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Worm Farms |
Want to take the hard work out of gardening, save money, do something for the environment and have a bit of fun? Why not try a wormery. Worm farming can be an enjoyable way to enrich your garden and pot plants.
Worms enjoy moist, cool, dark conditions and a regular supply of food. Compost worms are a particular kind of worm, unlike the types you hopefully already have wiggling through your garden. Compost worms can be bought from garden centers, or if you're lucky get some from a friend who already has a wormery. The most common types are red, blue and tiger worms.
A basic wormery is a number of boxes stacked together - one at the bottom to collect the worm wee, the second serving as the bedding and feeding area, and the third as an interchange when the second becomes full (place it on top and add food and the worms will work their way into it and make their new home, the middle bin can then be removed and the vermicasts used ready for the cycle to begin again).
Alternatively you can use one large container divided vertically in half with wood or bricks and when one side becomes full start feeding in the other and the worms will move across afterwhich you can empty the first half.
Almost anything can be used as a wormery providing it can keep the worms cool, moist and dark and is at least 25-30cm deep. Good drainage is necessary and has inspired some people to use old baths, troughs or washing machine tubs. Make sure you collect this valuable liquid rather than just letting it drain away.
Worm farms produce both liquid and solid fertilizers. The liquid should be diluted 1 part worm wee to 10 parts water before being used on plants. The solid castings are good sources of nitrogen, potash, calcium and other essential minerals like magnesium and sulphur. While the castings are quite potent and should only be used in small quantities around plants it should be noted that you can't use too much, the castings will not burn plant roots or foliage (how's that for easy gardening?!).
Vermicastings are covered with slow dissolving, semi-permeable mucus that works like a slow release for the nutrients and also has good water-retention.
Don't let your worms get too cold (under 10C) or too hot (over 30C). Keep the wormery out of direct sunlight (that shady spot in the garden that's hard to grow plants is perfect) and during summer check it remains moist, but not wet. All worm farms should have some kind of cover to protect from sun and to keep out drenching rain.
Other garden bugs help to break down the food and don't need to be removed from the wormery, but tiny vinegar flies are a sign that the farm it too acidic so neutralise the pH with a handful of lime. Additionally, thin, thread-like cotton worms are an indication that the pH is too low. Regular addition of crushed up eggshells can help counter this acidity. |
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