Content
Intro
Think about the amount of food you waste every day. All of those scraps from your dinner, the leftovers in your fridge, the fruit that is too ripe to eat—it all adds up and ends up in a landfill. Worm composting can be an effective way to reduce this waste and create a rich soil amendment for your garden at the same time! This blog post will explore why you should build a worm farm, what they are, and how to start one of your own.
Worms are an important part of the natural world. Worms break down food scraps and other material in a process called composting, turning it into rich soil that can be used to grow healthy plants. Compost worms are red wigglers. These earthworms have been around for centuries; they clean up organic waste with their tunneling and eat about half their weight each day. As good gardeners know, these earthworms make excellent fertilizer too!
- Worm farming is simple, and your children will love watching their little pets grow! Worm farms provide not only food but also entertainment with these interesting creatures as your new pets!
- Worm composter bins are easy to set up indoors or outdoors so you'll never want another pet again when you see how much joy worm farming brings to anyone who does it. You might even find yourself getting more than one bin just so you don't run out of space
- Composting programs are a great way to reduce the amount of garbage that goes into landfills and turns waste into useful, usable compost for your garden. Worm farming is one easy way to do it!
What is a Worm Farm?
- Worm farms are containers filled with worms and food scraps.
- Worms feed on the food scraps, leaving behind worm castings (or droppings) which is a nutrient-rich fertilizer packed full of organic matter that stimulates plant growth.
- Worm farms are high maintenance at first but will soon become self-sustaining as your worms reproduce. You'll need to feed them food scraps every week and harvest their castings periodically by sifting through the top layer of soil - they're too good for you!
- Worm farming is an excellent way to recycle organic waste, make gardening more sustainable, and create rich fertilizer for your plants without all those pesky chemicals involved.
- Worm castings also make a great addition to your compost pile if you have one!
Red Wigglers
- Red wrigglers are red compost worms that can be found in the southeastern United States. They're one of the most preferred types of worms because they do well at processing high carbon materials like leaves and kitchen scraps while also being pretty easy to care for.
- Red wigglers, are one of the most common species used in worm farming because they thrive in temperate climates. They're efficient at breaking down organic material with their slow but constant tunneling that aerates the pile. These worms also feed on kitchen scraps like eggshells and coffee grounds, so you don't have to worry about finding enough food for them.
- Red Worms are a great, low-maintenance way to compost your food scraps and other organic wastes!
- Worms help break down waste materials into rich soil for healthy plants.
Getting Started With Worm Composting
- If you want to start your own worm farm, all you need is some cardboard tubes from paper towels or toilet paper, a bin to hold the worm compost (a wooden box with holes in it does nicely), and lots of red wrigglers. Worms can be purchased online or from pet stores that sell aquarium fish.
- Compost worms might not look too exciting but don't let their unassuming nature fool you - these guys have some serious benefits when it comes to nutrient cycling, soil improvement, recycling organic matter back into the earth, and helping promote plant growth all while leaving little (if any) trace behind once they're done with their work. Truly amazing creatures!
Benefits of Worm Composting
- Worms are great for decomposition and turning food scraps into rich soil. Worm composting is a passive way to make your garden grow more nutrient-rich plants!
- Compost worms recycle organic matter back into the earth leaving little to no trace behind after their work is done - it's a truly amazing process!
- Red wiggler (a type of compost worm) does well with processing higher volumes of food waste like leaves and other kitchen scraps making them perfect if you want an easier life as a Worm Farmer!
- Worm Castings - Worm castings are the leftover waste that is created by the composting process, which typically consists of organic matter such as leaves, grass clippings, coffee grounds, etc.
- Worm castings provide all sorts of benefits when it comes down to planting vegetables or fruits because they: increase fertility (they contain helpful bacteria), help break up heavy clay soils so plants can get sufficient air circulation around their roots for healthy growth; prevent plant diseases and repel pests (they are a natural pesticide)
You'll need to have some supplies before you can start your worm farm.
- Worms - Red wiggler, compost worms or both are a great place to start if you're looking at building your own Worm Farm. You will want as many of them as possible for this project so feel free to buy in bulk and get a discount on the cost per worm!
- Earthworms - These little guys do well with high carbon materials like leaves and kitchen scraps while also being pretty easy to care for too which makes them perfect partners for any Worm Farmer's Worm Composting System (WCS). If they aren't available where you live then that is okay because red wrigglers still work just as well.
- Worm Composting System - Worm bins are really common for those who have been Worm Farming before but the new way to go is a Worm Composting System (WCS). It's not as time-consuming or expensive and works just as well if you're looking for a composter that can handle up to two hundred pounds of food scraps per day then this system might be perfect for your needs!
