City of Whitehorse Green Organics
worm farms
a simple way to recycle food scraps
WHAT IS A WORM FARM?
Everyone can compost using a worm farm. They take up little space
and can even be kept indoors. A worm farm can be stackable
containers or a bin with shelves and layers for worms and organic
matter to move through. The worms eat the fruit and vegetable scraps
and turn them into liquid and a rich soil-like substance called castings
that can be put on the garden or in pot plants as fertiliser. Worms and
worm farms can be purchased from your hardware store or gardening
centre.
WHICH WORM FARM IS BEST FOR ME?
When you are planning to prepare a worm farm, ask:
Do I want a commercial worm farm or to build my own? (they can
be made from timber, old tyres, terracotta pots, fruit or Styrofoam
boxes).
Will it have air holes and be easy to access?
How much money do I want to spend?
What amount of food scraps does my household generate and
therefore how large does my worm farm need to be?
Do I have a shady spot that is easily accessible to position my
farm?
CAN I USE ANY TYPE OF WORM?
Common garden worms generally cannot handle the intensity of
a worm farm. The best compost worms are Tiger Worms, Red
Wrigglers and Indian Blues, which can eat about half of their
body weight in one day. Compost worms can easily be added to
your garden after some time if there are too many living in the
farm.
BENEFITS OF WORM FARMING
Worm farms are suitable for small spaces such as in a courtyard or
on the patio.
Worm farms are a great educational resource for children to learn
about their environment.
Having a worm farm helps reduce the amount of food scraps being
sent to landfill.
Worm castings provide a nutrient rich soil conditioner so there is no
need for chemical fertilisers
FEEDING YOUR WORMS
Worms are a little bit fussy when it
comes to food, so ensure you
feed them
well to YOUR
look after
them.
FEEDING
WORMS
Worms are a little bit fussy when it
comes
to food,
so ensure you
feed
ADD
fruit
and vegetable
scraps,
them
well
to
look
after
them
coffee grounds, tea bags, egg .
shells, some shredded pizza and
ADD
Fruit and
scraps,
egg
cartons
andvegetable
some fallen
coffee grounds, tea bags, egg
leaves.
shells, some shredded pizza and
egg cartons and some fallen
AVOID meat and dairy products,
leaves.
grease and fat, bones, vacuum
cleaner
AVOIDdust,
Meatdog
andand
dairycat
products,
droppings,
grass
garden
grease and
fat,clippings,
bones, vacuum
dust, and
dog and cat
prunings,cleaner
magazines
droppings,orgrass
clippings,
garden
bleached
glossy
office paper.
prunings, magazines and bleached
or glossy office paper.
Worms will eat faster once
they have settled in and are
used to their new conditions
Keep a sealed bucket or ice
cream container in your
kitchen to collect your daily
fruit and vegetable scraps
then add them to your worm
farm
HOW DO I BUILD MY OWN WORM FARM?
1. The ideal size for a worm farm is 60cm wide by 90cm long by 30cm
deep.
2. Put holes in the base for drainage and air supply.
3. Build shelves with numerous holes for worms and dirt to move
through.
4. Make a bed in the base of rotted compost, soil, peat or shredded
moist newspaper.
5. Place a tray underneath to catch any liquid.
6. Make a lid for your worms or cover with a sheet of Hessian or
carpet underlay.
7. Add soil, compost, food scraps and worms.
HOW DO I LOOK AFTER MY WORMS?
Air
Moisture
Shade
Food
Worms breathe through special organs in their skin so
they need good airflow. Ensure vents in the worm farm
are open and uncovered.
The worms like to be moist but not soggy. They will
suffocate if they get wet so ensure there is good
drainage and remove the castings regularly.
Keep worms out of direct sunlight in a cool position.
Avoid locating them near machinery, as they are very
sensitive to vibrations.
Your worms will only need to be fed about once a week,
or when they have almost finished their last meal.
Simply empty your food scraps into the worm farm.
Blending food scraps in a food processor with a dash of
water will help make food small and easier to digest by
the worms.
WILL MY WORMS MULTIPLY?
Worms need the right conditions to multiply. This includes moisture,
shade, air and drainage as well as the pH level (acidity or alkalinity) of
the worm farm. If you wish to breed your worms it may be worth adding
a sprinkle of dolomite or lime every few weeks to prevent the worm
farm from becoming too acidic.
Did You Know: Worms can live for up to 5 years!
WHY DO MY WORMS SMELL?
Worm farms can start to smell if
worms are being fed more than
they can eat, or if the farm is too
wet. Avoid feeding them too much
and only feed the worms when they
have nearly finished their last meal.
ANTS IN MY WORM FARM?
Ants and cockroaches may find
your worm farm a nice place to live
if it becomes too dry. They can be a
nuisance but they won’t harm your
worms. Keep a lid or cover over the
worms and food scraps. If your
worm farm sits on legs, place each
leg in a bowl of water to prevent
crawling insects from climbing in.
For other Home Composting details:
Call 1300 855 152
Or visit
www.whitehorse.vic.gov.au/greenorganics
If in doubt about composting, talk to
your local nursery or gardening
centre expert.
Remember there are several
systems and ways to compost at
home and you can have more than
one system.