breeding the California worm:

• acidity 6.5-7.5 PH
• temperature 15-220C
• compost humidity 70-80%.

Breeding of Californian worms at home begins in the warm season, the worm is settled in compost, 1-3 families per 1 m2, and after a couple of months they begin to select worms that have already multiplied. The worm is chosen in this way: the worm is not fed for 2-3 days, so that they get a little hungry, and then 7-10 cm of fresh compost are placed on top of the heap or box, and this layer is removed in a day. The main amount of worms, up to 60-80%, enters the fresh compost. Only the juveniles and cocoons of the worm remain in the lower substrate. We repeat the procedure for sampling worms several times. It is not possible to select all the worms in this way, 3-4% remains in the processed compost, which is already a fertilizer - vermicompost. Worms selected in this way are populated in new heaps, boxes, or used for sale.

With the onset of winter and temperatures below -50C, the piles must be well insulated. To do this, fresh compost or fermented manure 25-40 cm thick is laid on the piles, watered and covered with hay or straw 40-50 cm high. The top layer of 5-10 cm will probably freeze in winter, but it will not represent mortal danger for worms, as it is a heat insulator. In the spring, the worms will feed on the top layer compost, 2/3 of your heap will already be biohumus.

home< Промышленное разведение калифорнийских червей

Industrial breeding of Californian worms

When designing a farm for industrial breeding of Californian worms, it is necessary to clearly define its direction - whether it will grow only the broodstock of worms or, along with this, industrial production of vermicompost and biomass will be organized. Based on this, the number of lodges is calculated and the size of the area on which they will be placed is determined. At the same time, knowing the number of lodges and the approximate number of worms in them, they calculate the amount of food they need and its constant availability, as well as the availability of water sources. Water is necessary to moisten the substrate - food and must meet certain requirements according to the chemical characteristics.

Bed preparation

Historically, it has been industrial breeding earthworms as a unit of measurement, under the bed is meant the area of ​​​​the ridge (or trench - depending on the method) with a length - 2m and a width - 1m, i.e. area 2m2. This unit of measurement is used in all calculations related to productivity, nutrition, reproduction, yield, etc. Usually, up to 100,000 worms of various sizes with cocoons can be contained in a bed. Such one bed gives annually about 600 kg of vermicompost if it is produced, and not worms are propagated, and about 400-450 kg of vermicompost when breeding earthworms, i.e. in the stage when the entire space of the bed is saturated. Vermifarming is considered optimal, which consists of 1200 lodges, occupying a usable area of ​​at least 1 hectare of land.

When marking the territory (with an open breeding method), it is necessary to check if there are any traces of a mole on it, which greedily eats earthworms. Penetrating into the bed, one mole in a short time can destroy the entire population. When these animals are found, it is impossible to use crotocides or any chemicals to destroy them: a dead mole sent to the bed will kill with this poison all the earthworms that will eat its rotten meat.

The way out is to install a metal mesh with small diameter cells around the entire perimeter at a depth of 50-60 cm with access to the surface to a height of at least 30 cm.

However, there are cases when, even at the same time, moles, in order to get to earthworms, broke through a passage at a depth of more than 60 cm and still fell into the active zone of the bed. Farms use a metal mesh with cells of 16 × 15 mm. The net is installed along the entire width of the bed, and its edges are bent so that two wings are formed at a height of 25 cm on all four sides of the bed.

Stock orientation

The box is arranged so that all excess water flowed from them. If there is standing water under the bed, the worms die. If there is a choice, then in areas of high windiness or in the case when the strongest winds blow in some constant prevailing direction, the bed is located in the direction of the wind. Earthworms are very afraid of the wind.

When planning and breaking down the area for farming, areas for heaving and fermentation of the substrate are determined. They must be located within the territory of the holding or near it. It is also desirable to provide ways for transporting the substrate to the beds, etc.

The area is marked with wooden pegs 50-60 cm long, which are driven into the ground every meter along the entire length of the future bed. This will subsequently allow you to accurately populate the bed the right amount worms per square meter. To facilitate the work of performing the necessary analyzes of product quality, humus and the number of worms, it is recommended to first make longitudinal beds of the same length, a multiple of 2 m (2, 4, 6 m, etc.), which are called sectors.

