In the early 2000s, at the suggestion of the Kovrov company NPO Green-Peak, the idea of biohumus production as a business with huge profitability and small start-up capital began to spread throughout Russia.
What is biohumus?
Organic fertilizer produced by earthworms.
Already this innovative definition guaranteed the interest of summer residents, gardeners, farmers, and other enterprising citizens.
300% profitability! Business from scratch! Guaranteed sale! Hundreds of beginners and experienced entrepreneurs could not help but rush to this.
But 10 years have passed since the first success of Green-Peak. Biohumus production technology, earthworms, called "technological", biohumus itself and water preparations based on it - this is an incomplete list of its products.
During this time, the company has trained more than 600 entrepreneurs and individuals in this technology. The price of technology has increased 10 times compared to 2002. Training costs money, but this does not stop those who want to receive the proud title of "vermicultivation specialist".
But is everything going as smoothly as the leaders of Green-Peak promise in the person of Sergey Stepanovich Konin, General Director?
Of particular interest is the business plan for the production of biohumus, posted on the official website of the company.
It is with him that we will begin to identify myths and discover the reality of biohumus production in Russia.
Mythical profitability of biohumus production
If you look at the website of NPO Green-Peak, then your eyes may catch the Technological and economic calculation for the production of biohumus per 1000 m² of heated area.
At the end of this document, you will see startling numbers.
They promise you that after a year of work you will have 3 million rubles worth of finished products, and the costs will not exceed 500 thousand rubles.
This is taking into account the fact that you will heat 1000 m² of premises, re-equip, pay wages to workers. And spend another half of this amount on the purchase of a worm.
250 tons of biohumus produced, which you will sell for 12 rubles. per kg, will pay back all your costs and allow you to make a profit of 2.5 million rubles.
How is profitability calculated?
This is the ratio of the amount of profit to the amount of costs for the production and marketing of products. How many rubles of profit we will receive from each ruble of our costs for production and commercial expenses.
In this case, we get about 5 rubles per 1 ruble invested. And this is from the realm of fantasy. This already looks more like a scam than a real and serious business plan.
Is it all that important?
Is production up to date?
It makes no sense to say that the production of organic fertilizers in our country is the right and necessary type of activity.
Our fields are depleted and polluted with mineral fertilizers and pesticides. The yield drops every year.
Even summer residents and gardeners complain that nothing is growing, that the crops are no longer the same, but diseases and pests are destroying everything in the bud.
In this situation, vermicompost, as a natural organic fertilizer with unique properties, as well as water preparations based on it, can really help.
But this is not a panacea. This is only part of the package of measures.
But enterprising businessmen appeared who sell a fairy tale, a dream. But in fact, they only make money, creating the illusion of solving all problems.
"Open your own business, and get 5 rubles from every ruble invested."
"Tomatoes do not grow - a rash of 200 grams of humus in the hole."
“Pests have appeared - water extracts from biohumus will not only protect plants, but also increase productivity.”
Buy, use, experiment. But do not count on instant stunning results. Do not count on millions in profits that are not secured by strict calculations.
Myth No. 1. Is it realistic to produce 250 tons of humus per 1000 m2 per year?
Basically, it's real. And even more. But the essence of the matter is different. Can this be done in the first year of operation? This is assuming you need:
1. Prepare raw materials for the preparation of a nutrient substrate. It should be rotted manure with a six-month exposure.
2. Prepare a room for the settlement of worms.
In a rented or purchased barn, this is just:
- pour the floor with concrete so that there is a flat surface for the ridges;
- lay bricks on the windows so that heat does not blow out in winter;
- make the false ceiling as low as possible, for the same reason;
- access roads, repair of internal premises, division of the premises into working areas for drying raw biohumus, crushing dry humus, packaging;
- prepare storage areas where you will store it until spring.
Yes. Only…
3. Bring and populate the worms in the ridges.
And this is provided that you already have working water supply and heating systems. You can imagine how much work.
