START YOUR OWN WORM FARM
Worm farms are a fantastic way of turning your kitchen scraps into nutrient rich compost for the garden. They are super simple to set up, easy to maintain and great for kids!
Pick your worm farm
To get started, first you need to pick your worm farm. There are plenty on offer and can be brought from most hardware stores or garden centres. Ideally you want one that has a tap so you can siphon off the worm tea that collects in the bottom (more about worm tea later!) they don’t need to be too large or fancy for a beginner and can also be homemade if you have the time, but I would recommend a two or 3 tiered one as shown in the picture.
Get some wriggly friends
To start a worm farm, you are going need some worms. Now these aren’t your ordinary garden worms, they are called tiger worms and they are experts in processing organic material. These can be bought in a hardware store or online and usually come in 500g boxes which is a good amount to start with
Next you need to position your worm farm in the right spot in the garden. The area needs to be flat, well shaded and sheltered. Worms definitely do not like being too hot and can overheat very quickly in the summer if positioned in full sun.
Once the worm farm is in position, it’s time to build a home for your wriggly friends. Most kits come with a coco fibre brick to help you get started. Soak the brick in water for a few hours (it will break down in the water and form the bedding layer for the worms). Once ready, cover the base of the worm farm with the coco bedding. Next add your worms along with any bedding matter that is in the box. I usually add a little potting mix and fine compost at this point just to get things started and give the worms enough medium to move around in. At this point you need to dampen the bedding so it’s about the same moisture level as a damp sponge. Worms like damp soil as it keeps them cool but too wet and they may drown!
Your worm farm is now ready to go! I know you’re probably excited to give them some food and see what happens but it’s a good idea to wait a couple of days for the worms to adapt to their new environment before feeding
How to feed?
Worms need a ratio of around 70% green matter to 30% brown. Green matter is nitrogen rich materials like fruit and vegetables scraps. Brown matter is carbon rich materials like torn up paper, cardboard and leaves. Whatever you put in, ensure that it’s either cut or torn into small pieces (worms only have small mouths!). Make sure you cover the food with a damp piece of cloth or newspaper to keep the worm farm moist and to deter pests.
How much to feed?
When worms have the right conditions and food, they can power through their own body weight in scraps every day, so in theory, a 500g bag of worms should be able to get through 500g of food everyday. Start of slow though, giving a handful to start off with and waiting until most has gone before adding more. You can gradually increase as your population grows.
Can I put all my kitchen scraps in?
Not all of the food we eat is suitable for a worm farm. Here is a list of things to avoid; Spicy food, onions, garlic, meat and dairy products, processed food, citrus fruits, oils and fats
How to harvest worm castings
Once your worms have been busy for a month or so, you will notice the level of compost looking matter slowly rising. Once your first tier of the worm farm is about 3/4 full, it’s time to harvest. This full layer should now be placed underneath an empty layer. You want the worms to migrate to this empty layer. Start off by creating the bedding layer (coco fibre, potting mix etc) and only place food in this layer. Once the worms have worked through the last of the scraps in their old home, they will start to migrate into the new one and the process starts all over again. What is left behind is your worm castings, this is absolute gold for the garden and very rich in nutrients. It can be spread over the garden like compost and gently mixed through the soil.
Harvesting worm tea
Worm tea is the dark brown liquid that collects at the bottom of the worm farm. This is also jammed packed with nutrients and should be diluted at a 1:10 ratio with water to give your plants a little boost every 2-4 weeks.
Give it a go, this would be a great project for little ones to get stuck into as well! You know who to call if you need a hand :)