The choice of bed width depends on a number of factors, in particular, the availability of labor, mechanization means (tractors on rubber running, trailers with sides opening on three sides, etc.). Usually they make a bed 2 m wide, 50 m long and leave passages between them of such a width that the maneuverability of the tractor and trailer is ensured.

indoors

The above applies to the arrangement of outdoor areas. Here you can grow worms and get high productivity in the warm season. In winter conditions, worms significantly reduce their activity, and caring for them becomes more complicated. Therefore, if possible, it is necessary to switch to the industrial production of worms and biohumus in enclosed spaces with relatively high positive round-the-clock temperatures.

In enclosed spaces (various agricultural buildings), worms can be cultivated on a concrete floor, with beds, and on racks in wooden or metal boxes, arranging them on floors. The conditions of detention in enclosed spaces must meet the same requirements that apply to conditions in open areas.

It should be noted the advantages of keeping worms indoors compared to those outdoors. These advantages apply both to the service processes and to the end result. It has been observed that 1 m2 of area indoors yields twice as much marketable biomass as in open ground. The yield of organic fertilizer - vermicompost - is also much higher.

For breeding uterine worms, standard beds are used. In this case, the density can be from 1.5 to 12 thousand copies per 1 m2.

substrate (food)

There is a term "feeding". Top dressing is carried out with organic matter, the amount of which per year per bed is 1000 kg. Worms process this organic matter by 60%, and consume and assimilate the remaining 40% to maintain their existence.

How to grow California worms at home?

To obtain biohumus, an organic substrate (food for worms) is prepared in advance (2-8 months in advance). Under the conditions of access of water and air oxygen under the influence of microorganisms living in the organic substrate (fungi, actinomycetes, bacteria, organic residues decompose (mineralize) and humify (secondary synthesis). These processes can be compared with decomposition processes. Simple intermediate products are formed as a result of hydrolytic cleavage proteins, carbohydrates and lipids.

Humic acids increase the permeability of plant cell membranes and activate their enzymatic systems. During the period of plant stresses (drought, excessive moisture, cold, etc.), the stimulating effect of physiologically active organic compounds of biohumus humic acids is manifested. The presence of a significant amount of calcium humates in biohumus, which contributes to the formation of a water-resistant granular structure, provides aeration and moisture access.

Various organic wastes are used as food for worms. Therefore, they should be prepared for feeding taking into account the method of storage (fermentation) of the substrate with different agrochemical parameters. It is advisable to store the substrate in heaps using a hot-cold storage method, which significantly reduces the germination of weed seeds, the number of which in 1 ton of bedding cattle manure is from 5 thousand to 7 million seeds; in 1 ton of liquid pig manure - from 200 to 700 thousand pieces; in 1 ton of semi-liquid chicken manure - from 20 to 80 thousand pieces.

Organic Substrate Formulation

The substrate has a double meaning for worms: firstly, it serves as their habitat; secondly, it is food, thanks to which a certain level of their vital activity is ensured. To obtain a high-quality substrate, a number of specific requirements are imposed. The humidity of the initial substrate is adjusted to 70-80%, it should not contain solid contaminants such as stones, metal, wood, glass, etc., the acidity should be neutral, iron oxides should not exceed 10%. The quality of the substrate improves if it is well mixed and the waste of melons and fruits and vegetables is added in combination with 10% lime waste. The main condition is the presence of air in the substrate and its uniformity, as well as the ratio between carbon and nitrogen. Mixing of the substrate makes it possible to ensure the alignment of the mixture in terms of humidity, to create conditions for the vital activity of microorganisms and the flow of biometric processes.

Substrate fermentation

The prepared substrate goes through a fermentation stage, during which the eggs and larvae of helminths, as well as weed seeds, die. Fermentation can be carried out both in natural and accelerated mode. Full term maturation of feed in summer 2-3 months, in winter 3-5, storage can last up to 8-10 months. When storing compost, the determining factor for its readiness is the ratio of carbon to nitrogen, which should be around 20.

