蚯蚓堆肥法 (二)

後來一年前採用正式既堆肥蚯蚓（我地用 Eisenia Andrei）再試驗，證實真係要用適合嘅堆肥蚯蚓品種先可以整到蚯蚓糞，同埋能夠成功繁殖到(如果方法正確的話…)
兩條蚯蚓交配中 :)

After switching to use of proper compost worm species (Eisenia Andrei in our case) a year ago, we can conclude the organic materials will be turned into vermicast and the worms will be reproduced (if you are doing the process correctly …)
This is how two compost worms mating :)

如果系統狀態良好，蚯蚓會產卵同快速繁殖

If the system is in good condition, the worms will lay egged (cocoon) and reproduce fast inside the bin

<關於蚯蚓堆肥過程>
蚯蚓堆肥可以有不同大小規模同系統可選擇，我地最初係用細規模同比較簡單既系統去試驗同學習，剛開始我地有一個蚯蚓堆肥箱放係室內呀仔床下底(知道你地會諗咩，但我證實呢個堆肥方法係可以適合室內家居環境採用，亦係一個好好既小朋友教育套件)。

<About Vermicomposting process>
There are many different setup or scale to do vermicomposting. We started from small scale
as a learning/testing process. We have a box size small system setup indoor under our son bed (yes, we know what you are thinking but this proved to be a composting method suitable for indoor household environment and a good education kit for kids)

另外有一個堆肥袋係室外露台底。

And a continue flow through (CFT) bag outdoor under our balcony.

之後再做既實驗證實，用好細既容器一樣可以成功做到堆肥蚯蚓系統。
所有有機物料都能夠分解哂而蚯蚓亦有繁殖（由原本20條繁殖到84條)

More later experiments were basically showing even very small box or bin can be used for doing the vermicomposting.
We were still managed to decompose the organic materials and reproduce the worms (from 20 nos of worm became 84 nos of worm)

最細嘅蚯蚓箱試過只有手掌咁上下大細。

The smallest size worm bin we have tried is like a palm size.

準備好左蚯蚓個家(容器)，下一步就要預備基床材料, 即係蚯蚓箱內比蚯蚓寄居係裏面既有機材料同時亦係作為蚯蚓之後既食物。比較普遍使用既材料有堆肥，馬/牛糞，椰子纖維，紙碎，枯葉, 紙皮等。如果你住係島上又唔想花錢買材料(選用免費材料我認為比較合理 d) ，咁可以選擇既材料應該得番幾種。將材料整碎後再加入水份(理想係 60-85%濕度) ，之後放埋 d 蚯蚓入箱內，就可以正式開始蚯蚓堆肥既過程。

Now you have a home (the container) for the compost worms, next is to setup a bedding which is the organic materials to allow the worms to live inside and as the same time is also a food source for the worms. Popular choices of bedding materials are stable compost, horse/cow manure, coconut coir, shredded paper, shredded brown leaves, cardboard, etc. If you live in Lamma and not willing to spend any money to buy materials (which make more sense to me by using free materials), I believe our choices of bedding are limited to 3~4 only. Making the materials into as small particle as possible and adding moisture to the materials (ideal range 60-85% moisture) then you can put your worms into your system and start the vermicomposting process.

蚯蚓堆肥既過程表面上好似好簡單，只需要定時定侯加入食物(例如廚餘) ，保持堆肥過程中蚯蚓箱內基床濕度/溫度/氧量/酸鹼度，大約 2~3 個月後箱裏面既有機材料就會轉化成蚯蚓糞，可以採收並使用作為土壤改良材料，跟住可重覆以上步驟再繼續蚯蚓堆肥既過程。

Now the vermicomposting process might seems to be simple: from time to time put in sufficient feedstock (e.g. kitchen scrap) and maintain bedding moisture/temperature/oxygen/PH level throughout the process. After 2~3 months, all materials (bedding + feedstock) will turn into vermicast which you can harvest the vermicast as soil amendment materials for your plant grown and start over the process again.

現實係，要成功都需要有一定時間既試驗，從錯誤中學習，但如果掌握到當中既技巧，我個人認為呢個絕對係最適合島上(甚至話香港)作為堆肥既最佳方法之一。如果你能夠掌握得非常好，你絕對可以擴大蚯蚓堆肥既規模 (例如用多個或多層蚯蚓箱) ，嚟處理家庭中每日所產生既有機廢料。

In reality the vermicomposting process did take some time for trial and error but if you do it right, in my opinion this is the best and most suitable method for doing composting in Lamma (or I will even say in Hong Kong). And if you can really do it great, you can see the worm repopulate quick and you can upscale your system (say multiple worm bins) to handle almost all of your own daily home kitchen waste.

The following few pics are copied from a draft proposal we did for an organization which should give you a bit more details about vermicomposting.

以下幾張相係由我地之前為一間機構所提供嘅一份草案中抽出嚟嘅，應該可以額外再提供多小小關於蚯蚓堆肥嘅資料。