You are throwing one year out of the production process. Let six months. Six months remain for the worm to populate the ridges, and the start of the production process.
If out of 1000 m² only 400 m² are allocated for ridges, then when a million individuals are settled in six months, you will receive only 100 tons of humus. And then, it will be humus in the ridges.
It will still need to be dried, which is impossible without underfloor heating and passed through a crusher. Are you going to pack it with pieces of land?
Iridescent vistas dissipate like a cloud.
Myth #2: Cost reality
How much should we invest there? 500 thousand rubles?
The actual numbers for the first year are:
- Acquisition of land and premises (barn) - 2-3 million rubles (the higher the price, the less to invest in repairs later).
- Carrying out repair work and re-equipment of the barn - at least a million rubles.
A lot of? Calculate the warm floors in the drying zone, suspended ceiling, arrangement of access roads for the possibility of truck arrivals, heating systems, water supply, pouring floors, dividing the common room into work areas. Maybe a million is enough.
– Purchase of 500 tons of manure for a year of work. His delivery.
Hence the consequence that production should be located either next to or in combination with a dairy farm, where manure is always in abundance.
- Worms. A million pieces is about 200 thousand rubles, not counting delivery.
- Inventory (wheelbarrows, shovels, buckets, thermometers, soil moisture meters, acidity).
– Equipment for packing, separation, crushing of humus.
– At least one tractor with blade and trailer. Or are you going to manually shovel 500 tons of manure?
- 6 workers for the production of humus and maintenance of equipment. Not counting management staff. This is if you yourself will manage and engage in sales.
What? Did I hear? Someone spoke about 500 thousand rubles of production costs per year?
You just calculate the salary. Just half a million will come out.
Myth #3. Profitability 300%
Okay, let's not take investment costs into account.
But your expenses of 500 thousand rubles a year will not be in any way! It's just salary plus taxes on it.
But other? What about raw materials, what about heating, what about water?
The real costs of production activities amount to about one and a half - two million rubles a year. This is the real data of a similar production located in the Rostov region. Even the volume and number of staff too.
The main item of expenditure, in addition to wages, is heating, raw materials, and electricity. It is not so easy to create even 15 degrees of temperature in a room with an area of 1000 m2 in winter at minus 20 degrees outside.
Accordingly, with a production volume of 250 tons and a price of 10 rubles per kg, we will receive only 500 thousand rubles of profit.
The production of 400 tons of humus in the same area will not cost you much more.
Therefore, by producing 350-400 tons per year, which is quite realistic on an area of 400 m2 of ridges, we will receive goods worth 3.5-4 million rubles, at prices of 10 rubles per kg.
And this will already allow you, as an entrepreneur, to receive a good annual income. The profitability of products will be up to 100%, and this is very good. But the most important question lies ahead!
TO WHOM and FOR HOW MUCH to sell our biohumus?
Myth number 4. Reality of prices and sales
Everything can be taken into account, all production work can be carried out, the technology can be observed to the smallest detail. But to whom to sell?
And it is necessary to return to the ground from the clouds and myths about unrealistic profitability and windfall profits.
But the reality is that biohumus is needed by hundreds of farmers, thousands of summer residents and gardeners throughout Russia. You need it like air, you might say. But not at the price that would give you super profitability.
In Moscow, a kilogram of humus in stores costs 25 rubles. The solvency of the residents of the capital allows them to buy several hundred kilograms per season for their dachas at this price.
In the regions, even 10 rubles per kg is too high a price that most people are unable to pay.
You can invest hundreds of thousands of rubles in packaging, advertising. Try to negotiate with wholesalers and supermarkets. Travel to all farms and greenhouses. But mass biohumus in Russia will not be sold and bought soon.
Summer residents, gardeners, gardeners, farmers, and even managers of greenhouses and nurseries are not ready to buy vermicompost.
They lack information about effectiveness. They don't know what it is. Technologies for growing various crops are not adapted to the use of biohumus.
Sales will be extremely difficult to organize.
What to do?