To speed up the fermentation, organic waste is placed in heaps, into which hot steam at a temperature of 50-60°C is then injected through pipes. A substrate deprived of the possibility of self-heating is spread in a layer up to 20-30 cm thick, 1-1.5 m wide, moistened to 70%-80% of full wettability and allowed to stand for 10-15 days. Before wetting, crushed lime, chalk, etc., 5-10 kg/t are applied to the surface and worms are populated from 1.5 to 2.5 thousand individuals of the mother brood per 1 m2, evenly distributing them over the surface. It is advisable to do this at sunset, because worms do not tolerate solar radiation and they die.

Worms gradually burrow deep into the substrate during the night, but they will not feed on it, they will only master it for 6 days. The surface of the populated substrate is covered with chopped straw or burlap. After 3-5 days after settlement, the substrate is moistened, but not much - 50-60%. Further moisturize in the optimal limit of 75 ± 10%. The temperature should be 22 + 5 ° C.

Growing worms in winter

In winter, it is necessary to constantly control the temperature in different layers of the bed, but at the same time it is impossible to destroy the layers too much (each intervention causes undesirable consequences). The most suitable thermometer that can be immersed at 40-60 cm (soil thermometer). It allows you to make a reading on the scale from above. In a closed room, first of all, it is necessary to ensure that the bedding (base) of the lodge is not heat-conducting. Concrete is especially cold. If the vermiculture is kept on the ground, then the litter should be made of a polymer film or other material, and protected from frost from above.

In a heated room, the advantage is that during the winter period the quantitative composition increases by 3-4 times, but active top dressing is needed here. The top layer can dry out, so the substrate must be moistened at the level of 20-30 mm of precipitation. The thickness of the bed depends on how often manure or organic matter is needed.

California worms

There are a huge number of types of worms, but few are able to reproduce and live in artificial conditions. Economically attractive and universal in their biological characteristics are worms that belong to the "red" species. They are used as an excellent bait for fishing, production of biohumus, liquid fertilizers and protein meal. Why do some earthworms have the commercial name "California"? There is a pretty simple answer to this. In the United States of America in the 50s of the 20th century, intensive cultivation of this worm began, from which its commercial name came. It was obtained as a result of the long work of the American Thomas Jason Barrett (Thomas J. Barrett, 1884 - 1975). He is the founder of industrial vermicultivation in the USA. The progenitor of the Californian worm and prospector is a common dung worm.

What do California red worms look like?

The body is elongated, in an adult it is slightly flattened in the middle. Color from dark red to brown-red, sometimes you can see the mother-of-pearl tones. The body is divided into segments with two setae each. Thickness from 3 to 5 mm, average length from 8 to 10 cm, adults reach up to 14 cm. Weight from 0.4 to 1 gram, body temperature 16-22 C.

Fertility

After fertilization, two cocoons (capsules) are formed, one for each individual. Cocoons open after maturation after 3-4 weeks (depending on temperature, substrate moisture and acidity). An average of 4 to 8 young worms are born from each capsule. In the cold season, sexual activity decreases, as well as in especially hot months. As for the moderately warm season, sexual activity increases significantly.

CALIFORNIA WORM

The worm lives 13-15 years, after two or three months of life under moderate conditions for it, it is able to produce new cocoons.

Optimal temperature

Maintaining the temperature is the main task, which is especially relevant both in winter and in summer. The maximum production of vermicompost and the highest sexual activity at a substrate temperature within 20 C. Excessive cold below 0 C or high - above 35 C negatively affects the worm, under these conditions it dies like any other species. Pay close attention to vermicultivation conditions. The optimal number is considered to be 750-1500 individuals per square meter, with a substrate height of about 25 cm. When working with ridges and piles, it is worth considering temperature regime on the floor, because in winter a large amount of cold comes from below. It is necessary to measure the temperature not only of the environment, but also of the entire volume of the substrate (feed).

Advantages and disadvantages

A mature worm is considered after two to three months from the moment it leaves its cocoon. Two mature individuals produce 1000 to 2000 young heirs per year. It can be calculated that in five generations, one pair produces a large number of heirs, which sometimes need to be divided into different ridges or boxes. If the concentration of worms is too high, the rate of their development will be slowed down. An excessive amount in a certain volume, where they grow and multiply, does not allow some worms, especially young ones, to reach areas of the substrate that have not yet been eaten by their neighbors. At the same time, there should be a constant average temperature and humidity, a sufficient amount of moisture. Good conditions Vermicultivation allows you to get up to 15 young worms from one cocoon.

