STEVE EVANS PH(08) 9755
5298
Email : earthworms@bigpond.com
INFO SHEET #101
Micro System - Worm Farm
Very Basic for Schools or Beginners
This system will adequately
process the green waste from the average classroom (or home - if you made several) and is easily
maintained and is able to be left for reasonable periods of time without overly
affecting it.
You will need
1. A
foam box with lid (available from supermarkets or vegie
shops)
2. A
piece of shade cloth or fly screen large enough to cover the bottom of the box
3. A
screwdriver (or similar)
4. Bedding
- 15 litres of worm castings/ shredded soaked paper/
aged manure/ soaked peat moss. (available email: earthworms@bigpond.com)
5. Piece
of black plastic large enough to cover the top of the box
6. Approx
1000 worms (available email: earthworms@bigpond.com)
7. Garden / agricultural lime
Procedure
1. Using the screwdriver punch about 10 holes in the bottom and
five in the top of the box.
2. Place the shade cloth so that it covers the bottom of the box
3. Place the bedding in the box and water so the point where you
can just squeeze A few drops of water from a hand full of the bedding.
4. Place
the worms on the surface of the bedding and leave in well lit area (worms available email: earthworms@bigpond.com)
5. When all of the worms have burrowed down into the
bedding cover with the black plastic and fit the lid.
6. Feed by digging shallow trenches and
burying the food
7. For best performance keep the farm in a
warm spot out of the sun.
8. Water when you can no longer squeeze a
few drops of water out of a handful of Bedding.
9. If you find after a few weeks it starts to smell, this
indicates acidic conditions due to uneaten food - stop feeding and stir the
food at the top of the bed and mix in some garden lime. Repeat this aeration
regularly and start feeding when smell has gone.
If you want to set up more farms
then:
8. When the box is nearly full get another box and set up the same
(step 1 & 2)
9. Divide the first box in half placing
half in the new box
10. Proceed from step 5.
To harvest castings/worms:
1. Scrape
top 5cm off of bed and keep aside
2. Place
large piece of black plastic on floor or large table
3. Empty
remaining contents of worm farm onto plastic
4. Pile the
worm castings into an upside down cone shape on table
5. Leave until no worms are visible
6. Scrape
of surface castings until worms visible
7. Repeat steps 4 & 5 until all that is left is a pile/ball
of worms.
8. Put the worms and
the 5cm you scaped off of bed, back into worm farm and start worm farm again.
9. The castings can then
be used as fertilizer around the garden. (Use in the hole
when planting or dig into soil around plants.)
Suggested Reading EARTHWORMS FOR GARDINERS AND FISHERMEN -
HANDREK, K.A. &
LEE, K.E (1986) CSIRO
DIVISION OF SOILS WORM FARMING MADE SIMPLE. A. WINDHURST, 1997(ALLSCAPE)
EARTHWORMS IN
Australian Worm Growers Association Vermiculture Inc www.ausworm.com