How to produce biohumus in Russia, and is it necessary to do this?
It is necessary, if only because it is a great way to rid the country of the millions of tons of organic waste that accumulates annually on farms and in subsidiary plots.
But how to do it?
In complex. This is one of the best options.
If you have a rabbit farm, then rabbit droppings can become food for worms.
The worms themselves are a great commodity to sell to fishermen. The remaining humus can be used in the backyard or packed in bags and tried to sell.
Read the article: “on breeding worms for fishing”
Start with neighbors, acquaintances. If there is demand, then we can think about expanding.
But the owners and managers of farms and collective farms receive a special advantage, especially those who have at least some livestock of cattle.
By processing huge amounts of manure, which simply rots on farms and is not always used even to fertilize their own fields, farmers and collective farmers receive an invaluable fertilizer that works much more efficiently than manure.
But it is even more efficient and profitable to make water extracts from biohumus even at home. Their use for foliar feeding can not only reduce the damage to plants by pests, but also increase productivity.
At the same time, fertilizer costs are reduced significantly!
You don't have to pay for expensive chemicals. All own. Only cost. And it is 5 times lower than the cost of mineral fertilizers.
It turns out that the economic efficiency of farms can be increased many times through the introduction of technologies for the processing of organic waste by earthworms. And this is a matter of survival for the entire farming and agriculture of the country.
But it is not necessary to count on the fact that tomorrow, having started the production of biohumus, in 2-3 years you will become a millionaire. Do not blindly believe all the promises and publicity stunts.
Explore the market and look for wholesale buyers among farmers and greenhouse managers.
Your efforts will be crowned with success only if you understand the needs of customers. And if his only need is to reduce the cost of producing 1 kg of tomatoes, then why does he need you with your biohumus? After all, this is not a cheap product.
But if you can convince the manufacturer that the land restored with biohumus will require two to three times less chemical fertilizers, then you have a chance to succeed in such a business as the production of biohumus and liquid organic fertilizers based on it.
Good luck to your business!
In this article I will talk about how to make biohumus at home with or with the help of any technological (rain, manure) worm. This is not just food waste disposal, it is a source of free vermicompost (organic fertilizer). Also, this method will save you money on the purchase of organic fertilizers and give you a great harvest in the garden.
What is biohumus and how to use
or vermicompost - it is a highly effective organic fertilizer, a product of processing of organic matter by technologically worms and microorganisms. For the production of biohumus, special technological worms are used:. It differs from manure in that it does not contain pathogenic microflora, eggs and lechens of helminths and weed seeds, has no smell, is not toxic.
Biohumus properties:
- increases the amount of humus layer in the soil
- accelerates seed germination
- increases yield by 30-80%
- in vegetables and fruits, the amount of nitrates is reduced by 2 times
- in the crop there is an increase in vitamin C by 2 times, the content of sugars, carotene, starch also increases
- increases the shelf life of vegetables
- accelerates the breakdown of pesticides in soil and plants
- increases plant resistance to pests and diseases
- enriches the soil
- heals the soil
- pH 6.5-7.5
- Sodium 1.5%
- Potassium 1.2%
- Phosphorus 1.2%
Instructions for the use of biohumus
- The first time biohumus is applied when planting a plant at the rate of 30-80 kg per 1 weave. If this is a seedling, it is brought into a container with future seedlings. Under grain crops, potatoes are sufficient to evenly distribute biohumus over the soil surface.
- The second stage is root dressing, it is carried out before flowering, during the period when the green mass has already grown enough.
Liquid biohumus for vegetable crops is used once a week, spraying it on the plant.
Video Biohumus: benefits and applications
biohumus production
For the production of biohumus, special technological worms are used: Prospector worm, Californian worm, Dendroben worm.
Can be done outdoors or indoors. In this article, we will describe one of the ways to produce at home.
How is biohumus obtained
The waste product of worms is coprolite (like manure in horses). These coprolites are a wonderful product that is rich in useful microflora, enzymes, physiologically active compounds, a complex of minerals and vitamins. Together with coprolites, worms produce humus. This product is called biohumus, it looks like small granules.