The California worm is much more active than the usual earthworm, it reproduces faster and processes the substrate, lives longer(up to 15 years compared to 4 years of conventional manure).

The disadvantage is that they do not like the cold. At negative temperatures, they are not able to go deep into the ground, sufficient for self-preservation - the entire population moves to warmer areas. If everything freezes, individuals gather in one lump and die. It can be concluded that the cultivation of the "Californian" in the winter is associated with the support optimal temperatures necessary for their livelihoods.

Buy California Worms

Agrodrim is engaged in breeding and sale. You can buy in unlimited quantities and in any container, for example in a plastic container, bucket or a special box with a substrate at low prices. We will ensure safety for the entire period of transportation. You can buy worms for fishing by self-delivery from our farm. For the production of vermicompost and breeding, we recommend purchasing a population of worms for breeding.

Buy worms for fishingBuy a biohumus

You will not find such an animal as Californian worms in reference guides - this is absolutely accurate.

California worms are artificially bred and are not a natural, biological species. This is a kind of hybrid - voracious and very useful for farmers, poultry farmers, fish farmers. In addition, the "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 a speed is justified: worms can die in the light.

All About California Worms

Being able to reproduce 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 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 with garden soil, room temperature and darkness.

It will also require the attention of the owner, who wants to get a full-fledged vermigrunt from the worms (biohumus fertilizer, as it is also called).

Indeed, biohumus, a fertilizer that provides a real benefit. If you add it even to clean sand, it will ensure seed germination, seedling growth! And if you use ordinary garden soil, then for a sharp increase in fertility, an addition of only 15-18% of biohumus is enough. Even super-clay, heavy soil will become fertile. If you want, grown in room conditions, to “surpass” the seedlings of a neighbor who has a heated greenhouse, add 25% vermicompost fertilizer to the soil. And most importantly - you will not need any additional dressings, no chemicals or “fragrant” mullein. They say that even underweight, immature seeds germinate in biohumus, it is such a strong stimulant.

Those owners who are engaged in the production of vermigrunt (biohumus) have no problems with protein feed for poultry, they do not have a case of young animals because Californian worms are excellent food when bred. For breeding fish in individual ponds and pools (in aquariums), “Californians” are also used.

California worms breeding

How is vermigrunt prepared, how are worms propagated, settled? Nothing complicated, we assure you. It is enough to have a few boxes with a slit bottom, a lot of organic waste and a little ordinary garden soil. Since the vermigrain, if you look at it, is the excrement of worms, and in order to have a lot of them, the “Californians” will have to pass a lot of food through their digestive system. What is this food? Paper, cardboard, onion peels, all kinds of vegetable and fruit peels, 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 undesirable to give worms for processing printed materials, especially color ones.

Once you have collected enough organic debris, you can prepare a worm hostel:

• On the bottom of the boxes covered with paper, spread everything in a row with a layer of 5-7 cm, add a little garden soil on top.
• To bind with organics, mix lightly by compacting.
• The mixture should be damp, but not wet, breathable.
• You can start new settlers.

First, put a good enough handful of Californian worms on top of the box, and they will immediately burrow themselves, hide from the light. And they will immediately begin to work, eating all the “goodies”. By the way, try to notice how fast the worms hide: if they crawl on top for a long time, it’s 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 organics laid down, 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 vermigrass depends on the number of migrants: few worms - you will wait a long time, a lot - you will not have time to feed. And you will have to feed from time to time, adding fresh kitchen waste, until the box is filled to the very top with vermigrain.

It is quite possible to keep the boxes even in a living room, placing one on top of the other with racks and covering with a wooden shield or plywood from the light. Since there will be a complete processing of waste, 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 biohumus fertilizer from worms, how to relocate the latter to new apartments? It's also easy. It is enough to prepare new boxes by analogy with the previous ones and put sieves with vermigrass 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 holes of the sieve and will fall down in hundreds. Moreover, you leave the sieves open, and the light will spur the worms to hide as quickly as possible. During the autumn-winter period, you will be able to prepare, thus, a sufficient amount of biohumus fertilizer for the needs of your site, for growing seedlings. It is best to store finished products at normal temperature in plastic bags.

