Worm Farms
Welcome to Worm Farms the article!
When we think of self-sufficiency through growing foodstuffs what comes to the surface? Worms! Why? Because growing food and good soil go hand-in-glove. And what makes for good soil? Worms! And what is a key indicator of it? Worms! So if you want good garden produce growing in good soil, worm farming is the way to go. Nothing creates that rich fertilizer for your herbs, fruit and veggies as efficiently as these little blighters. These guys form the best disposal teams on the planet. They clean up garden and kitchen scraps that would otherwise end up in landfill. They’re right into waste disposal. With encouragement, they’ll practically turn rock into humus. Well, almost. So worm farming is the way to go. "Now, I know that you know - how much energy it takes to run and manage landfill. So by doing your part in owning that farm of worms, you’re helping to control pollution." If every household had one, the amount of waste that would be recycled in this world would be absolutely amazing. Think of the money local councils - even world governments would save. WOW! Yep, having that farm of worms could save the planet. Okay, I’ve said my piece. So, let’s learn all about farming of worms today. Let’s do our bit for the environment. But just as importantly, let’s save ourselves money by enjoying the benefits these little recyclers provide. Worm Juice from Worm Farms.The worm juice from worm farms can be extremely useful for all plants. Its regularly use is a way to save those hard-earned pennies. No more going out to purchase liquid fertilizers. And as far as the worm farm goes, in the warmer weather, you just pour a little water over the top. It’ll soak in. Keeping a little extra water up to those wrigglies will increase the flow of Worm Juice from the bottom. But don’t drown ‘em!
Worm juice can vary in strength. For use, it should be diluted until it is the color of weak tea. Oh, and diluted worm juice is perfect for seedlings. As it can be readily absorbed. And, once again, it will not burn those delicate roots. |
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Introduction
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Commercial Kit Worm Farms
While it is possible to create your own self-made worm farms using recycled materials such as wooden or foam boxes (polystyrene) commercial kits have extra advantages in design such as drainage and a way to collect that excess moisture. They’re worth buying.
The moisture can be turned into liquid fertilizer and used on all your plants. Dilute your mixture to 20 to 1 for optimum performance. It’s good strong stuff.
Also commercially designed kits have a series of trays one above the other and it is possible to get these worms to move from one tray to another. This helps facilitate easier operation, as you remove the end product and place in new feed.
Some requirements.
Worm farms need to stay relatively cool. 24 Degrees Celsius being the optimum temperature.
Very low light – preferably darkness – is best for earthworms. They do their best work in the dark. Keeping them under a wet newspaper or a wet hessian bag is one way to do this. These coverings should be placed, with the newspaper side down, directly over the scrap material on which the worms will be feeding.
Worm Composting
"Vermiculture is the scientific term for worm composting". In this method of composting, worms farms are used to break down organic materials and turn them into fresh castings (worm poo).
The strength of the nutrients contained in these castings is really dependent on the diet the worms in your worm farms get.
You need to provide the worms with a variety of fresh foods to both increase nutrient content and keep those worms happy. For the home gardener, or small space gardener, a worm farm is a very practical way to compost on a small scale.
It is estimated that food scraps make up around one third of all household waste. Worm farming can quite rapidly turn this waste into useful nutrients in the form of both castings and liquid fertilizer.
Worm compost does not need to be heaped up or turned over. You simply position the worm farms in a cool place, preferably not too far from the back door, so you don’t have to walk far to get rid of those kitchen scraps.
Yes, even Apartment Gardeners with no actual garden space, can own and an operate a worm farming system. This is because worm farms can be made small enough to fit into the corner of a laundry. Or shaded balcony out of the way. A laundry is often the best place, as you have easy access to water if needed. And it is generally the coolest place in an apartment. Worms need to stay cool in order to thrive and perform their valuable work.
The by-products from worm composts are wonderful for potted plants. Seedlings and garden beds equally benefit. Worms are Nature’s way of rejuvenating soil. And worm castings do not burn the roots of plants like other fertilizers such as poultry manure.
The strength of the nutrients contained in these castings is really dependent on the diet the worms in your worm farms get.
You need to provide the worms with a variety of fresh foods to both increase nutrient content and keep those worms happy. For the home gardener, or small space gardener, a worm farm is a very practical way to compost on a small scale.
