Worm Farms - DOit.television

A worm farm can easily be set up in almost any place whether it is a verandah, backyard or garage. They don't need massive space and they are easy work to take care of. Worm farms are full of earthworms with loads of heart, each worm has 5 hearts! These fascinating creatures munch on raw food and garden scraps turning them into a brown sludge which is full of rich nutrients. These worm castings are loved by your flowers and vegetables, add these castings to water and use them to water your garden!

Worms love moist conditions, but not conditions too wet. Drainage holes are essential in a worm farm otherwise the worms may suffocate. When you first start feeding your worm farm avoid adding dairy or meat products. Worms can eat their weights worth in a day (this can be up to 250g of scraps) but need to get used to all the eating. Start with small amounts of food and slowly increase the amount of scraps you give them. Worms generally do not like acidic foods (i.e. citrus, garlic, onions) or milky products, these will tend to upset their stomach.

Try position your worm farm in a warm place in the shade, too much sun can dry out a worm's living environment. The ideal temperature for a worm farm is between 18-25 degrees Celsius.

Common problems with your worm compost:

If you get vinegar flies - they won't harm the worms, but you can add lime to your farm to decrease their numbers.
If you get too many flies - cover the worm farm with a metal lid or Hessian sack.
Avoid putting in too many sugary foods (cake and grains) these increase the level of acidity in the mixture and affect the worms. If the worm farm gets too acidic the worms will stop breeding, to rectify this try add paper to the farm.
If you get too many ants - they won't hurt your worms, but if you are getting bothered by them, try standing the worm farm in a small pool of water or put Vaseline around the farms legs so they can't climb up.
If your worm farm smells then you are over feeding the slippery suckers and you'll need to cut back on giving them food. Also adding lime to the first layer will help aerate the soil and allow the worms to move around easily and eat the food.

Check your local council or garden centre for free worm demonstrations or information.

Links to check out for more information:
- Kimbriki
- How to build a worm farm

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