start up a worm farm is an ideal style to reduce the amount of family food waste and create alimental , constituent compost for your industrial plant and garden . And it ’s fun , gentle , and economical too !
You do n’t need a lot of space either because you may set up up a kit to accommodate on a balcony or in a court quad , so it ’s beneficial for urbanites as well as rural dwellers .
The compost is created by hungry and untiring worms as they consume their way through food scraps and other natural material .
The issue is a nutrient - impenetrable byproduct live as casting or vermicompost – vermicomes from the Latin word for worm , vermis .
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Setting up your own louse farm is comfortable , and it requires small maintenance , save for adding food scrap to prey the hungry worms . After working for a few month , the lilliputian wiggler will produce ample amounts of quick - to - use cast .
Plus , they reproduce pronto , so they ’re constantly provide a new generation of compost builders !
And with just a niggling bit of sustentation , vermiculture is an odor - free system with no lousy smells to deal with .
So if you ’re quick to reap the benefit of turning kitchen trash into dark , nutrient - rich soil , allow ’s dig into how to commence a worm farm for rich vermicompost !
Here ’s the outline for what ’s ahead :
What You’ll Learn
Benefits of Vermicompost
position Up Your Worm Farm
Prefab Bin Systems
prep
How Many Worms Do You involve ?
Worm Species to Select
Location
Dietary Basics
tutelage and Maintenance
Harvesting Vermicompost
Worm Reproduction Habits
With a properly design organisation , vermicasting successfully processes kitchen waste into fertile compost .
There are numerous benefits to starting your own worm farm :
Vermicompost play a role in improving the territory ’s power to harbor water , which avail to move food to plants , improve soil structure , and neutralizes soil pH.
Compared togarden compost , it allow greater amounts of bioavailable macro- and micronutrient , including the all - important trio of NPK – nitrogen , phosphorus , and potassium – plus calcium , atomic number 12 , and other trace element .
It also contains a plentiful microbial residential district that helps to encourage industrial plant growth , including the comportment of beneficial bacteria that make phosphorus more bioavailable to plants , fix nitrogen in the territory , and produce growth hormones .
Vermicompost is also pathogen - free and helps to protect works by inhibiting or repelling soilborne pathogen while helping to increase biological resistor against pesterer and disease .
It also works as a soil conditioner and has excellent wet retentive dimension , with a wet content of 32 to 66 percent and a indifferent pH of 7.0 .
To set up your own dirt ball farm , bins can be made of a wide variety of clean materials include galvanized iron , charge card , unstained blade , or wood .
The bottom and sides need to be perforated to reserve for aeration and drain , and your system take a removable top to help alimentation that can be closed close to protect your worms , which are sensitive to daylight .
Do n’t worry about the perforations being grownup enough for your picayune guy cable to escape . If you ’re doing thing right , they wo n’t need to leave their loge !
Bins also necessitate to be deep enough to entertain bedding materials , castings , and food for thought trash .
The sizing is up to you , but a 10 - gallon capacity is a good start item .
If you design to build from wood , untreated lumber must be used – you do n’t want to envenom your worm with toxic preservatives leaching into their beds .
Also , all wooden bins require to have the bottom and sides lined with charge plate . Wood absorbs moisture readily , which can lead to unpleasant scent .
In addition to your primary worm bin , you ’ll need a waterproof tray to catch and collect drain fluids . The idealistic catchment tray should be an column inch or two deep and about two inches wider than the dimensions of the bin .
hat intended for charge plate storage bank identification number can be used as catchment tray or an indoor / outdoor shoe and boot tray is a good pick too .
For big buckets or storage bin setups , instead of using a catchment tray , you could stack the perforate bin or bucketful into a 2nd building block to catch the drippings .
With the right-hand apparatus , you’re able to expect to see usable sum of vermicompost in six to eight weeks .
If you ’re not interested in crafting your own binful organisation , there are plenty of prefabricate container useable that are design specifically for the job .
The Worm Factory 360 Worm Composter is a multi - tier mini factory that ’s light to assemble and manage . It consists of four stackable tray and is 17.95 inches long and wide , and 14.95 inch magniloquent .
Worm Factory 360 Composter
Made in the US of lasting credit card , it provides odor - free process and sits on a uncompromising catchment base with a tap for drain liquids .
It ’s available via Amazon .
The Hot Frog Essential Living Composter dwell of three tray of BPA - destitute polythene with double paries insulant that give good interior temperature restraint . Its dimension are 15 inches long and wide by 22 column inch tall .
Hot Frog Essential Living Composter
A robust drain radical sit on four unattackable legs and has a spigot to siphon off drainage liquid . The Living Composter can be purchasedat Arbico Organics .
Lightweight , and with a compact size of 15 inches solid and 14.5 inches high , ideal for the kitchen , the Wow Worm Farm Composter is made of reprocess polythene .
Wow Worm Farm Composter
It consists of two BIN and seat on a durable catchment base with a drain port to remove liquids . usable at Gardeners Supply .