It is estimated that food scraps make up around one third of all household waste. Worm farming can quite rapidly turn this waste into useful nutrients in the form of both castings and liquid fertilizer.
Worm compost does not need to be heaped up or turned over. You simply position the worm farms in a cool place, preferably not too far from the back door, so you don’t have to walk far to get rid of those kitchen scraps.
Yes, even Apartment Gardeners with no actual garden space, can own and an operate a worm farming system. This is because worm farms can be made small enough to fit into the corner of a laundry. Or shaded balcony out of the way. A laundry is often the best place, as you have easy access to water if needed. And it is generally the coolest place in an apartment. Worms need to stay cool in order to thrive and perform their valuable work.
The by-products from worm composts are wonderful for potted plants. Seedlings and garden beds equally benefit. Worms are Nature’s way of rejuvenating soil. And worm castings do not burn the roots of plants like other fertilizers such as poultry manure.
Pests and Problems For Worm Farms!
Ants are a worm’s must brutal enemy, so it is vital that you keep ants out of your little farm of worms.
The presence of ants indicates that the compost is too wet or too acidic. To solve this problem pour over water until wet to remove the ants, then add a little lime or dolomite. Then come back and check in a couple of days. They should be more active.
Tip: to keep ants away, smear Vaseline around the base of the worm farm. Also, you can add crushed Bay leaves. This will also help repel ants. Avoid adding sweet scraps, as these will attract ants.
"You may see segmented larvae in your worm compost. These are Soldier Fly and they live very happily amongst your worms. They, too, will help the breakdown of organic matter."
Fly Maggots, including Fruit Fly, have white or cream legless bodies. To keep out flies, make sure you seal the lid firmly. Don’t let ‘em get in to lay eggs. Never add any likely Fruit Fly infested material to worm farms unless it has been thoroughly cooked, or dealt with in some other way to kill any larvae.
The presence of ants indicates that the compost is too wet or too acidic. To solve this problem pour over water until wet to remove the ants, then add a little lime or dolomite. Then come back and check in a couple of days. They should be more active.
Tip: to keep ants away, smear Vaseline around the base of the worm farm. Also, you can add crushed Bay leaves. This will also help repel ants. Avoid adding sweet scraps, as these will attract ants.
"You may see segmented larvae in your worm compost. These are Soldier Fly and they live very happily amongst your worms. They, too, will help the breakdown of organic matter."
Fly Maggots, including Fruit Fly, have white or cream legless bodies. To keep out flies, make sure you seal the lid firmly. Don’t let ‘em get in to lay eggs. Never add any likely Fruit Fly infested material to worm farms unless it has been thoroughly cooked, or dealt with in some other way to kill any larvae.
Which Species of Worm for Me?
There are literally thousands of species of earthworm. There is even a giant worm that grows up to 100cm long! The ordinary garden variety earthworm is not as effective at worm composting as its especially bred Composting Worm relative. Tiger, Red and Blue Worms are the most common performing composting species. Moreover they are exported all around the world. They’re favored due to their prolific reproduction rates and tolerance of nutrient rich conditions. So ordinary earthworms are a sign of a good soil. But for an worm farm: use the ‘specialists.’
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The link below will take you directly to our recommended product.
What Can I Feed My Worms?
What can I feed them?
The composting worm will devour anything organic, from light pruning’s, animal manures (no dog or cat poo, please), kitchen scraps including egg shells, tea bags, cereals, breads.
But don’t feed them acidic kitchen waste such as citrus peel, oily waste, or meat scraps.
The humble composting worm will consume 0.25 g or approximately their own weight in food in a day. One small composting kit can hold up to 20, 000 worms, and under perfect conditions these guys could consume up to 5 kilos of chopped up food per day. Worms also breed more prolifically when they consume a high protein diet.
Warning.
Avoid giving your worms fresh grass clippings. Grass heats up when it is decomposing and this can easily kill them. However, some dried, half-broken grass clippings are just fine.
What to definitely avoid!
Woody prunings: These cannot be broken down.
Poisonous plants.
Animal manures.
Plants that have been sprayed with insecticide.
