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New Weelicious Series- My Own Edible Garden- Part 4- Building a Worm Farm!

May 13, 2011

It's amazing. We started planting our garden not even two months ago and we're already eating out of it regularly. Greens like lettuce, chard and kale and herbs such as cilantro, basil, thyme and more grow like weeds in our backyard. Watching other fruits and veggies like beans, eggplant, strawberries and tomatoes just start to flower and be but tiny shadows of what they will become is one of the most exciting parts for the kids. But by far, starting our worm farm has been the experience they just can't get enough of. Since we don't have any pets, Kenya and Chloe have adopted the worms as their own and are empowered taking such good care of our new friends.

Lauri, my friend and garden guru from Edible Gardens LA says having worms in your garden is essential "for so many reasons, but mainly it's about the worm 'poop' (or castings). Worm poop is a great organic fertilizer and you can make some at home with your own worm farm. The worm farm collects the poop in the lower container, which you then drain out, dilute with water and then water your garden with it. This helps your garden thrive by providing important nutrients to the plants and soil."

Here's how to start your own worm farm:

Use red worms or tiger worms only (available at nurseries and online) because common garden worms are not suitable. Garden worms don’t do well in worm farms and are best left in the soil to tunnel through and help oxygenate the soil.

Start your worm farm with two stackable trays (you can choose from many different brands of worm farms sold online). The bottom tray collects liquid waste that drains down from the upper bin(s). This is the good stuff! Just above the bottom collection tray, place the tray with the drainage holes. Then, put a layer of coconut husk that has been soaked in water. Coconut husk bricks are sold online or in nurseries. Soak one in a large container of water until it becomes soft and wet. You will be shocked at how large it expands.

Next, put down two sheets of newspaper and on top of that a nice amount of chopped vegetables and fruit (not a huge amount as you do not want it to get hot and harm the worms). This is a great way not to waste any overly ripe fruits and veggies in your kitchen that are about to go bad — feed them to your worms! Remember to chop vegetables and fruit well as worms don't have teeth! And no citrus, garlic or onions. Next, put several more sheets of newspaper (worms like it dark) on top of the food and finally attach the worm farm cover. You can add additional trays as your worm farm matures.

Make sure to keep the worm farm in an outdoor shaded area. Plan on feeding your worms every two weeks but, make sure to check that they do not need more food sooner. Be sure to keep the worm farm moist and check the bottom collection bin every week.

If you want to read even more, check out the book 'Worms Eat my Garbage!'

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  1. Vanessa

    June 10, 2012 at 12:35 am

    Reply

    I just love that your kids are so involve with this. I’m hoping to do the same with my son when he grows older. Great job!

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  3. Colleen

    May 17, 2011 at 1:02 pm

    Reply

    Chloe is adorable “helping”

  4. Mikal

    May 16, 2011 at 2:46 pm

    Reply

    I have been worm composting for about 10 years. I am happy to see you try it too. If people do not have access to the coconut husk, simply shred newspaper and cardboard to use as the bedding. We fill our bins up about 2/3 full (maximum depth of bin should not exceed 18″) with newspaper and cardboard. The bedding materials should be moist (as wet as a wrung out sponge). We let our food waste ripen for about a week prior to starting a new bin. Worms don’t have teeth and instead, rely on microbes to break down the food waste. Once the microbes have done a good job, the worms will start to feed. Once you have enough worm castings to harvest, dry them out a bit so they aren’t soggy (maybe a few hours or a day, depending on your climate). Then, you can sprinkle this material directly in the root zones of your plants…right along the drip lines. A little bit goes a long way! Oh, and you can also find red wigglers at shops that sell worm bate for fishing OR…if you are feeling really adventurous, in cow manure…where they are commonly found.

  5. colleen

    May 14, 2011 at 4:51 pm

    Reply

    now you just need some chickens!!! those are our only pets and the kids love ‘em, plus, fresh eggs! and free fertilizer :)

  6. Carrie N.

    May 13, 2011 at 7:35 pm

    Reply

    Question about this (’cause I’ve waffled on starting one). How do you control your worm population? If I end up with a huge, writhing ball of worms (seared into my memory from YouTube video), and I put them in the yard, are they an invasive species? I thought I heard the red worms people use might be, but I’m not sure.

    • Mikal

      May 16, 2011 at 2:50 pm

      Reply

      Carrie, If you are worried about worm population, you can start another bin with the extras, share them with friends, let your local Master Gardeners know that you have some, or you could let you could start a new bin and let the one with the mass majority of the worms sit. They will eventually run out of food and die, but you will be left with almost pure castings. Red wigglers are not normally soil dwelling worms, so the can not generally survive in your landscape. They are moderate temperature worms (thrive in 50-80 degrees), so when soil temperatures drop, they would die.

  7. Lisa {smart food and fit}

    May 13, 2011 at 7:26 pm

    Reply

    This is great information, thanks for sharing. I live in Michigan and usually Memorial weekend is safe to start your garden and then it takes awhile for the vegetable plants to grow. I’m so envious that you already have fresh produce growing! LOL.
    I love your new garden series and can’t wait to apply it to my garden!

  8. Christine

    May 13, 2011 at 5:44 pm

    Reply

    Is there a part 1-3?

  9. Maryea @ Happy Healthy Mama

    May 13, 2011 at 2:03 pm

    Reply

    This is so informative! I’m bookmarking for when I have a garden…someday!

  10. Christi

    May 13, 2011 at 12:23 pm

    Reply

    Glad your farm is working for you! We considered a worm farm, but there is the inside-or-die issue of what to do with them in the winter in Northern Minnesota, so we just settled for a straight-up compost bin.



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