Once your homemade or prefab farm is rig up , the next stair is to make a welcoming surroundings for your worms .
When you ’re ready to house your worms , following a few introductory provision step will ensure your small guys are comfortable and will help to support them in becoming compost - making machines !
Here ’s how to prepare your container before add your worms :
1 . First , line the bottom of your container about one - third cryptic with fluffy and slightly moist carbon stuff – this is the bedding for the worms .
apply C - ample materials like coconut coir , dried leaves , shredded newspaper or newspaper ( but do n’t employ the glossy insert ) , stubble , or Grant Wood chips .
2 . Next , summate a layer of nutrient - copious soil .
Depending on the size of your bin , sprinkle two to four cups of garden grunge or finished compost over top of the bedding material .
This introduce good bacterium and other important microbes that start to break down the bedding material into a nutrient - plenteous slurry , providing the worms with a quick repast when they ’re first insert .
Please note that sterile potting soil is devoid of good bacteria and will not attain the same results .
3 . The third step is to spritz the bedding material and ground lightly with water .
The worm need a gently damp environment , but do n’t tot up too much water . The bedding and soil should be moist , but not wet .
4 . About one hebdomad after add the soil , release your stock into their new surroundings .
Use a soft touch to scoop them by manus onto the top of the material or simply open up their shipping container and gently twist it upside down onto the bedding .
Along with the apparatus and homework , check the measure of dirt ball needed is an important footfall .
The number of worm needed for an effective vermifarm depends on a telephone number of factors , including bin size , moisture levels , pH , soil temperature , bedding materials , and the amount of available food .
An exact normal has n’t yet been determine , but it ’s helpful to make out up with a guesstimate of how much waste you cerebrate you ’ll produce in a hebdomad .
If you develop a lot of intellectual nourishment scraps , a larger work force is needed than for situations with more moderate amounts of waste materials .
A rough usher is to provide one square metrical unit of bin surface for one pound of waste per workweek . This proportion helps to prevent overfeeding and wield cardinal factor like air flow – like us , these tunneling invertebrates want oxygen to survive .
As a general rule of thumb , one pound or just about 1,000 adult wrigglers per square foot is a good start number .
Keep in judgment though , the worm reproduce quick when they ’re happy and well - fed , so it ’s better to start out with a more modest number than style too many .
If you ’re new to the practice , a conservative telephone number of 500 worm , or half a lbf. , is a safe starting point in time .
Before you start digging up the backyard for a supplying of squirmer , you should know that not all species are suitable for producing castings .
There are three different type of earthworms who do their thing at unlike soil depths .
Most backyard earthworms are typically grease dwellers , and they do n’t consume large amounts of food wasteland or multiply well in confined environments .
For the function of vermicompost , the preferred types are the surface inhabitant , or epigeic species . They ’re communal , provender on the surface of the soil , use up large sum of money of solid food trash , and regurgitate profusely in a confined space like a bin or container .
Among the most pop and easily obtained of epigeic varieties are red fishworm aka tiger worms , Eisenia fetida , and European nightcrawlers , Dendrobaena hortensis .
Redworms , Lumbricus rubellus , are also used for their castings but they procreate slower than red crawler and nightcrawlers and are classify as an invasive mintage in the US and Canada .
Red Wigglers
Red wigglers ( Eisenia fetida)are the most popular and view the well species for breaking down food scraps chop-chop and efficiently .
Although they ’re relatively small , with a mature distance of five inches , they ’re the most participating and can consume their body weightiness in permissive waste material in a 24-hour interval .
However , they expect a warm , humid environment and ca n’t be left in an unheated outbuilding during dusty winter where the temperature drop below 40 ° F .
Red wigglers also reproduce much faster than other types , so you may depart out with a lowly number and in just a few months , they ’ll double in population .
Nature ’s Dream Ranch has a live count container of 250 red wigglersavailable at Walmart .
European Nightcrawlers
European nightcrawlers ( Dendrobaena hortensis ) , or super scarlet worm , are another great option for nursing home worm farms .
This specie is heavy than scarlet wrigglers , growing up to eight inches long , but they are n’t quite as active and therefore do n’t eat as much in proportionality to their bodyweight .
They also regurgitate more slow than reddened wrigglers , but they are still much fast than many other varieties .
dew worm are able to hold colder temperatures – down to 30 ° F – if they have deep bins to burrow into . This make them ideal for those in cooler regions and who want to keep their farm in a cool outbuilding .
They are also used and sold as fish bait . In USDA Hardiness Zone 7 and above , they can be safely bestow to your garden and lawn for aeration and to help in the breakdown of leaf thing and other organic materials .
Nightcrawlers from Speedy Worm in a 100 - counting containercan be found at Walmart .
Live crawler
To purchase a greater volume , Arbico Organicshas a 1000 - count bag of a three - species combo for composting and horticulture .
Whether you set up your farm inside or outdoors , it need a coolish , dry location that ’s protected from the element and extreme temperatures .
