ABSTRACT
The principles behind vermicomposting are relatively simple and related to those involved in traditional thermophilic composting. Certain species of earthworms, termed epigeic species, can consume organic residuals and wastes very rapidly and fragment them into much ¤ner particles by passing them through a grinding gizzard in their mouths, an organ that all earthworms possess (Darwin 1881). The earthworms derive their nourishment from the microorganisms that grow on the organic materials they consume. At the same time, they promote further microbial activity in the residual wastes so that the fecal material, or “casts,” that they produce is much more fragmented and microbially active than the materials the earthworms consume. During this process, the important plant nutrients in the organic materials, particularly N, P, K, and Ca, are released from the organic matter and converted through microbial action into forms that are much more soluble and available to plants than those in the parent compounds.