If you have the opportunity to cook biohumus in summer time also there are no obstacles. On the site, you can always choose a place where there is little light, where precipitation does not fall, it is not very hot. It makes no sense to build 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 fill the soil in boxes with organic waste, pass it through your hand, as if sifting between your fingers: this way you can select earthworms, if any, and release them into the wild, preventing them from contacting Californian worms, thereby breeding will not produce mutants. In the box-lare, make several holes in the bottom for ventilation and drainage of excess liquid.

If it is impossible to prepare yutohumus fertilizer in 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 just sleep until spring. The temperature is desirable within 5 degrees.

You may have a question: what will happen if not all the worms move to new boxes and some of them remain in the biohumus. And there will be nothing terrible if Californian worms fall into natural conditions under: they will also do their job there, but gradually losing their uniqueness due to crossing with wild relatives.

Their longevity and incredible productivity, which is twice that of their relatives, are the main reasons for their breeding. But every case has its own subtleties. And, it would seem, such a simple activity as breeding worms still requires some knowledge in the field of vermicultivation.

Description

But red California worms are also capable of this, despite the fact that they were bred artificially. Due to their performance, they are in demand in industrial production.

It is red Californian worms that produce, which helps to recover both after radiation and after “heavy” crops.

Basic growing rules

California worms are picky creatures, and you should not worry about how to breed them in the country. If you change their diet, then do it gradually. And their fertility depends on comfortable conditions. To create them, you can add a little sand to the substrate, and pour a little shell under the straw, which will play the role of the worm's roof.

Location selection

Worms are unpretentious to the place of settlement. The only exception is the cold or unstable season - from November to April. During this period, the worm hole must be either well insulated or moved to a place where the temperature will be above 0 ° C.

So, the family is settled in any convenient container. It can be a self-built wooden structure or a large flower. In general, everything that will be well ventilated and does not take up much space.

Important! The worm can not be placed in the sun in the summer, otherwise your wards will die from the drying of the substrate.

Choice of a worm

The design itself should have approximately the following parameters: a width of 1–1.5 m and a height of 40–50 cm. But they can be correlated depending on the number of your worms.
The California worm is a hardy animal and sometimes does not need artificial breeding conditions at all, so here's what you need to know about wormhole:

1. This may be an ordinary hole in.
2. The place of settlement should not be treated with chemical agents in the past.
3. A safe place where pests are excluded (and this,).
4. Ability to insulate during the cold season.
5. A ventilation system of any kind so that the worms do not rot along with.

home improvement

Can accommodate 20 units. If 5 of them die, this will mean that the substrate has a high level of acidity or alkalinity. To lower it, you need to add it to limestone.

Feeding

The average individual weighs approximately 0.5 g. The worm processes such an amount of food per day that is equal to its weight. With a minimum settlement of worms (50 individuals per square meter), 5 kg per year will be processed. Here are examples of than necessaryfeed california worms at home.

Views: 13166

03.08.2017

Red California earthworm was bred by scientists american state California (whence its name came from) as a result of selection work back in 1959.

The worm has an elongated segmented body, slightly flattened from the side of the abdomen and a rich dark red (burgundy) color. An adult can reach nine centimeters in length and up to five millimeters in thickness. The invertebrate, like all members of the worm family, is a hermaphrodite. Life expectancy is approximately sixteen years.

Today, this variety of worms is bred in private farms, on summer cottages and fruit orchards for the sake of obtaining first-class " Biohumus”, which is considered one of the best biologically active and environmentally friendly natural organic fertilizers. Formed " Biohumus”as a result of the processing of organic plant residues, and it is this work that Californian worms do with success, grinding and fertilizing the soil.

Invertebrates are also an excellent nutritious food for poultry and are widely used in recreational fishing as a very effective bait for fish.

Acquisition

In order to obtain a quality Biohumus» It is necessary to purchase earthworms of the Californian breed. This can be done in specialized farms. You should not buy worms from your hands, because you will not receive guarantees that they were not dug up a kilometer from your house. At a minimum, a business or farm that trades in California worms must have a special permit issued by the services that control their activities.

