Worm farming is a method by which worms are used to produce organic nutrients for the soil. These can come from food waste like eggshells, coffee grounds, fruits, tea bags, and vegetables, even including cardboards. Worm farming benefits the environment by making the soil healthy because of organic materials. In addition to that, it is a great snacks for all types of chicken in your backyard. For you to have a worm farm, you should start first by having a worm bin. Below are the steps that you can do to start your worm farm.
Get the materials for a worm bin
For you to do this, you can reuse an old drawer or use a fish tank. Build a box using the wood, or find one. You can also buy this box or use a plastic bin. For 10 gallons, the approximate size is 16” x 24 x 24 x 8. You have to clean the container to remove any residue that can become harmful to the worms.
If you use a wooden bin, put plastic at the bottom and the sides to make sure that it is secure and the worm nutrients will not pour.
Prepare the worm bin bedding
Instead of using soil, use newspaper strips because red worms live here better. Newspaper strips provide water, air, and food to the worms. Get at least 50 pages of newspaper and tear them down into one and a half-inch to one.
Avoid using colored print materials because these may post toxins to the worm. Put the paper pieces to a large plastic bag or a container. Then add water to the beddings until it feels similar to a damp sponge. It should be moist and not dripping.
Add the strips to the bin to make fluffy bedding that will provide air to the worm. The container should be three fourths full of the wet pieces of newspaper. Sprinkle an around two to four cups of oil to the box to make it beneficial for microorganisms.
Add worms to the Bin
Before you add the worm, decide on how many worms you need to start. You can weigh the worms or determine the volume of the worms. You must know the number of worms to put in your worm bin so that you know exactly how much food they need when you feed them.
Bury the Food Scraps
This is the fourth step, you should bury the food scraps underneath the bin bedding. Feed your worms with vegetables, fruits, etc. that are usually considered as waste like rinds, peels, cores, and others. Put a limit to the amount of citrus fruit that you put in the beans.
Remember not to include meats, oils or dairy products, and bones. Cut the food scraps in small pieces and feed the worms three times their weight weekly. Monitor your worm bin weekly to check whether the worms are eating the food.
You can adjust the amount of food that you give them. After burying the food scraps in the bin, cover the food by the bedding.
Cover and put the bin in a safe spot
Use a lid made of either plastic, cloth, or plywood. Leave the cover of the bin half close to give the worm some air. You can also drill holes in the bin. It is better to put the container away from the heaters and windows.
Setting up a worm farm is not difficult. You can start your farm by following five simple steps to create a worm bin.
Check my other post on how to raise a monarch butterfly.
