Composting Vs Vermicomposting and their pros and cons

Today at Gardenprue, we face the two great generators of natural fertilizer for our plants. Each of these two options is indicated according to the characteristics of your garden, the space you have, the amount of organic waste you generate, etc. Here we are going to help you choose between composting or vermicomposting according to your needs. Here is our article today on composting. Enjoy it!

 

In theory we already know the characteristics of compost and vermicomposting (or vermicomposting), and if not, we have put the links for you to take a look at it for nothing. In either of the two we summarize the benefits of any of the systems, but when it comes down to it… which one do we choose?

THE PROS AND CONS OF VERMICOMPOSTING

PROS

  1. Less labor compared to traditional compost.
  2. The result is a higher quality product than the traditional system.
  3. A final product is achieved in less time than the other system.
  4. By requiring lower fermentation temperatures than the other system, the nitrogen obtained is of higher quality and therefore we reference point 2.
  5. Less concern about the moisture content of the pile (less need for turning).

CONS

  1. By operating with less temperature, it can result in the germination of undesirable seeds in our garden in the future.
  2. It requires more space than the other system (production equality) due to the movement of worms from finished piles to newly added piles.
  3. It requires incorporating worms into the process.
  4. When we want to incorporate the finished waste into the garden, we must separate the worms from the compost.
  5. You must ensure a temperature frame for the correct development of the worms.

THE PROS AND CONS OF COMPOSTING

PROS

  1. More amounts of waste can be concentrated per compost area .
  2. In times of good temperature (spring and summer) the composting process is quite fast.
  3. It is not necessary to control the temperature as much as in the case of vermicomposting.
  4. If there are high temperatures in the compost pile, it prevents seed germination in the future.
  5. You don’t need to buy worms for the composting process.

CONS

  1. Managing the compost pile takes labor. Turns, waterings, etc.
  2. In summer the heap temperatures can be excessive and kill healthy microorganisms.
  3. If there is a high temperature in the pile, the quality of nitrogen drops.
  4. The quality of the compost is still very good, in general, it is lower than that of vermicompost.
  5. It has the “batch” effect, whereby materials are stacked in the heap and then no more items are added.

WHICH OF THE 2 OPTIONS ARE WE LEFT WITH?

Difficult choice! We believe that with the pros and cons that we have added you can make an analysis of which option is best for you. To make things easier, we are going to put a list of options in which you can feel identified and the choice that we make:

  • We generate little plant and organic waste (food scraps, coffee, egg shells, etc). VERMICOMPOST.
  • If you need more amount of compost per space (since for the same amount of compost more space is required in the vermicomposting). COMPOSTING.
  • You don’t have a lot of time to dedicate to waste management. VERMICOMPOST.
  • You live in an area where the night-day temperature variation is very high: COMPOSTING.
  • I only have the option of having a composter inside my house: VERMICOMPOST.
  • I have no means to get worms. COMPOSTING.
  • I want to gradually add organic waste that it generates. VERMICOMPOST.
  • If I wanted to manufacture the compost storage system (composter or vermicomposter) by myself. Which would be easier? COMPOSTING.

Whatever your decision, a good book always helps. Mariano Bueno is an expert in composting. In his book on how to make good compost you will find all the details to maintain and produce quality compost.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *