I originally posted this blog during October 2017 one year ago, I have added some updates as well as improved grammar and punctuation. (It has been shortened as well) It is enjoyable to re-write and edit this post as it is one of my passions, Vermiculture is an interesting and rewarding activity to engage in. (Hobby? Sure that's OK, also.)
I am a worm farmer, it is, in my opinion, an important part of my becoming self-reliant as I can be, I raise them for a variety of reasons. This blog is intended to instruct how to start a worm farm, the vessels required to raise them and a few things to pay attention to for the first time when establishing a colony.
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| This is a photo of the Worm Factory 360, a good choice for a first time farm. |
Worm bins may be constructed from a large array of containers, buckets (round or square), wood bins, commercially available setups, and even bathtubs. Containers that nestle together and are easily drilled are the types used by most worm farmers. I have several bins that I raise the worms in:
*In the yard I have 9 raised garden beds are dedicated to raising vegetables, I decided to raise worms in them to enhance the soil. I have no way of knowing for sure how many "head" (ok it's cheesy but) of worms are in each, I began by placing 250 into each box over 3 years ago if they reproduced at a reasonable rate they have multiplied many times, I suspect they now number in the thousands. The boxes are made of reclaimed 2x6 planks of wood, then they were filled with compost from a local nursery, delivered, I make my own compost but I needed 6 yards to fill the raised beds. In these beds, I have Red Wigglers and European Nightcrawlers. The Wigglers live above the mostly decomposed organic matter and directly below the composting material, I make sure there is always a layer of leaves on top of the soil. It provides food for the worms and keeps the weeds under control. The Red Wigglers work around the roots and the soil improving aeration and adding fertilizer in the form of castings.
The European Nightcrawlers perform a different service to the beds, they burrow down as far as 6 feet. They have passages deep into their dens where they take organic material for food. At night they come to the surface to eat, then return to the den when the sun rises. The nightcrawlers do not perform as well as the Red Wigglers as composting worms. If the goal is to produce no organic garbage, zero waste, then Red Wigglers are the species to have. If the goal is to raise fishing worms then nightcrawlers will be a good choice they just don't reduce the waste as rapidly as the Red Worms.
*Another bin of wood construction is 4-foot x 4-foot x 4-foot, with a hog wire front to allow air flow through the mass of organic material composting inside. I have worms in it as well, but they like the raised beds are difficult to determine how many red worms occupy it. I have some nightcrawlers in this compost bin as well, I use this organic material for worm bedding and adding to the garden boxes.
*I have a commercially made worm factory 360, I bought the one with 4 trays, I am happy with it, the learning curve was surprising but with time and patience, it works fine. The learning curve was mostly dealing with when to start moving the worms up to the feeding bins. Its strong point is in aiding with the learning curve of raising worms, it is of a design that the worms move vertically up when the food in a lower box is diminished. The construction makes it easy to learn how worms move around in the bins, they don't typically move up and stay there, they continuously move up and down between the boxes. It is easy to determine how many reds are in the colony which is an asset when feeding time comes. I prefer larger bins, the 360 trays are about 18 inches square, great for a classroom or a limited area, the drawback is limited castings. I like the arraignment but I decided to use plastic bins when I added to the farm due to the increased capacity.
*I have plastic bins that are readily available at any hardware store. I use the 18-inch wide size, they are about 2'6" in length, weight is a consideration when determining the volume, castings are heavy. The bins I have (two sets) weigh about 50 pounds when the finished castings are ready for storage. Smaller bins are available, useful as under the sink units, or in households with limited space. The light plastic bins are easy to work with, inexpensive, and able to withstand the rugged treatment they receive. Used bins are perfectly acceptable to use, a word of warning is to make sure they are cleaned completely unless the contents are well known. I have one set that has been reclaimed, the results are mixed.
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| Cheap and durable, plastic totes make excellent worm farms. |
*My neighbor was making a dump run, and as is usual I look through the stuff looking for useful items. (Ahem, is anyone with me on this?.) Useful stuff I found, three of those heavy grey plastic boxes, none had a lid, I don't know where these come from but I see them everywhere. I felt fortunate in being able to trade some of my stuff for these. The holes were drilled, the bin washed, and a plywood lid was made, I then set it up to receive the worms. It was obvious from the start the population was avoiding one corner of the setup. I watched them for a month, things take time in a worm farm, they would not go near that corner and it appeared my population was not increasing. A sign of a healthy colony is an abundance of newly hatched young and numerous egg casings, I saw neither. I had a choice of abandoning the box, cleaning it and try again when it became time to transfer or persevere and avoid that corner. I chose the second, food was no longer placed near that entire end of the box and as the castings were produced I moved them to cover that corner, it worked, my colony is now healthy and thriving. The bin is now 1/2 full of castings and will need to be set up to transfer in a month or so. I started that herd with around 150 worms, there are now thousands in the box, it's been just over one year. Raising worms is a never-ending educational experience, I am responsible for the colony and take that seriously, the worms depend upon me.
