 Eco-Man's Worm Farm Tips
(New Zealand) - February 2010
ecostore founder Malcolm Rands, A.K.A ‘eco-man’, says summer is the best time to start turning leftover kitchen scraps into rich fertiliser. One of the ways you can break down organic matter is by building your own worm farm. Even if you live on a small section or in an apartment with a balcony, all you need is a small, cool, well-shaded spot.
How do you build a worm farm?
The best material for constructing the worm farm is plastic containers that can be stacked on top of each other. The bottom one will collect the worm liquid so a non-leak bottom is needed. In fact a container with a tap on it is perfect as the liquid diluted 10:1 is an excellent fertiliser for house plants as well as the garden.
All the other containers will need holes in the bottom so that the liquid and the worms can move between them. When set up correctly the worm farm will have no odour so you can even have them inside your house. If storing outside, choose a dry and cool position out of direct sunlight. If this sounds too tricky then off-the-shelf worm farms can be readily purchased.
Tips for setting up the home for your first batch of worms
Choose a location for your worm farm where the temperature is consistent - i.e. not too cold or warm. Once assembled, put in a layer of bedding such as coconut fibre, shredded cardboard, hay, or paper. Make sure this layer is damp and porous, but not too wet. Fill the box until it’s approximately three quarters full.
Add approximately 1,000 compost worms to kick-start your worm farm.
Now add food for your worms. They love coffee grounds and teabags, crushed eggshells, most fruit and vegetable scraps, hair, paper and even vacuum cleaner dust. Worms don't like spicy food, chilli, onion, garlic, meat and milk products or large amounts of processed food (actually we humans don't do well on this either). Acidic food or shiny paper are also a no-no.
Worms can eat their own weight each day but don't overfeed them at the start. For every 1,000 worms give them approximately 250 grams of food. Initially put a small amount in one corner underneath some newspaper. How long it takes your worms to break it down should indicate how much your worms can handle at one time.
By following these simple steps you’ll have your own fully functioning worm farm in no time and the kids will love it too.
Picture: ecostore founder, Malcolm Rands
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