Outdoors , it needs somewhere that stay on the coolheaded side during the high temperature of summer , such as in the subtlety from the Second Earl of Guilford bulwark of a fencing , service department , home , or shed .
When winter ’s polar temperatures come around , you’re able to bring the setup inside , preferably somewhere that receives some warmth and born sunlight during the day .
Or if your climate permits , a farm can be kept outside during the winter in a sheltered smear but take to be switched around to face south , if you had it face northwards during the summertime .
It should also have a covering for auspices from ice , snow , and other wintry downfall , and receive a good amount of sun during the twenty-four hours .
For extra winter protection and to facilitate retain warmth , cozy up your farm by covering it with a black tarp to absorb sunshine .
Indoors , keep your farm away from fans , heater , or heat vents that could damage your worms or dry out their home .
The ideal temperature range for producing castings is 55 to 80 ° F , and most farm wriggler can tolerate temperature down to 32 ° degree Fahrenheit .
However , temperatures above 80 ° F are too raging for them and below 32 ° F is too stale .
utilize a dirt thermometer to check the temperature in your worm farm regularly and aim to wield conditions between 60 and 80 ° F for the most activeness .
Keep feeding your vermicompost constantly , even throughout the winter – an active big money creates its own rut , which will help keep your louse warm .
The important aspect of their ability to develop cast is the dietetical needs of your worms .
To produce full-bodied castings , they call for to be fed organic scrap that are degradable , edible , and secure for your wrigglers .
satisfactory foods and materials include the chase :
Also , it ’s important to avoid feeding them certain item that can be harmful to the worm or that can become rancid and bring forth repelling odors .
To keep your stock sizable and felicitous , avoid the following :
Along with a healthy dieting , a few alimony steps will help keep your worms happy and grow ample sum of castings .
Once your bin is prepare up and your worms are in their new house , you may add kitchen refuse , 1000 debris , and other suitable material as they ’re generated .
plainly toss what you ’ve collected into your container on top of the lining and get over with a bit of carbon or dark-brown material such as dry out leaf , shredded untreated paper , or untreated wood chips .
add a carbon layer on top of reinvigorated food scrap helps to ensure rotting happen in bicycle-built-for-two with drift production , and also helps to keep odors at bay .
Finished vermicompost can be glean in a few ways .
1 . Every three to four month , stop feed your stock for 10 to 14 days then rake the casting to one side .
total fresh bedding fabric to the raked side , then restart fertilize , adding food scraps to the new bedding only .
Your wrigglers will transmigrate to the fresh bedding in a few months , after which you may gather up the finished cast .
After harvesting , sate the empty side with fresh have sex and add together food scraps .
2 . Every few calendar month you’re able to dump the bin content onto several layer of charge plate sheeting in a bright lit elbow room – the faint - sensitive invertebrate will dig themselves down to the bottom .
Harvest the top of the pile .
Add fresh bedclothes to the bin , place the remaining insect - bearing rest on top , then summarise supply intellectual nourishment scraps .
3 . The terminal method is the well-off . Every few months , simply remove about two - third of the bin contents and implement it to the garden , give some of your livestock their exemption !
Add smart bedding and solid food fighting and allow the worm to repopulate at their own pace .
Use the first two methods if you want to use the castings for houseplants , as the collected stuff will be mostly worm - free .
All three methods can be used in garden beds and out-of-door containers .
One of the crowing perquisite of vermiculture is the ability of worms to reproduce quickly , which keep open populations thriving and healthy for consistent casting yield – without the need to restock .
Once the wrigglers are two to three months old , they ’re matured enough to bulge out reproducing , which they ’ll do on their own without any help from the farmer .
After they ’ve mated , they ’ll lay ballock and create a small cocoon for incubation . After a few workweek , baby worm emerge and get to solve on creating your compost .
Theoretically , this means population can double every few months !
But you do n’t have to be concerned about overpopulation . In a circumscribe farm environment , they tend to self - regulate population growing , balancing the routine of habitant with the useable space .
Amazing Compost
Worm castings make astonishing , clean compost load with beneficial minerals and being that aid plant to flourish in your home and garden .
And with relatively little effort , you could work up your own vermifarm or use a prefab system to get started promptly .
All you need for a vermi - friendly surroundings is some bedding cloth , a sprinkle of grunge , food for thought chip , and the correct kind of worms .
And once you get your farm lay out up , you ’ll love how promptly your food scraps and waste are flex into beautiful , black compost , creating your own organic fertilizer the right way at home !
The Worm Book
If you ’d wish to know more , check out “ The Worm Book : The Complete Guide to Gardening and Composting with Worms,”available via Amazon .
And formore info on improving the dirt in your backyard , tick out these guides next :
© Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more details . Originally published May 16th , 2016 by Adrian White . Last update May 20th , 2024 . intersection photos via Arbico Organics , Clarkson Potter / Ten Speed , Gardener ’s Supply Company , Nature ’s Dream Ranch , Speedy Worm , Walmart , and Worm Factory . Uncredited photos : Shutterstock .
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Lorna Kring