For the production of biohumus, we use the worm Prospector, which was bred in 1982 by Professor Igonin A.M.
Description of the Prospector worm
The Prospector Worm is a technological earthworm
- temperature regime for work and reproduction +8 +28 degrees
- 1 worm produces 1500 offspring per year
- 1 worm per year produces 100 kg of biohumus
- easily switch from one type of food to another
- able to work and breed at high population density
Conditions for breeding worms Prospector
- For a comfortable existence, the worms need high humidity of the earth, therefore, if the earth in the container is dry, it must be moistened, for example, using a sprayer.
- Worms do not like light, so we cover the boxes with black agrofibre, which allows air to pass through.
- The optimum temperature for the life of the Staratel worm is +8 - +30 degrees.
- Reproduction. An adult lays eggs once every 5-7 days. The eggs take 14-21 days to mature, depending on the temperature the eggs are in. Therefore, it is possible to divide worms into families once a month.
- The container for keeping the worms must be breathable.
How to make biohumus at home
For biohumus production you will need:
- a box in which they will live and breed
- rotten food to feed worms
- water to moisten the substrate
Step 1. Suppose you have already acquired a family of worms. The first thing to do is move them to an air-permeable box. A sturdy wooden crate or plastic fruit crate is good for this purpose.
Step 2. The production of biohumus at home begins with the composting of household waste. When composting, it is important, especially if it happens in an apartment, that there is no unpleasant smell. Therefore, a container with a sealed lid is suitable for this, in this case we use a plastic bucket with a tight lid, in which we put all organic vegetable kitchen waste (does not use meat worms, it is advisable not to use citrus fruits, they increase the acidity of the substrate, also worms do not eat vegetable and animal fats).
Worms love rotten food, so we wait for the waste to rot. To speed up this process, waste should be crushed and special bacteria (microbiological preparations) should be used, which significantly accelerate decomposition, we are currently using Radiance. To prevent Drosophila from appearing, the waste is sprinkled with a small layer of earth.
Step 3. Feeding the worms. When the waste has rotted enough, we put it in a container with worms on the sides or in the middle. We carefully move the lateral earth with our hands so as not to damage the worms and lay out the waste, which we cover with earth from above. Thus, no unpleasant odors appear and there are no fruit flies.
We also add wheat bran to the surface and to food, which we slightly moisten with water, the worms love them very much.
Also, worms can be fed with paper, toilet paper and cardboard, but without chemical paints. To do this, we place pieces of paper on the surface of the earth in which worms live and, using a spray bottle, moisten the paper with water.
You need to feed the worms with a new portion of food when they eat the previous one. Food should be given in small portions.
Step 4. Biohumus extraction. The next, long-awaited stage is the extraction of biohumus. Biohumus accumulates only in the lower part of the tank, where the worms have a toilet. To remove the vermicompost from the container, you need to remove the top layer with worms and remove the vermicompost. We do this at the time of the division of worms into two families, once a month.
Biohumus looks like small elongated granules. After extraction, it is dried, scattering in a thin layer.
From the resulting vermicompost, you can independently prepare liquid vermicompost. For vegetables, biohumus is diluted with water 1:100. For indoor plants, dilute 1:50.
Video Breeding worms
Material prepared by:, gardener with 26 years of experience, chemical technologist
© When using site materials (quotes, tables, images), the source must be indicated.
Processed by worms, it turns into the most valuable vermicompost, a fertilizer that surpasses most mineral and organic analogues in many ways. Biohumus (or vermicompost) is rich in all the chemical elements necessary for the qualitative development of plants, but, in addition, the substrate is saturated with rich microflora, which has a simply magical effect on crops. Microorganisms strengthen the plant's own immunity to such an extent that they become practically immune to a large list of common diseases and pests.
