Earthworm farming take care

Earthworm farming take care is a daily activity of farmers. It brings high efficiency to the productivity of earthworm cultivation

Choose a suitable kind of worm to farm.

Unlike all other countries in the world, in Vietnam we breed earthworms to harvest the worms themselves. We understand that the Perionyx excavatus worm is the most abundant and natural source of food for our livestock.

Earthworm vermiculture is best for begining

After constructing or cleaning the breeding area (for box-type breeding), we can release the earthworm vermiculture.

Usually, we can release about 15-20kg of earthworm vermiculture per square meter, not spread evenly on the surface but in clusters, paying attention to maintaining proper moisture.

After one to two days, we continue to feed them, taking care not to cover the surface with too much food. This will increase the temperature below the bed due to the moisture in the bed, leading to the problem of heat generation and the worms becoming rotten.

After feeding them for 3-7 days, take a sample of the new feed on the surface, break it apart, and at this point, we can see small pink baby worms about 1cm long. This means that the worm care has been successful.

Food for Earthworm farming take care:

Build an earthworm food pond:

• Building a pond to prepare food for worms is very important, as it ensures that we have a proactive source of food for the worms and creates food that is “appetizing” for them.
• Depending on the farming area, we build a pond: on average, we need one pond system for every 300m2, which is built near the transport route and the beginning of the worm bed.
• The pond system consists of two adjacent ponds with an area of 2m X 3m X 0.5m (divided in half).

Cow manure is best food for earthworm

• Put cow manure in the pond (it is best to choose fresh cow manure, as dry cow manure is very ineffective).
• Then add water to the same level as the manure, stir it with a stick, and crush it (you can use the biological product E.M to decompose the manure quickly and increase the fineness of the manure.
• The amount needed is 30-50 liters of EM2 per ton of manure). After 6 hours, it can be stirred again. After 3-5 days, the worms can be fed.
• However, can use buffalo manure, horse manure…..and food waste. Water hyacynth is best food for earthworm.

Feeding earthworm farming take care:

As we mention above, Unlike all other countries in the world, in Vietnam we breed earthworms to harvest the worms themselves. So the way we feed earthworm is also different.

• Usually, after put worm ton worm farm for 2 days, we should feed the worms.
• Before feeding the worms, we pump water into the feeding pool, making sure that the food is evenly distributed.
• Then we scoop the food into a plastic bucket and feed the worms.
• Each time we feed, we use a plastic scoop and sprinkle it horizontally along the worm bed, with each row spaced 10cm-15cm apart.
• We feed the worms every 2 to 4 days, and each time we provide a different type of food from the previous day.
• When the worms are mature or when there are more worms in the bed after 20 or 30 days of breeding, we should increase the amount of food and feed them more each time.

Note in feeding earthworm farming take care

• When feeding the earthworms, the food must be completely mixed and the worms should eat all the food every day.
• Do not feed the worms when there is too much leftover food, as the excess food can accumulate under the bed and cause the worms to concentrate on eating and living below the surface, which reduces their reproductive ability.

Daily earthworm farming take care:

Temperature in earthworm farm:

The most suitable temperature for worm development is from 20o – 28oC.

For areas in the temperate, during winter, the temperature drops low. At this time, we need to provide adequate shelter and light bulbs at night to maintain the appropriate temperature and prevent the worms from going into hibernation.

Humidity in the earthworm farm:

• Water is the most important component of the worm’s body, accounting for about 80 – 85% of its body weight.
• We need to regularly check the humidity in the worm bed by: Taking a handful of the compost in the cage and then releasing it. If the biomass still retains its shape and our hand is only slightly wet, it is enough.
• But if water flows out or the compost breaks and falls down, it is too wet or too dry.
• Usually, with this new way of mixing food, there is no need to water. If it is hot and sunny, we can spray mist.

Sunlight

Worms are afraid of direct sunlight, so we need to provide adequate shelter (using mesh is best) during the day to avoid direct sunlight shining into the cage, making the worms afraid and crawling down to the bottom to live.

Enemies of earthworm farm:

There are many harmful predators of worms both inside (mites, carpet beetles, bedbugs…) and outside the bed (frogs, lizards, birds, mice…)

Air: CO2, H2S, SO3, NH4 are enemies of worms, so we must ensure that the worms’ food is clean and free of any harmful chemicals for the worms and the farm.

Havest earthworm farming take care:

There are many ways to harvest worms, but baiting is the most effective method.

Time for harvesting worm:

• When the worms are thick, large, and healthy, and have been raised for about 40 days, they can be harvested.
• Use cow manure put about half kg by each cluster for 30cm distances on the surface of worm farm.
• After feeding the worms for 1 day, scoop them up from the surface of the bed where we previously put the food (because they will gather there to eat).
• Spread a plastic sheet outside in the sun.
• Choosing a sunny day will make it easier to harvest worms.
• Pour the mixture onto the plastic sheet,
• Then remove the top layer of worm castings, one by one, as the worms will crawl down underneath to avoid the sunlight until there are only worms left.
• Note that the top layer of worm castings should not be discarded as waste, but returned it to the bed to continue feeding the worms as it is a source of reproducing and contains a lot of worm eggs.

Time for harvesting worm casting:

After a period of breeding worms for 4 to 6 months, when the thickness of the compost reaches 30 to 40cm, we proceed to harvest the worm castings.

• We take the top 10cm layer of the entire surface for reuse in breeding, and the rest underneath is worm castings.
• We put the worm castings in an area to reduce moisture, and about 2 months is the best time.
• The worm castings should not be exposed to sunlight, as it will reduce their nutritional value and destroy the microorganisms in the worm castings.

Please do not hesitate to contact us for any inquiries regarding product information and worm farm technique transfer.

Vietnam Farming.

Hochiminh City – Vietnam

Tel/whatsapp: +84-983346179

Email: vietfarm2002@gmail.com

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