About Worm Farms

(in more detail)

 

All worms farm work on a similar principle. Worms consume food and they continually move towards food. 

Most commercially made worm farms have three trays. The bottom tray collects liquid from the bottom of the worm farm and often has a tap. The next tray (“tray 2”) is initially used for bedding and a feeding layer. After a while (a month or so) this tray becomes full, then the last tray (“tray 3”) is added, and feeding continues until the last tray is also full. At this point, most of the worms are in Tray 3 because worms always move towards the food source, so Tray 2 can be removed and emptied of its amazing “vermicompost”. Now Tray 3 is put on the bottom, and the empty Tray 2 is put on top and the feeding continues until it is full, and the cycle continues. 

Contrary to popular belief, the liquid coming out the tap at the bottom of the worm farm is not really worm tea, it’s leachate. It’s best to pour it back on to the top tray of the worm farm. More about that point later. 

Choose a cool and shady place for your worm farm (inside or outside) 

You can make your own worm farm lots of different ways: 

  • Three polystyrene boxes, with holes in the bottom of two of the boxes (i.e. they are effectively the “Trays 2 and 3” mentioned above. 
  • Alternatively, if it’s outside you only need two boxes sitting up on some bricks so they can drain directly in the garden. The polystyrene is a good insulation from heat. 
  • An old bath tub, mounted so that it can drain, is great worm farm if you have the space. 
  • 30cm of PVC stormwater pipe, with lots of holes drilled through the sides. Then bury the pipe vertically, with the top of it level with the ground. Add some soaked ripped-up cardboard for bedding, then use to dispose of dog faeces. Cover with a piece of carpet or fill the top by scrunching up some old material. When full, slide the pipe out, cover the hole, and bury the pipe in the next location; 
  • Build a winding farm through your flower garden. Simply dig a hole 20cm x 20cm and 30cm deep. Add some soaked cardboard for bedding. Start feeding and cover with a piece of carpet. When the first hole is full, dig another hole immediately beside it, add soaked carboard again and start feeding. Cover the first hole with soil and put the carpet on the second hole. The worms will migrate to the second hole. Over time, the worm farm moves along the length of your garden. (Make sure the bedding layer is quite deep to avoid drying out, and to give worms an escape from heat during the day)