I first attempted vermiculture 10 years ago, it's one of those things that I thought I knew a lot about, I mean after all worms live in the dirt right? Dirt is everywhere right? Doesn't that mean get a bunch of dirt then toss a handful of worms in and viola there is a worm farm? Whoa not so quick, it does not work like that, Red Wigglers do not live in the dirt, European Night Crawlers do, sort of. I did everything wrong when I put that first farm together. I dug a hole in the ground and lined it with black plastic, I then got a wheelbarrow full of topsoil and dumped it in. My supply of nightcrawlers was purchased at the local bait shop, 4 tubs, I dumped them in without a second thought. Located on the North side of the house it overheated and dried out. I did not have a clue that they needed to be fed, or for that matter what to feed them. I took me one month to realize it was not working and was never going to.
(Follow this Link to my video demonstrating how to build a worm bin from a plastic tote.)
Enter the learning curve, read, read, and ask questions, for instance, more moisture is better than not enough, how to judge moisture content comes mostly from experience. There are available moisture level detectors, and many worm farmers use the squeeze drip method, holding a handful of bedding and when squeezed if the moisture is correct two drops of water will drip.
Moist is good, damp not wet, I judge mine by looking the bedding over, feeling it and looking for signs of too much water. Two signs are excessive condensation gathering on the lid of the bin, another is an overabundance of water gathering in the collection pan under the box. A good indicator I use is if there are eggs in the farm, it denotes it as being a healthy environment for them.
We all learn what a worm egg looks like, how they are formed and how prolific the worms are. There is a lot to it, however, after a short while, it is entirely manageable. It will take a few months to fill a bin with castings, then when it is about 3/4 full we place the second bin on top. When most of the colony has moved upstairs it is time for separating the remaining individuals from the castings and placing them in the feeder tray completing complete the cycle and starting over again.
Below are three points why I began worm farming:
1) For the Castings, worm manure or as I prefer to call it and all other feces "Scat". It is rich in natural nitrogen in a form the plants are able to use immediately, there is no risk of burning the plants as there is with synthetic nitrogen. During the planting season, I mix compost and castings in a 50/50 mix, I place the plants in the open hole then fill it with my planting mix. I add castings once a year, after they are planted I use worm tea. Castings are placed in new worm bins along with the food to jump-start the decomposition process.
2) Worm "Tea" is made with the castings placed into a one-gallon paint strainer bag available at all hardware stores. I place 1-1/2 pints in the fabric bag then submerge it in 4 gallons of water that is aerated to support the micro-organisms in the scat. Compressed air is pumped into the water and let to agitate for 24 hours, upon completion it must be used within 4 days. After that time period, the brew will go anaerobic and the beneficial microbes will die off.
(Follow this Link to my video demonstrating how to make worm tea.)
3) I have a goal to reach zero garbage, there will always be plastic, glass and shiny colored cardboard, it all has to go to a landfill, unfortunately. The organic food leftovers are another matter, they do not have to go to the dump. Likewise, with brown cardboard, newspaper, and green waste, it is all valuable in the organic garden.
I did not talk about what the bedding consists of, what to feed the worms, or what bugs are beneficial in the farms. My intent is to introduce others to the world of Vermiculture perhaps realizing that it may seem like a small effort to reduce waste, but could be huge if everyone did it. Worms perform a valuable service, they are used to reduce manures, waste wood, cardboard, newspaper and perhaps one of the most interesting functions is waterless toilets.
It surprised me how attached to the colonies I have become, I endure many jokes, ribbing, and comments about my eccentricities, all in all, that's just fine with me, it's fun.
Thank you for reading and sharing, I enjoy raising worms, it's said we have to be a little eccentric to do so and that's OK, the organic fertilizer is far superior to the commercial synthetic stuff, the results seen in the plants is amazing. I made a video on how to construct the bin if you desire please watch it at this link.
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