- Moisture - There will need to be some sort of moisture in the worm bin which means adding peat moss, coconut coir, sawdust/wood shavings, or shredded paper on top so it doesn't dry out too much. This allows worms to breathe and any excess from these materials can also help to keep the compost moist. Worms prefer wetter bins, typically with a moisture level of 60-70%.
- Worm Population - Your worm population will depend on what type you are raising (European or red wriggles), how many, and where they are being kept in your garden. There is no guaranteed amount but usually, an estimate would be around 1000 worms per cubic foot for European species to about 2000 for Red Wrigglers which can vary depending on factors such as temperature, food sources available nearby, etc) so there could be anywhere between 200lbs to 500 lbs worth of them!
- It's important not to feed too much at one time because it might attract pests that prey upon them like mice and rats so make sure when you are feeding your worm population to only add one or two tablespoons of food scraps at a time and then wait for the worms to finish eating before adding more.
- Worm farms are easy to build. You can buy a pre-made one or you can be creative and make your own out of old containers like an unused trash can, milk jug, or plastic container with holes in the sides. Worms will happily live inside any dark space - even someone's shoe!
-Making an in-ground worm composting system is also an option. Worms are drawn to moist, dark spaces and will naturally come into your garden area.
Indoor Worm Composting
- Indoor Worm Composting: Worms will break down food scraps and other organic matter into a rich soil-like substance called 'vermicompost'. Red worms are one of the most common types, but there are also many others. To start your worm bin you need to find a container large enough for all the materials that will be going in it (your kitchen scraps) plus some extra space so they can grow without getting stuck.
- A good size is about 12"x12"x24". Your next step is finding bedding material - either newspaper or something like shredded cardboard or old newspapers work well as long as it's not glossy on both sides. Sprinkle with water until wet then add a thin layer of dirt to the top. Worms need a moist environment and will not survive without at least some dirt on the bedding material - it's important to keep them in a dark place as they are naturally nocturnal, so choose your most shady spot for your worm bin or use black plastic trash bags inside an area that is shaded by trees or buildings during daylight hours.
- Your last step before adding worms is either making holes with scissors every few inches along all sides of the container (to help airflow) or punching several small holes in the lid if you did not already drill one when choosing your container size. Add about two handfuls of red wigglers (composting worms), water down their food scraps until liquidy then add into each corner of the container. Worms will find their way to food sources and when they're done, you can compost them for your garden or cover them with dirt if desired - it's best not to disturb them too much once they have settled in.
Best Worm Composting Bins
Worm Composting System
Biogize Compost Worm Tower - Worms Compost Directly in Your Garden – Worm Pail –
Biogize's Castings are the result of Earthworms eating food waste. The castings are a natural fertilizer that contains many nutrients and can be used on all plants, trees, shrubs & lawns. This is the easiest way of making your own compost! All you have to do is place kitchen scraps into the bottom of the pail and add some water. The worms will start working immediately converting the food into soil for your garden.
- Save hundreds of dollars in fertilizer and soil by using Biogize
- Watch your garden grow BEFORE your eyes with the organic worm composting pail
- Increase nutrient density for more healthy, thriving plants!
What is Urban Worm Bag?
Urban Worm Bag is a worm composting bin that allows you to grow worms and compost in your home. With this new design, you can harvest trays of castings from the bottom without disturbing the worms or having to separate them from the trays. The breathable fabric construction allows for continuous airflow and moisture control. The large capacity makes it easy to feed through the top and collect castings at the bottom. No need to disturb your worms during harvest!
The patented design eliminates bottom zippers making it easier than ever before!
-You don't ever have to touch the worms again, eliminating the need for dedicated worm handlers
-No more undignified worm harvesting with gross worm juice all over your hands. Just use Urban Worm!
Worm Composting Kit
The VermiHut Plus 5-Tray Worm Compost Bin – Easy Setup and Sustainable Design is an advanced version of the worm compost bin. It comes with a standard of 5 trays, additional trays can be added. A new component named M-board to increase airflow for better compost efficiency and save worms. A new component named V-board and a piece of coconut fiber is built in the air-vented lid odor removal, moisture control, and fruit fly control. A set of ant-trap is included to prevent ants from invading the worm bin.
- Use VermiHut to compost your food waste that produces worm castings for your garden
- Produce the best organic fertilizer for your plants and soil with VermiHut!
- A more advanced version of a traditional worm bin, VermiHut uses worms to break down the garbage into nutrient-rich fertilizers.
If you're interested in learning about worm composting, the best way to go is with a worm bin. Worm bins are an easy and sustainable alternative to chemical fertilizers that can be used for small space gardens or even on your balcony.
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