Worms are very sensitive to chemicals and in their natural state would totally avoid chemicals of any kind.
Also, it is very important not to over feed your worms, or the uneaten food will begin to rot and smell. Additionally, you do need to apply a light dusting of lime on a regular basis. This will help correct acidity of the waste.
Worm POO (worm castings)
The term worm casting is the polite term for POO or manure. The quality of the nutrient content is determined by the diet you feed your worms. So, the greater the variety of material, the wider the variety of nutrients and trace elements in the final products (castings and liquid)
"Castings contain high levels of good bacteria." Such bacteria are beneficial to just about any garden, be it the actual garden soil, potting mixes – anything. Worm castings not only provide extra nutrients but help lock in moisture, a particularly laudable quality when it comes to containers which usually have a tendency to dry out quickly.
The composting worm will devour anything organic, from light pruning’s, animal manures (no dog or cat poo, please), kitchen scraps including egg shells, tea bags, cereals, breads.
But don’t feed them acidic kitchen waste such as citrus peel, oily waste, or meat scraps.
The humble composting worm will consume 0.25 g or approximately their own weight in food in a day. One small composting kit can hold up to 20, 000 worms, and under perfect conditions these guys could consume up to 5 kilos of chopped up food per day. Worms also breed more prolifically when they consume a high protein diet.
Warning.
Avoid giving your worms fresh grass clippings. Grass heats up when it is decomposing and this can easily kill them. However, some dried, half-broken grass clippings are just fine.
What to definitely avoid!
Woody prunings: These cannot be broken down.
Poisonous plants.
Animal manures.
Plants that have been sprayed with insecticide.
Worms are very sensitive to chemicals and in their natural state would totally avoid chemicals of any kind.
Also, it is very important not to over feed your worms, or the uneaten food will begin to rot and smell. Additionally, you do need to apply a light dusting of lime on a regular basis. This will help correct acidity of the waste.
Worm POO (worm castings)
The term worm casting is the polite term for POO or manure. The quality of the nutrient content is determined by the diet you feed your worms. So, the greater the variety of material, the wider the variety of nutrients and trace elements in the final products (castings and liquid)
"Castings contain high levels of good bacteria." Such bacteria are beneficial to just about any garden, be it the actual garden soil, potting mixes – anything. Worm castings not only provide extra nutrients but help lock in moisture, a particularly laudable quality when it comes to containers which usually have a tendency to dry out quickly.
Some Worm Facts
Many people believe that if you chop a worm in half it will develop into two worms. This is not true. Worms require male and females present to breed. Also, many people believe that if you chop them in half you will get a male and female worm. Sorry, not so!
If you want your worms to duplicate quickly, provide them with the right environment and plenty of high protein foods. But not meats!
If you want your worms to duplicate quickly, provide them with the right environment and plenty of high protein foods. But not meats!
Please Share This Article!
I hope you enjoyed this article Worm Farms!
Please pass it on to your friends or anyone you think may benefit from what has been written here. Oh, and remember: Worm farming is a great way to help make a positive impact on Mother Earth.
You will find the Twitter and share tabs top left!
Happy Gardening
ps: Don't forget to get your Worm Farm E-book above it truly is a valuable resource!
Photo: Karin looking for Lady-beetles in our Potted Vegetable Garden!
Reference- Worm Farms
Please pass it on to your friends or anyone you think may benefit from what has been written here. Oh, and remember: Worm farming is a great way to help make a positive impact on Mother Earth.
You will find the Twitter and share tabs top left!
Happy Gardening
ps: Don't forget to get your Worm Farm E-book above it truly is a valuable resource!
Photo: Karin looking for Lady-beetles in our Potted Vegetable Garden!
Reference- Worm Farms
I Hope You Enjoyed This Article?
I hope you enjoyed this article Worm Farms. Please pass it on to your friends or anyone you think may benefit from what has been written here. Oh, and remember: Worm farming is a great way to help make a positive impact on Mother Earth.
Happy Gardening
ps: Don't forget to get your Worm Farm E-book above it truly is a valuable resource!
Reference- Worm Farms
Happy Gardening
ps: Don't forget to get your Worm Farm E-book above it truly is a valuable resource!
Reference- Worm Farms