It is advisable to buy worms immediately in a large batch (at least one and a half thousand individuals), because only this size of the colony will have genetic stability. When buying, it is necessary to choose live and lively worms that have a juicy red color, and in the initial population both young growth and cocoons of invertebrates must be present.

During the day, one adult is able to process the amount of organic matter, which is equal to its own weight.

In a favorable environment, a Californian worm colony can grow more than five hundred (!) times within a year. Even in natural conditions the density of worms can be from one hundred to twenty thousand (!) Individuals per square meter of soil.

Substrate preparation

The optimal nutrient medium for growing Californian worms is compost (heap or pit), into which rotted manure is preliminarily laid (when fresh is added, the worms will die), chicken manure, mowed grass, food waste (potato peels, peels of fruits, vegetables and root crops, tops ) and carrion.

Large fractions of waste should preferably be crushed or twisted in a meat grinder, since worms do not have teeth, therefore they are not able to chew food.

You should not put citrus waste in the compost, as they can increase the acidity of the substrate, and worms will not survive in an acidic and fermented environment. For this reason, it is desirable to add crushed eggshells and fine river sand to the compost, the grains of which help invertebrates to better digest food.

It must be remembered that worms feed exclusively on rotted plant residues, so it is better not to put the remains of animal food in the compost.

Excellent food for invertebrates are dairy waste, spoiled bakery products, used tea leaves and coffee grounds.

It is advisable to turn the compost gently from time to time (so as not to harm the breeding population) to ensure oxygen enters the substrate.

The quality of the finished compost can be checked in the following way: several adult worms are placed on the wet surface of the substrate, and then they are observed. If the subjects do not crawl inside, but stay on top for a long time, then the environment for their existence is not suitable and additional composting is required.

To avoid unpleasant odors and prevent the appearance of all kinds of insects, in particular flies and fruit flies, compost pit it is better to build away from residential buildings, somewhere in the shade of trees.

For the winter period, the compost pit with worms must be covered with a strong plastic wrap.

Breeding worms

For breeding California worms, you will need two containers (larger and smaller). A smaller container should have a perforated bottom so that excess moisture can drain through the holes, since these invertebrates react very poorly to excess moisture.

The finished substrate is placed in a smaller container and the worms are launched there, after which it is placed in a larger container that acts as a pallet. It is advisable to cover the top of the worms with a dense cloth.

The humidity of the substrate must be at least thirty-five percent. It is advisable to take water to moisten it not from the tap, since the chlorine content in it can be detrimental to worms, but use either rainwater or stand it for a while.

By the way, the water that will pass through the substrate layer and accumulate in the second container is an excellent valuable fertilizer, since it washes out Biohumus from the first container. This water is popularly called "vermichaem" and it is useful to water indoor flowers and seedlings with it.

Feeding invertebrates is desirable only after they have eaten the previous portion of food, so as not to provoke the fermentation process.

The optimum temperature for the life of the colony should be about twenty-five degrees with a plus sign. With a decrease in temperature, the worms will feed and multiply worse, and at five degrees of heat they may even die.

It is noteworthy that, unlike their ordinary counterparts, Californian worms do not crawl to the surface during rain, preferring to remain in the substrate.

Beneficial features"Biohumus"

Ready " Biohumus"It has no smell and smells like ordinary earth, although it exceeds ordinary humus in humus content by eight (!) times, so its application perfectly heals and fertilizes the soil.

« Biohumus» contains a huge variety of enzymes, growth hormones and biologically active substances. It is impossible to “overdo” and “overdo it” with the introduction of this fertilizer into the soil!

The table below shows only some of the beneficial trace elements contained in Biohumus:

	Up to 35 percent
Nitrogen content	Up to 2 percent
Phosphorus content	Up to 2 percent
Potassium content	Up to 1.2 percent
Magnesium content	Up to 0.5 percent
Calcium content	Up to 3 percent

« Biohumus”, as a rule, they are applied to the soil in spring, pouring it into pre-prepared holes or rows intended for sowing seeds of cultivated plants, and also added to the soil for growing indoor and ornamental plants.

Water infusions Biohumus» is used for pre-soaking seeds, which significantly improves their germination, or used for watering seedlings and feeding flowers.