Can worms compost shrimp shells?
KendraSchmidt
11 years ago
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KendraSchmidt
11 years agoRelated Discussions
Composting Nut shells
Comments (16)I would warn anyone about putting black walnut shells (or branches or leaves) in compost. Every part of a black walnut tree, especially the roots, are detrimental to members of the tomato family. Even dusting from spring pollen can stunt tomatoes. A neighbor has a black walnut within 100 feet of my garden here at my new house. I've never been able to grow good tomatoes here (the tree is south of the garden, so prevailing winds keep leaves and pollen blown my way). I found this out by contacting MR. COMPOST Mike McGrath (previous editor for Organic Gardening Magazine) at his current radio show: You Bet Your Garden. So this year I'm going to try growing tomatoes in large pots in a different part of the property this coming summer to see if I can do better. It's depressing to see the same plants I started for myself thriving in my (further north) neighbor's yards. *sigh* Kris...See Moreshrimp compost
Comments (3)I've never heard of shrimp compost, so the following might sound a little weird: Asian grocers carry dried shrimp which could probably be pulverized and used in your mix. Don't know how much you need, but even a little might supply the nutrients you are looking for....See MoreShrimp shells
Comments (1)Warmer bin = faster decomposition. I added crab shells to my bin about a month ago and I think that most of them are gone, or at least unrecognizable. That's at garage temperature in N. Calif (40-60 degrees). I buried them deep and didn't notice any unusual odors. Someone mentioned that shellfish shells are especially good for compost....See MoreWorm castings vs. worm compost?
Comments (2)I'm very skeptical that anyone sells pure worm castings. I define a casting as a particle that has actually passed through the digestive tract of a worm. Vermicompost or worm compost is a much more accurate description of what is probably in the bag. Your homegrown VC is probably different from stuff you buy for a number of reasons. I can't remember which forum this came from, but it was posted by: Kelly Slocum On: 2001-09-01. "the feedstocks chosen for producing maximum worm biomass are not always those chosen to produce the best castings for a particular situation, no. keep in mind that castings value is determined largely by the intended end use. if you want the castings to amend your soil for planting a fruit orchard, for instance, the castings you'd most want would be dominated by microscopic fungi, supported in castings produced by a feedstock with a high proportion of carbon material (leaves, wood, paper, cardboard, etc.). were you looking for castings with which to amend soil that will be growing annual flowers the product with the highest value to you would be dominated by bacteria. bacterial castings are produced with feedstocks higher in nitrogen (greenwastes, manures, etc.). castings that have the most generally diverse community of organisms possible are generated from feedstocks with a particular balance of carbon and nitrogen bearing materials. now, studies show that, provided appropriate moisture and aeration are maintained, manure is the material that produces the greatest worm biomass. manure alone is not going to produce castings with the most diverse numbe of organisms, however, needed for a high qualtiy general purpose product." Note the tacit implication that NPK is not what makes VC a valuable soil amendment. Search "soil food web" and you'll have plenty of reading material. Cheers, Andrew...See MoreKendraSchmidt
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