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Worm Farms - Build Your Own

Are you looking for a way of supplementing your garden but don’t have the room for a traditional compost heap? Why not consider a worm farm?  Worms are great for creating fertiliser and they also aerate the soil.  Here is our guide on how to build a worm farm.

Building the Worm Farm

You can opt to buy a worm farm that is already set up or you can easily build one yourself.  All you need is two or more boxes or bins that are made of a lightweight, waterproof material.  The bottom-most bin will need to have a solid base in order to catch the liquid that runs down from the bins above, and ideally, it will be fitted with a tap of some form so that the liquid can be drained away.  The upper bins are perforated so that the worms are able to move up to the next bin to find fresh food.

First, set up the bottom-most bin.  On top of this bin, place a perforated bin.  Line it with newspaper and some soil from the garden.  Lightly spray the newspaper and soil with water and then add the worms.  You cannot use the common garden worm in a worm farm however.  You will need to use tiger worms or red worms and these are available from your local nursery.  After adding the worms, add some food scraps (not too many!), and keep the whole thing moist by adding another bin on top, or alternatively, some newspaper or Hessian.

Leave the worms alone for a couple of weeks before checking to see if they need more food scraps.  Be careful not to add too many scraps, as they will rot and cause an unpleasant odour due to the worms not being able to eat them fast enough.

When the first bin is about half full of worms and their castings, start putting the food scraps in the bin directly above it.  Remember to keep the light out and the contents moist. In about a week, the worms should have moved up into the next bin and you will be free to use the castings on your garden.

What Food to Feed Your Worms

The following foods are suitable for your worms:

• most fruits and vegetables
  
• shredded and wettened cardboard
  
• paper
  
• leaves
  
• dirt
  
• egg shells

The following should never be fed to your worms:

• manure
  
• acidic foods such as onions, garlic, shallots and citrus fruits
  
• garden waste
  
• dairy foods
  
• meat and meat products

What to do with the Products of the Worm Farm

Worm farms produce both castings and liquid.  The castings can be used in the garden, just like compost, and they can also be used in potted plants.  Never remove all of the castings at one time however as the worms use the castings as a place for breeding. 

The liquid that drains out of the bottom can be used to make a great liquid fertiliser.  Take the liquid and dilute it with water so that it has the colour of weak tea.  It can then be used on any plants in the garden.

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