Worm Farms
Worm farms are a great way to compost kitchen scraps into highly fertilised castings for your garden. They are ideally suited to small properties and can even be placed on a balcony. All you need is a small, cool, shady spot.
You can either buy a worm farm or make one yourself using waterproof containers such as old wooden or polystyrene boxes. Some ready-made worm farms also include run-off taps for you to collect liquid waste, which is a great fertiliser for your garden.
"One worm farm is all you need
to compost the kitchen
scraps of an average
sized family..."
- MATERIALS REQUIRED
- Red or Tiger worms
- compost
- newspaper
- container
- container cover, e.g. plastic sheet
- organic food scraps
LOCATION
Choose a shady spot for your worms to live. Make sure the spot is not too hot or cold.
WHERE TO BUY WORMS
Red and Tiger worms are recommended for your farm and are available at most nurseries.
- WHERE TO BUY FARMS
- City of Bunbury
- Bunnings
Store Details Address: Cnr Blair St & Merlyn St, Bunbury 6230 Phone: (08) 9722 2500 Fax: (08) 9722 2599 - SCRAP
Contact Details Address: C/o Holsworthy High School, Huon Cr., Holsworthy 2173 Phone: 02 9825 1062 Fax: 02 9825 6972 Web: http://scrapltd.com.au/
Email: support@scrapltd.com.au
Line the bottom layer of your container with some newspaper then fill the container half way with compost and clippings.
Add the worms. Water till moist then cover the container with a plastic sheet or some hessian.
Feed your worms weekly. Slowly increase the food.
Add water every few days or when necessary to prevent the worm farm from drying out.
If the worms outgrow your container, remove the lid and add another level on top. Insert some holes into the container bottom.
Castings can be harvested when the worms have moved to the top level.
- WORMS EAT:
- vegetable/fruit peelings
- coffee grounds
- tea bags
- well shredded paper
- AVOID FEEDING:
- meat
- oily foods
- dairy product
- onion
- citrus fruit
How much will they eat? Mature worms can eat up to half their own body weight every day (about 250 grams of scraps). The amount of food depends on how many worms you have.
- How to improve feeding
- blend or shred the food
- maintain farm temp. at about 24°C
- avoid foods worms dislike
If your farm becomes too dry, add some water and leave the farm loosely covered. In hot weather more water may need to be added. If it becomes too wet, drain off some water then add some fresh bedding and leave the farm uncovered for a few days.
Try not to over feed the worms. If you notice uneaten food, just wait until the scraps have been eaten before adding more.
Keep adding more food as your worm population increases.