07 Jan 7 Pitfalls to avoid in Worm Farms.

 7  pitfalls to avoid in worm farms and how you can enjoy success whether you are beginning or wanting to re-establish your existing worm farm.

Vermicomposting

Worm farming, also known as vermicomposting, is a sustainable and efficient way to reduce household food waste to produce nutrient-rich compost for your garden.

This can be a low-maintenance process, however here are a 7 pitfalls that new worm farmers should be aware of in order to set themselves up for success.

1. Wrong Location

Depending on your climate location the worm farm should be positioned in a warm place in winter and cool place in summer. Compost worm activity increases in warmer temperatures. Unless you use a ‘flow through system’ ensure you avoid exposure to hot sucker sunlight.

Worms thrive in ‘Ideal Conditions’. The best bedding material is natural organic compost. Unsure this is compost that has ‘Comopsted’!

3. Moisture

This one of the important elements.Worms breath through their skin, they also use moisture to exchange sperm and use it to aid travel.Worm Farms exposed to heavy rain may saturate the contents. This depletes oxygen and will force worms to high ground.

4. Food

Worms essentially do not eat food waste; they consume the decomposed material by sucking what was once organic and is now decomposed. Bacteria decomposing anything that was once organic. A large handful of worms will  consume half that amount, so start with small amounts on top of the compost pile.

5. Oxygen

This is the most important element in worm farming. Oxygen fuels micro bacteria which decomposing food waste. A flow through system works best as it enables oxygen the ‘flow’ through

6. Temperature

Apart from using heat beds etc, you can passively control the temperature of the worm farm by shading in hot Summer days or keeping indoors during cold periods. Compost worms enjoy average temperatures between 60 – 70D or 15 to 22C

7. Light

 Worms naturally navigate to the top of a compost pile and thrive in darkness. Ultraviolet light appears to cause pain to worms by affecting their nervous system. Keep the top of the worm farm covered with any form of porous material e.g. Hessian (Burlap), cardboard, old towels etc.

Worm Farm Bonus Tip!

Cardboard Sandwich Recipe.

1. Place a wet cardboard layer on top of the compost.
2. Spread a vitamised layer of food waste
3. Place a second wet piece of cardboard on top.
4. Lay a house brick or other mass on top.

Composting worms gather into the smallest of gaps beneath heavy materials. My observation is that they enjoy protection from predators in the case.

Vermicomposting systems, offer a number of benefits for both home gardeners and commercial farmers. By raising worms and using their compost, or vermicompost, as a natural fertilizer, it is possible to improve soil health and structure, leading to healthier plants and higher crop yields. Additionally, managing a worm farm is an environmentally-friendly way to dispose of organic waste, as the worms break down kitchen scraps and other organic matter into nutrient-rich compost.