Vermicompost vs. Hot Compost

hyroot said:

Heres a thought on the whole thing.

Everyone puts coco in their worm bin as bedding. The coco in the worm bin breaks down faster than in a compost pile. There probably isn't coco in the compost pile. So when coco breaks down it releases potassium.

Worms break down organic material faster. Once compost is broken down it should be just as readily available. So he might have taken the term hot compost literally. As in not composted yet.

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GreenSanta said:

Jeff didnt say it has more potassium he says it has more readily available potassium... in other words, vermicompost is richer and microbes and bacteria which helps make nutrients more readily available.
btw the recipe could still be the same, 2 piles of hot compost that are exactly the same ingredients, after compost is finish pile number 2 get inoculated with worms.

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GreenSanta said:

not sure how he gets his produce, I think around here there is a law that says grocery stores can't give it away (some liability issue) so it all goes to the city compost ....try small privately owned grocery stores. Thats what I do, not getting a lot though...

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youraveragehorticulturist said:

I don't want to muddy up the waters, but;

A compost pile is a pretty good place to find worms.

That dude's worm operation looks like a giant version of a compost pile. He even mentions how hot the pile gets.

It's like a finger, pointing the way to the moon. Focus on the finger, and you'll miss all that heavenly glory.

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youraveragehorticulturist said:

I don't want to muddy up the waters, but;

A compost pile is a pretty good place to find worms.

That dude's worm operation looks like a giant version of a compost pile. He even mentions how hot the pile gets.

It's like a finger, pointing the way to the moon. Focus on the finger, and you'll miss all that heavenly glory.

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GrowerGoneWild said:

He did say "regular" compost, when comparing vermicompost.. I said "hot" compost. That detail I do remember. He did mention a few other things, but there was emphasis on the action of the worms.. I'm sorry I didn't record the brief conversation.

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GrowerGoneWild said:

No those temps are too low to be considered for a typical hot compost pile. Internal temp needs to be around 140 plus, that would kill the worms. Vermicompost can be run without having the ideal C:N ratio. So its more flexible, but has to be run at a lower temp. I dont believe actinomyces can do its thing at low temps. (my opinion anyways)

Not to mention vermicompost can be scaled smaller, a regular hot compost pile has a minimum size.

Not to say you cant run one without the other. Do your regular compost with the proper C:N balance, then introduce the worms AFTER the pile has gone cold. But if vermicompost is already "ready" vs regular compost might as well just blend that into the soil instead of going another step with the worms added to the compost, if nutrition availability is already better than regular compost just go with vermicompost.

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greasemonkeymann said:

the worms stick to the edges, they can sense the heat..
I've turned a steaming pile, hot enough to warm your hands on, and the worms are at the bottoms and edges.
those lil guys are smarter than we think..
but EVERY pile I've assembled or seem assembled has gone through a thermo phase, they sorta have to, the microbes involved in that phase are what breaks down the majority of the hard stems/woods/ etc.

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greasemonkeymann said:

I mean I AM aware of people doing "cold" compost pile, but those are WAY off from what most pot-growers use, which is usually a pile predicated on mass amounts of leaves, which are LOADED with pretty much everything.

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GrowerGoneWild said:

Same thing I've been saying, worms are going to stay out of the heat until things are better for them. If worms can yield a better product in the same amount of time, might as well go with a vermicompost. I have nothing against compost, but I'm leaning towards vermicompost if I'm going to create something thats going to add to soil tilth.

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youraveragehorticulturist said:

I don't want to muddy up the waters, but;

A compost pile is a pretty good place to find worms.

That dude's worm operation looks like a giant version of a compost pile. He even mentions how hot the pile gets.

It's like a finger, pointing the way to the moon. Focus on the finger, and you'll miss all that heavenly glory.

Click to expand...

greasemonkeymann said:

like I said, i'd NEVER go without both, but I use much more compost than EWC in my mix.
the consistency is better for my liking, ewc is just too thick, the compost is like billions of tiny sponges, they act like aeration as well as water retainers, it's the greatest stuff
the ewc is crucial, absolutely 100% not to be overlooked.
and in NO WAY am I dogging it, ewc is almost magical...
BUT if I was to choose between them? i'd take compost all day long.

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GreenSanta said:

Also, if you start a pile in a sterile environment there will not be composting worms in it. They are not native to North America. If you find lots of red wiggler worms on your property you can thank the birds, your neighbors, or previous owners. What some people are doing now is a hot compost and then once the pile has cool down they inoculate with worms or wait for them to move in (if present)

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GreenSanta said:

he says how careful he has to move the stuff around so it doesnt heat up. worms can take a bit of heat but generally they will migrate to cooler zones. That might have been in another video. He always feeds on one side and harvest on the other, the windrow moves 1 ft a month to the left he explains. That's not a typical compost pile.

Also, if you start a pile in a sterile environment there will not be composting worms in it. They are not native to North America. If you find lots of red wiggler worms on your property you can thank the birds, your neighbors, or previous owners. What some people are doing now is a hot compost and then once the pile has cool down they inoculate with worms or wait for them to move in (if present)

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