On the almost island of Crozon, in Finistère, thousands of earthworms are at work in large white bins. Their mission: transform waste into humus and produce a precious liquid called compost, compost tea or even compost juice.
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It is a 100% natural, 100% Breton fertilizer made using vermicomposting. But how is it so different from the compost we produce in our gardens?
“Compost is the degradation of green waste by bacteria. It is a very efficient process, but it takes a little longer than vermicomposting”, explains to franceinfo Charles Zaphiroupoulo, co-creator of the company Le Lombrix. “In vermicomposting, we have the degradation of waste by earthworms. It is much faster than by bacteria. Earthworms eat green waste, coffee grounds, dung, peelings … which they degrade via their digestive system. Earthworms produce droppings that can be directly assimilated by plants. “
“Earthworms make a wonderful fertilizer!”
Charles Zaphiropouloto franceinfo
Lombrix would therefore be for our plants the equivalent of the magic potion of the Druid Panoramix … without mystery ingredients or perlimpinpin powder, but with small voracious and specific earthworms sold on the internet. Indeed, they do not eat the same thing as the large earthworms in our gardens.
The piece of furniture that accommodates the critters can be installed in a kitchen, on a balcony or on a terrace. It is enough to give the earthworms to eat regularly to collect some compost tea. Generally, these vermicomposters sold in garden centers allow feeding only a few plants in containers.
To be able to feed all the plants in a garden, especially vegetable crops, it is better to use a ready-to-dilute concentrate: This is diluted to the tenth (10 cl of product for 1 liter of water). Since it’s not sulfuric acid either, you can double the dose for a plant stressed by repotting or pruning. The product is used once a month, it is sufficient, in addition to other waterings. Plants cannot be satisfied with water alone, they must also be fed. After a while, potted plants eventually use up the nutrient pool in the soil or potting soil. “
“If you don’t feed your potted plants, they don’t live, they survive …”
Charles Zaphiropouloto franceinfo
Only a few producers have embarked on this production of compost tea in France.
You can find 100% Breton Lombrix cans on two sites (monjardinbio.com and jardinsanimes.com) and a list of points of sale on the company’s site.