how do you make a worm bed?
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Yummy, I discovered that worm in the parsley bed at my garden. It deserves to be shot with macro powered on!
Question by smo5keyr: how do you make a worm bed?
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2 Responses to how do you make a worm bed?
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Wooden, plastic or metal boxes or tubs may be used. The container should be 8″-12″ deep and of a size to accommodate the amount of garbage you produce. Approximately one square foot of surface area is needed for each pound of kitchen vegetable wastes per week. For example, a 1’×2′ × 3′ box will serve a family of 4 to 6
Bedding holds moisture and provides a medium in which the worms can work and the garbage can be buried. It must be light and fluffy enough to allow air exchange.
Worms actually consume bedding as well as the kitchen vegetable wastes.
Bedding can be made of shredded newspaper, shredded corrugated cardboard, peat moss, or leaf mold.
Bedding must be well soaked in water and wrung out before adding to the bin. You may add a handful of dirt every time the bedding is changed although it is not necessary.
For two people… a box 2’ x 2’ x 8” deep, or so, wood, metal, or plastic, will suffice. For a larger family, make it 2’ x 3’ x 1’ deep. There should be some small ¼ “ holes in the bottom for drainage, and the box should be set on a tray with 1” spacers between the tray and the box, for aeration and drainage.
Line the bottom with shredded 1-inch strips of newspaper, inch wide strips of cardboard boxes, and peat moss. A mix of 2/3 corrugated cardboard and 1/3 sphagnum peat moss, or newspaper, is a good bedding mixture.
You can also add shredded leaves and a little aged or composted manure, and a cup or so of fine sand, ashes, and limestone. Moisten the bedding, mix it well, and add the worms. Let it set for a few days before kitchen waste is added. Your worms will happily feed and make castings.
Add kitchen waste every day or so, by burying it a few inches or so in the bedding mix in one end of the box.
Kitchen waste can include: vegetable and fruit scraps, coffee grounds and the filters, tea bags, without the tags, any vegetable matter, bread scraps, dried and crushed eggshells, and small amounts of finely chopped meat scraps, garlic and onion.
Cover the top of the compost bedding with a layer of damp newspapers, and a loosely fitting lid with holes for air. Every time you add waste, work your way to the other end of the box, so you will have about 8 or 9 different adding areas. When you get to the end of the box, start over at the other end. Worms will eat the bedding along with the scraps, and you may need to add more.
Keep the bedding mix/scraps moistened, but not soggy wet. In a few months you will be ready to harvest your compost.
ADD WORMS
Red worms are the most satisfactory and efficient type of worm to use for composting. The worms need adequate temperature, moisture and ventilation. The optimum temperature Is from 55-77 degrees. Remember, an active worm bin must be kept in a heated garage or basement during the winter to prevent freezing. The worm population increases (or decreases) according to how well they are fed. To determine the number of worms needed to populate a bin, figure one pound of worms for each pound of kitchen vegetable wastes produced per day. Worms process their own body weight of organic matter each day.
carndog64
October 7, 2011 at 5:57 am
find a shaded area and buy sevaral bags of manure then just turn it in the soil, cover it with a discarded piece of carpet and keep it moist not wet.
Egg shells, coffee grounds and food stuff that won’t stink up the place is also good to add.
A Bait shop is as easy a place to purchase worms as any and two or three small boxs should get you going.
I Make Avatars
October 7, 2011 at 6:39 am