Worms

Why Worms?

Worms are incredible! What should be done with the millions of pounds of food "waste" that is thrown away every day by restaurants and supermarkets? Feed it to worms and create soil fertility! Worms eat their weight in a day under ideal conditions, and double their populations each month. They turn rotting food into vermicompost, otherwise known as black gold! Mysteriously, these worm castings contain eight times as many micro-organisms as their feed...perfect for plant growth, and zero chance for disease pathogens.

"All the fertile areas of this planet have at least once passed through the bodies of earthworms." -- Charles Darwin

red wiggler worms

These are Red Wiggler worms, which are different from the common garden worms.  Red wigglers occupy a different ecological niche, near the top of the soil

Building a Worm Bin

  • Use exterior-grade plywood...no chemically treated wood
  • Treat the wood with a non-toxic wood preservative, or paint it with veggie oil or linseed oil
  • Use galvanized nails
  • Drill at least a dozen 1/2" holes in the bottom and sides of the box for aeration
  • Better to build a shallow and wide bin rather than a deep bin, as red wigglers live near the top
  • If you reside in Alameda County, California go to www.stopwaste.org to order a discounted pre-fabricated worm bin!

worm bin

Taking Care of Your Worms

  • Cover with a burlap sack or newspapers to keep the moisture in, and make a lid for the top to keep them safe from birds
  • Fill the box with moist bedding (newspaper works great) for the worms to burrow and lay eggs in. Worms eat the bedding, so you'll need to add more every month
  • You want constant moisture like a wrung out sponge...if too wet, add more bedding to soak up moisture. If have to water your worm bin during the dry season
  • Feed them any organic food waste besides citrus. They love manure, so use in conjuction with chicken or rabbit systems
  • For best results, chop up food scraps, use a blender, or feed them something that already has lots of surface area, such as spent beer grains from a local nursery
  • Worm castings are slightly toxic to them, so if you want to produce excess worms, make sure you harvest before the box gets too full