Worm Farms

Getting Started With Worm Farms

If you're like most people, you've heard about composting. If you like gardening, you know how good compost is for the soil and for your plants. But having a big heap of stuff in your yard doesn't appeal to you. Worm farms make it possible to compost in a neat, compact way. You can either buy a one that's ready to go or assemble one yourself.

In fact, you probably have most, if not all of the supplies. Here's a quick run down of how basic worm farms are set up.

Supplies: - a minimum of two containers with lids (these can be polystyrene boxes, plastic bins, or even an old refrigerator) - old newspapers - some soil or maybe some potting soil, and if possible a little sand - appropriate food scraps - supply of composting worms (not earthworms, this is important)

Set-Up: Now that you have all the supplies, the directions for setting up worm farms aren't hard to follow. You will need to punch holes in the bottom and the top of the first container. These serve many purposes, from giving the worms a way to move between containers and supplying air to providing a drain for any extra liquid. The containers must be cleaned so there won't be any chemicals on them that will harm your worms.

After they are dried, you can begin to place the bedding into the first container. The first layer that goes into all worm farms is a layer of damp newspaper. Then add the bedding so it is about 3/4 of the container. This should be a mix of shredded wet newspaper, soil or potting soil, and if possible a little sand. The soil and/or sand gives the bedding grit which assists the worm in digesting its food. The bedding should be moist, but not wet. It should not be compacted and easy for the worms to move around in.

It is now time to add your worms. These can be purchased from most garden centers, hardware stores, etc. It is very important to get composting worms typically Tiger, Red, or Blue Worms. Average home worm farms usually start with around 1,000 worms. The amount you start with depends on how much you want to compost. The more scraps you have, the more worms you will need.

Place a container over the second, which is used to collect the water and the liquid fertilizer. Place some scraps into a corner partially under the bedding. Put a layer of newspaper on top. It might be best to leave the lid off for a while to allow the worms to burrow under the bedding. Once they have done so, replace the lid. Worm farms are best kept in a cool area out of direct sunlight. Although composting with worm farms is good for the environment, it is also just incredibly useful and practical.

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