What is Vermiculture?
In recent years, small-scale worm farms have become a popularised venture for many home-growing enthusiasts, but what exactly is vermiculture? The farming or cultivation of earthworms is beneficial not only as a sustainable method of organic waste disposal, but also as a way to repurpose latent nutrients in decaying organic material thanks to our friend, the humble worm.
Much like regular composting, the inputs into a worm farm include both green (nitrogen-based) and brown (carbon-based) matter, which form the bulk of the worms’ diet. However, unlike regular composting, the feed is then consumed by the worms and makes its way through their intestinal systems, which are essentially digestive powerhouses of microbial diversity.
The Result
The finished product is 'worm manure,' or, in other words, fertilising gold! Replete with an array of macro and micro goodness, vermicast fertiliser contains beneficial microbes like nematodes and protozoa, which mineralise and distribute (now bioavailable) nutrients for the benefit of your plants.
Regenerative Agriculture
Earthworms are a vital component of the soil ecosystem, but they are often overlooked in modern-day agricultural methods and practices. At Great Southern Living Soil we seek to promote the importance of earthworms and their by-products in the field of regenerative agriculture by producing premium vermicast fertilisers for growers of all scales and sizes.
Meet Our Colony
Known by many names, such as red wrigglers and red worms, at Great Southern Living Soil our colonies are made up predominantly of tiger worms (Eisenia fetida). Originally native to Europe, tiger worms are now found on almost every continent, though ours have made a home in Denmark, WA.