How it works? The process of converting manure and organic residues into biohumus is simple, and has been worked out by nature for many millennia. The worms ingest the surrounding substrate and process it into an organic fertilizer rich in enzymes. These representatives of the bristle order also do the same in the soil in garden beds. But there they are constantly disturbed by digging and loosening the earth, and stress does not have the best effect on reproductive function. And the food base is not too rich, therefore, the reproduction of worms in the conditions of garden land cannot be described as stormy. Accordingly, the amount of useful substances produced is not too large, and therefore does not have a noticeable fertilizing effect on horticultural and horticultural crops.
In order to effectively use biological "composters", it is necessary to create a favorable habitat for them. Manure heaps, flavored with a fair amount of organically processed residues, are best suited.
But you cannot lay them in random order, the worms will not survive. To obtain a good result, it is necessary not only to follow the biohumus recipe, but also to use special breeds of worms, which will be discussed below.
The best breeds of worms for biocompost
Good preparation is the key to success in any business, and the creation of vermicompost is no exception. It would seem that it could be simpler - I dug up worms in my garden, and launched them into a dunghill. This option is possible, but the best results can be obtained by using rocks specially bred for organic processing. In our time, when the ideas of organic farming are so popular, breeding vermicompost worms has become a profitable business. After all, these small creatures are capable of preparing high-quality fertilizer for the garden and vegetable garden in a relatively short time, without any human intervention. But such a result should be expected only if worms that were specially bred for the composter work in the heap.
They are characterized by greater productivity, as they have a large size, increased speed of processing of the food substrate, and resistance to various infections and diseases. In our climate, the following breeds of vermicompost worms are recommended:
Another way to get hold of good quality worms is not to buy them, but to get them for free. They will be less productive than the "purebred" bristles, but they are quite suitable for the production of small volumes. If there is a livestock farm near the site, then you can get beautiful worms there. Most of all setae are found in well-rotted manure, especially on its dried edges. It is also worth digging well in the upper layers of manure heaps - most likely, worm diggers will have a good harvest there.
Video: breeding worms for vermicompost
Biohumus in the country: features of production
Composter construction
There are two types of composters for the production of vermicompost - horizontal and vertical. The former are not very convenient, and limit the ability to maintain the substrate in good condition, so they are rarely used. The vertical composter has proven itself from the best side. For the manufacture of vermicompost in the average volumes required for a summer cottage, you can buy a box, or you can make it yourself.
correct biohumus composter
The design of the composter is quite simple - two cubic modules that are stacked on top of each other. Each side of the box has a length of 40-50 cm. The walls are made of a wooden slat or non-planed board (slab), and the bottom is made of coarse mesh, which is used to enclose areas. Over time, almost all the worms will crawl into the upper box, leaving the substrate completely ready for use in the lower box. Above the structure, it is desirable to build a small canopy that protects the "worm" from the weather. A tray is placed under the bottom of the boxes, in which excess liquid is collected.
Substrate laying
A high-quality bookmark for the production of biohumus is the most important thing in its manufacture. This fertilizer is very easy to make with your own hands - the most important thing is to correctly follow the sequence and time limits for laying layers.
To begin with, dry hay, straw, compressed well, or coconut mats are laid on the bottom of the lower box, which are considered the best substrate. Then a population of vermicompost worms is launched there, which are placed in a composter along with a feed substrate (you can buy it from a worm manufacturer). On top of the substrate, a thin layer of rotted manure is laid, and after a couple of days, crushed organic residues are added (grinding is strictly necessary). In the process of filling the "worm" it must be periodically moistened, and lightly tamped with palms.
How to determine how much moisture is needed for the normal functioning of this mini-ecosystem? This is done manually. A lump of substrate from the composter is squeezed in the palm of your hand, and they look at the result - if moisture appears even with light pressure - there is too much of it, and in the next few days the substrate does not need to be moistened. In perfectly moistened compost, the liquid begins to seep out of the compost only with very strong pressure.
