So, you may be wondering why anybody would start a farm to grow
worms? Maybe to use when they go fishing, or sell to other fishermen?
Well, there are some people who do it for that reason. But the majority of
people who decide to begin with worm farming aren't really interested in
increasing the worm population, although that will happen as a side effect.
They do it in order to get the end product that the worms produce. While
the whole procedure is usually called worm farming, the technical term for
it is vermicomposting.
That desirable end product is called castings, or vermicast, and is literally
worm poop. Don't be put off by that. It's an earthy, humus-like, non smelly
material, which is a fantastic fertilizer and garden amendment. There are
commercial worm farms that produce it and pack it in bags for sale, but
you can make it yourself with the right worms and a minimum of other
materials. Basically, the worms are just fed organic material such as that
used in a normal compost pile.
To end up with the best quality castings from your worm farm, you need to
begin with the right kind of worm. If you just head out to your yard and
start digging for earthworms, you may get lucky and find a species that's
suited to vermicomposting - but it's not likely. The typical worm found in
gardens will tend to burrow too far into the ground, and will also not be as
prodigious of a 'processor' as the type most often used in
vermicomposting - called the red wiggler or redworm and technically
reffered to as Eisenia foetida. You can buy these from any worm farm
supplier, many of which are online.
People have used many different materials to build the actual worm farm.
Commercial operations frequently just create the farms directly on the
ground in long rows known as 'windrows'. But for home use, you probably
want to house the worms in some type of a container. You can build or
scrounge these yourself, or buy a commercial solution for under fifty
dollars. Some of the pre-made models are actually intended to be placed
under the kitchen sink, where there is usually a steady supply of scraps
that can be used as food.
Speaking of food, what can you actually feed the worms? Just about any
type of organic waste material will do, such as vegetable peelings and
waste, tea bags, coffee grounds, egg cartons, egg shells, leaves, hair,
paper, certain types of cardboard, etc. Most wastes from fruit are fine too,
but some people caution against citrus peels, and pineapple contains an
enzyme known as bromelain, which will dissolve the worms, so that's
definitely out. Other things which should not be added are wastes from
animal products, such as bones, left over meat, milk products, and dog,
cat, or human manure. Adding these items may either contaminate the
final castings with pathogens or attract pests to the worm farm.
There are a number of different designs for worm farms, and these use
different methods to harvest the castings. One popular arrangement uses
a number of separate bins stacked on top of each other. The farm is
initially started in the top bin with some shredded newspaper or
cardboard to serve as bedding. On top of that is added some dirt, the
initial supply of worms, and some organic waste for food. Then put the lid
on and try not to peek every day, as the worms don't like light. When the
bin gets full to with a couple of inches of the top, put an empty bin on top
and move the full bin below it, removing any large pieces of unprocessed
food. Put some bedding and food in the new top container, and the worms
will migrate from their original home to the new one through the holes in
the bottom, leaving the first container filled with just a rich dark dirt-like
material ready to be added to the garden.
The worm farm will also usually leak some dark liquid which can be caught
in a pan placed at the bottom. This is called 'leachate' and is also a great
fertilizer, but it may be too strong for some applications. I'd advise
researching your intended use before using it.
Give worm farming a try. It's like having a regular compost pile, but the
worms do all the work for you. And how many people are able to put a
compost pile under their kitchen sink?
If you want to read more about how to get started with worm farming, click
over to http://www.wormfarmguide.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joseph_Serpico
Worm Farming, Where The Worms Do All
the Work and You Get All the Benefits
By Joseph Serpico
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