Global Worming

Fundamentals for a worm farm

Look after your worms and they will take care of your organic waste and provide for your garden. Worms will convert organic waste into vermicaste or worm castings – a complete soil conditioner that greatly improves the structure of soil and is a long term carbon sink.

There are a few fundamentals to remember to keep your worms happy:

Temperature

Ideally between 18-24 degrees. Excessive heat will kill worms and cold conditions will slow them down. It is best to keep you farm in the shade.

 

Moisture

A worm farm must always be moist (but not saturated). A worm farm needs good drainage. It will be necessary to occasionally water the worm farm in warm weather.

 

Light

Worms will always quickly burrow away from sunlight as light is lethal to worms. Keep worms in dark conditions – a worm farm needs a lid or thick cover of mulch.

 

Bedding

Bedding is the ‘home base’ for the worm population and where they usually breed. A worm farm should have at least 150mm of bedding. The most suitable materials to use as bedding are high in carbon and water retentive. Suitable materials include:

-          newspaper and cardboard (avoid glossy paper, it can contain inorganic heavy metal inks)

-          lucerne and pea hay (straw can be used but takes longer to break down)

-          aged cow, horse or sheep manure

-          aged lawn clippings and leaves from deciduous trees

-          compost

-          peat block (available at nurseries or hardware stores. Just soak in a bucket of water)

Use a variety of bedding material for best results!