Video: an example of a simple composter in the country
Using vermicompost
After the compost is completely ready, it can be applied to the beds. The use of this fertilizer is possible throughout the growing season, as well as during preparation for it. The following application rates:
- Under when planting - 200 g per hole;
- Under when transplanting - 150 g under a bush;
- With continuous fertilization of beds for winter crops - 700 g per 1 sq.m. (mix with the top layer of soil);
- Before the spring planting of greens and vegetable crops, 500 g of vermicompost per square meter is added to the soil.
- When planting fruit trees, this fertilizer is applied to the planting hole in the amount of 5-10 kg, depending on the size of the seedling.
- Vermicompost also fertilize the soil under any plants throughout the growing season. The composition of vermicompost allows it to be used as a biohumus, since recycled organic fibers do not rot, but decompose, while protecting the soil from drying out and nourishing it with useful substances.
Video: making ready-made vermicompost
Vermicompost tea
Liquid biohumus is used for various purposes. it and direct top dressing of plants at the root, and spraying plants "on the leaf", and watering young seedlings. Also, the use of this solution significantly increases the germination of seeds, if they are pre-soaked in it, and root formation in cuttings. You can make vermicompost tea yourself quite quickly, and make it as follows:
option of purchased liquid biohumus
- They take a bucket of water, and dissolve a glass of biohumus in it. Water must be warm, otherwise the beneficial substances will pass too slowly into the solution, which is infused at room temperature for about a day, stirring occasionally.
An aqueous solution helps to fully preserve the microflora contained in this fertilizer. It can be used for all types of top dressing, liquid vermicompost has a strong positive effect on plants. In addition to the fact that this composition significantly strengthens all crops, it also affects the taste of products. , pears, plums become much larger and sweeter. Fruit trees, when mulching the near-trunk circle with compost, cease to "rest", and bear fruit every year. Vegetable crops also become tastier and juicier, and the starch content in potatoes increases.
Biohumus for house plants
Violets, geraniums and ficuses, as well as outdoor plants, periodically require top dressing. An increasing number of flower growers are inclined to use natural fertilizers produced naturally in their homes and apartments. After all, they will not emit various chemicals in the form of fumes into the closed atmosphere of the house, the impact of which on human health has not yet been fully studied. Therefore, many are wondering whether it is possible to produce such a popular fertilizer as vermicompost at home.
Florists are worried about whether the structure for keeping the worms will be too bulky, will there be an unpleasant smell, and will the worms survive indoors? Most of these issues are easily resolved, provided a minimum following production technology. Breeding worms at home is only slightly more difficult than in the garden. First of all, you need to find a container that is deep and wide enough, for example, a bowl or a cut plastic canister. And some breed worms in an aquarium.
But most flower growers recommend using a perforated container, which is placed in a solid one that is larger than it. This design allows you to maintain the correct microclimate in the processed substrate, which will then be used as a fertilizer for indoor plants. Worms are comfortable in it, and they actively eat the mixture prepared for them. In an aquarium, it is best to grow worms for further launch into large manure and compost heaps, that is, use it as a kind of "kindergarten" in which the worms stay for a short time.
How to make vermicompost at home?
In order for the worms to adapt well to new living conditions, in the first days, after you brought them home, the feed substrate familiar to them is laid in the composter, which can be purchased at the store together with them. Starting from the second week, other ingredients can be gradually added to the pile in moderation.
The basic rules for the production of vermicompost at home are as follows:
- The bottom of the tank must be covered with drainage - calcined river sand or coconut mat.
- Do not put too large peels and skins in the composter, they will rot. Before laying them, they must be crushed.
- Worms that process organic matter for houseplants should not be fed meat.
- An acidic environment is contraindicated in bristles, therefore it is necessary to periodically add ground to the compost container.
- In the spring, it is advisable to move the "worm" to the street, as soon as a constant positive temperature is established.
Video: vermicompost in the Good Harvest program
Biohumus is a granular bioactive fertilizer obtained from organic waste processed by the red Californian worm. Its use ensures good development of plants, increase in yields by 30-70%. Knotted fruits are less affected by diseases. They differ in more tender pulp, pronounced taste and aroma. The production of biohumus at home is not particularly difficult and does not require significant costs.
