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- Photo: Milkwooders / Flickr
Whether you have set up a small indoor vegetable garden or you have set aside a little patch of sunshine on your balcony or in your backyard, it might be a good idea to consider a natural source of fertiliser such as a worm farm. You will not need much space or material to get it up and running. Vermiculture, as it is formally known by its fancy name, will provide you with some of the healthiest, and nutrient-rich, 100 per cent organic, natural fertiliser available.
Gather your material
To create your worm farm, you will need a large tub with separate lid, made of eco-friendly plastic or perhaps, ceramics. Alternatively, you may purchase some specialised worm farm garden equipment. You will also need some shredded newspaper, an old cotton sheet, organic waste (non-meat and non-dairy food scraps) and a handful of red worms. Some peat moss is optional.
Get started
Depending on how large your garden is, you might want to start small, with one or maybe two worm farms. First, you should punch evenly spaced holes, from the inside, in the bottom of each tub. These holes are to drain the farm. You can then place the tub on top of the inverted lid, with enough space at the bottom to allow worm ‘juice’ to gather.
Next, add a layer of peat moss and soaked, shredded newspaper at the bottom of the tub. On top of that, mix in some organic material such as crushed egg shells, stale bread, vegetable and fruit peels and make sure it is evenly spread throughout the tub.
You may then add a handful of worms. Make sure to follow any instructions regarding their feeding and storage. You may now completely cover the tub with a cotton sheet and water the fabric so that it is saturated.
Good to know
Optimum temperatures for a successful worm farm range from 55 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit. You don’t want your worms to either freeze or dry up.
And it is extremely important to keep your farm moist but not too wet. When you water it, make sure that some water drains through the holes you’re drilled at the bottom of the tub.
Ideally, you should keep your farm out of direct sunlight and in a shaded area. The basement is a great location. Make sure that there are no disturbances such as vibrating appliances nearby.
When you feed your worms, bear in mind that they will eat about half their weight in food every day. You should avoid feeding them onions, citrus and coffee grounds as these are too acidic.
After a couple of weeks, you should be able to harvest your farm!
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