How to be a Worm Farmer

How to make and manage a wormery. How to farm worms !
INGREDIENTS OF A WORMERY

Earth Worms
There are 26 species of earthworm in Britain, of which 12 are commoner. Only two species are good for composting. These are surface living worms, which eat rotting matter. Other worm species live deeper, in their tunnels, and they do not eat fresh rotting matter in such quantities.

Tiger Worm (Eisenia Foetida), also known as brandling worm. The saddle is usually a similar colour to the rest of the body. Up to 7cm

Compost Worm (Eisenia Veneta) – Also has stripes, but is slightly fatter and longer than the tiger worm and has a saddle that is paler than its body .

Both these worm species are found under logs and stones, and in the surface layers, in rotting leaves. The tiger worm breeds most actively so it is favoured for wormeries.

By looking at the conditions they need in the wild, we can help provide a good environment for them in a wormery. Wild surface dwelling worms can be found:

- in the dark, such as under logs, stones, leaf litter
- in damp but not water logged places
- where there is rotting material such as wood, leaves
- at the surface, rather than deep in the soil

A good place to get worms is from another wormery, or they can be bought from a fishing shop, where they are sold as bait. Some could be collected form the wild. But only take a small proportion of those you find.

Other ingredients for the wormery:

A little soil

This will introduce microbes that start the rotting process. The grit in the soil is needed by worms. They swallow small pieces of grit, and keep them in their gizzard at the top of their gut, where the food and grit are ground together to help to break it up.

Worm bedding

This is the carbon-rich material that is added to the food waste, to give fibre, energy, structure and aeration. It can be torn-up cardboard (the best in my view), leaf litter (also very good, as this is the worms’ natural habitat), shredded paper, straw.....

It is best to keep a layer of 4 inches, of bedding material covering the food waste. This keeps flies off the food, and gives a good environment to the worms. The bedding material needs to be damp. This is facilitated by a plastic covering, but if it dries out, the worm farmer (you !) needs to water it. Soak cardboard in a bucket of water before adding it.

Dampness

This moisture is important as the worms breath through their damp skin. It is maintained by a plastic covering over the bedding layer.

Drainage

If it gets too wet in the wormery, the air will not circulate and the food waste will go putrid. So very good drainage is important, as food waste can be very wet sometimes. Therefore holes at the bottom of the worm bin are vital to let water drain away. And a layer of drainage pebbles, or stones at the bottom can help this. Above the stones, a layer of porous weed matting stops the compost getting mixed with the stones.

Darkness

Worms are safer in the dark, from predators such as birds that eat them. That is one reason they live under things, and why the ‘lob’ worm (or ‘nightcrawler’ as it is called in America) comes out at night. So the worms need to be covered, by the internal layers (also needed for moisture retention) and a good lid.

Temperature

The wormery has to be in the shade because in the summer it can over heat and they will die. In the winter they need a blanket over them, or be brought inside or placed in a green house. The temperature range they prefer is 15 – 25 C. The bigger the wormery and the more insulation it has, the better it will retain a steady temperature.

Rat proof

This is achieved by the design of the container, and a good lid. Rats will gnaw through virtually anything. Reinforcing wood or plastic with chicken wire is effective. Monitoring the rat situation and responding quickly before they become a nuisance is important, especially near homes.

Food waste

A layer of 1 – 2 inches in depth should be added, once or twice a week, but not more than this, especially whilst it is getting established. After 3 – 4 months the worms will have begun to breed, and their numbers should rise. Then more food can be added. The temperature will affect the speed that food rots and worms eat it, which in summer will be higher and faster. Some say that worms can eat their own weight in a day, some say twice their weight….

Do not add large vegetables as they will take tool long to rot down, and may go putrid in themiddle. So chop material up so it is 1 inch or so in diameter (thin leafy material does not need chopping).