Properties and composition of biohumus, its advantages
Biological humus is a fertilizer that is superior in composition and nutritional value to ordinary compost and manure. Its addition to the soil in a ratio of 10-20% to the total volume allows you to improve the soil that is depleted or contains a large amount of salts. In the process of processing, there is a complete disinfection of organic masses, their purification from helminth eggs. Biohumus contains many useful components in an optimally balanced form:
- Mineral elements in a form well absorbed by plants.
- Enzymes. They provide the transformation of organic residues into nutrient compounds.
- Substances that prevent the reproduction of pathogens.
- Phytohormones. They improve the growth and stress resistance of plants.
This type of environmentally friendly fertilizer contains 4-8 times more humus than cow dung or compost obtained from plant residues. Its advantages include good moisture capacity, friability, compatibility with other types of organic fertilizers, no need to use significant energy costs in the production and application process. The possibility of selling surplus products allows you to recoup the costs and receive a certain income.
Components for biohumus production
Before you start the production of biohumus at home, you should prepare the substrate for vermicompost and the necessary inventory items. The composition of the substrate includes:
- rotted cow dung and
- Leaves of plants in fermented (silage) or dried form (hay).
- Vegetable peelings, leftovers from unused products.
- Overripe sawdust, tree leaves.
- Peat and lime (2% of the total weight of the mixture) to improve the quality of the vermicompost.
California worms are also needed for biohumus, the function of which is the processing of the nutrient mixture. As an inventory, you will need boxes made of wooden planks or plastic, a spatula for a set of substrate, a sieve with cells with a diameter of 2 mm.
Features of growing Californian worms
California worms outwardly practically do not differ from ordinary earthworms. But they carry out the processing of organic substances into a form convenient for assimilation by plants much faster. When using them, you can get ready-made fertilizer in 1-1.5 weeks. The cost of one individual varies in different regions of the country: from 25 kopecks to 1 ruble. The following rules should be observed when using vermicompost for the preparation:
- Breeding at home requires maintaining certain temperature values. Its lower limit should not be lower than + 4 ° C, and the upper one - above 40 ° C. Lower and higher values can lead to the death of biological material.
- In winter, the worms are placed in containers with a nutrient substrate and brought into a room with the required air temperature or covered with insulating material. It ensures the free flow of air into the soil mixture.
- For the normal life of this species of invertebrates, it is necessary to maintain the humidity of the compost heap at the level of 70-80% by regular irrigation with water in hot weather. In addition, they should be protected from the direct rays of the sun by placing them in the shade.
To prevent the death of Californian worms in severe frosts, covering the place of their keeping with the advent of autumn with a layer of compost 40 cm thick or more will allow. After snow falls, additional protection will be provided by warming the embankment with a thick snow cover.
Substrate preparation
The production of biohumus at home requires special preparation of the substrate before launching worms into it. First, a wooden box, a plastic container or a recess in the ground is prepared. It is recommended that their depth be from 70 to 100 cm. It is possible to prevent the penetration of technological worms outside the pit by finishing its bottom and walls with some natural material.
Then, a mixture prepared from well-rotted manure, ripened compost, rotten plant tops, and food waste is placed in a container or pit. The substrate must mature. To do this, it is kept for the required time, regularly moistened with warm water and stirred every 2-3 days. Initially, under the influence of the processes taking place in the mixture, the temperature will rise to 40-50 ° C. At the end of the fermentation of the components, its values decrease and remain stable.
Vermicultivation technology
When the substrate is fully ripened, Californian is launched into it at home, allowing you to get them in sufficient quantities for the desired volume of the mixture. The laying rate is 700-1500 pieces per cubic meter of substrate. You can determine the suitability of the mixture for launching worms by first placing 50 individuals in it. If they feel good, add the rest, evenly distributing over the surface of the substrate.
The acidity of the prepared mixture should be in the range of 6-8 points. Periodic gentle loosening will provide free access to the inner layers of the air necessary for the worms to breathe. Regular irrigation with settled water heated to 20 ° C will create a fairly humid environment. To maintain optimal temperatures and humidity of the substrate, the container is covered with a layer of straw.
Collection of vermicompost
During the first 1-2 months, the worms adapt to the new environment. Then they begin to actively multiply and process the components of the mixture into biohumus. Every 10 days, additional application of a nutrient substrate is necessary as a top dressing. After 3-4 months, you need to check the number of worms. If it has increased significantly, you can begin to separate them and use the finished fertilizer for its intended purpose.
There are 2 ways to free the vermicompost from the worms in it. One of them uses sifting the substrate through a sieve. The worms are then transferred to another container. In the second method, the introduction of top dressing is delayed for several days. Then pour a new portion of the substrate on the surface of the box. When the hungry worms rise up, they are separated and moved to another place.
Application of vermicompost
The production of vermicompost at home presents a certain benefit. It can be used not only for fertilizing a personal or summer cottage, but also for sale. To reduce the cost of obtaining this environmentally friendly and highly effective material will allow the presence of pets that provide the technological process with a sufficient amount of manure.
Surplus vermicompost can be sold to neighbors in the country, farmers. With a significant volume of production - on the market or in bulk in your own online store. Worms can be in demand by fish or poultry farms. In order to sell biohumus, the price for 1 kg of which ranges from 10 to 20 rubles, it should be offered to potential buyers in a package that is convenient for use.
Product packaging
Dry vermicompost is packed in polyethylene bags. In the manufacture of liquid humus in a concentrated form, the best option is bottling in plastic bottles. Like the widely used "Em" preparations, they contain many beneficial soil microorganisms that improve soil fertility and ensure high yields in the most environmentally friendly ways.
When packing in bags, biohumus should be pre-weighed. The price for 1 kg can be indicated on the label or not affixed to the wholesale sales of the material. The cost of goods in different regions varies significantly. As well as liquid preparations "Em", it is desirable that the packaged vermicompost contains instructions outlining the properties of the material and the rules for its use.
Instructions for use
Vermicompost is in demand not only for growing fruits and vegetables. It is widely used in floriculture, to restore depleted soil that has lost its natural properties. It can also be used to reduce the number of harmful insects, since the microorganisms that make up the preparation are able to break down the chitin of their external skeleton.
In what quantities and how best to apply biohumus - the instruction covers in detail all the issues that arise when using fertilizer. The time of its introduction into the ground is not limited. The drug has a prolonged action, giving good results for several years. Concentrated biohumus is diluted three times. It is recommended to add it to water when watering plants and spraying trees.
Application features
The drug is used for the preparation of soil mixtures. Biohumus is especially useful for seedlings. It is enough to add 1 part of the product to 3-5 parts of peat. Before planting the grown plants in the ground, about 150 g of fertilizer should be added to the wells, mixed with the ground. The planted bushes are watered abundantly, and the soil surface around the seedling is mulched with a small layer of biohumus.
It is possible to protect plants from damage by insect pests by introducing the agent into the soil or by surface treatment of their vegetative parts with its aqueous solution. A good effect is given by regular feeding of vegetable crops, trees, shrubs, flowers. For these purposes, it is enough to apply 0.5 kg of biohumus per 1 m 2 for plants every 30 days.
Using vermicompost for soil restoration
Biohumus in a short time increases the nutritional value of the soil, supplementing it with a complex of substances necessary for the good development of plants. The soil microorganisms contained in it contribute to the transformation of plant and animal residues into easily digestible compounds.
The addition of biohumus to the soil that has lost its fertility due to the immoderate application of chemicals increases the content of useful elements in it, improves the structure of the soil, and neutralizes high acidity. This allows you to create an environment in which those involved in the formation of the fertile soil layer are able to live. Increasing the concentration of humus most directly affects the quantity and quality of the crop.