Joined: Dec 25, 2001 Posts: 33,807 Location: Liberty City
Posted: Wed 27/Sep/06 9:33am Post subject: I'm Going To Make A Worm Farm
We're getting tired of chucking all our food sparcs into the rubbish which is stinky, wasteful and expensive. As our garden is tiny a compost bin is out but I've been reading up on Worm bins and this looks pretty straight forward: http://www.gw.govt.nz/story_images/2976_WormFarms_s6137.pdf
Does anyone have any tips or things I should watch out for? I'm going to use clear plastic storage bins and I'm not sure if I should paint them black.
Joined: Dec 25, 2001 Posts: 18,041 Location: Showing my tan lines
Posted: Wed 27/Sep/06 9:38am Post subject:
just like the song baby, paint it black (giggle I oringally mistyped it as pain tit black)
My dad uses proper worm farm bins and collects the worm juice outa the bottom of them, makes his veges grow kick ass
Yes you should paint them black. Worms hate light and wont be too happy if lots gets in. We have one of the commercial farms with three trays. So far we are up to the top of the second tray, and will probably add the third tray soon. Seems to take several months before the population really gets going. Before that they dont really eat a lot, but still helps. Also, put a thick wad of damp newspaper on top of the food sparcs to help block more light and keep things damp.
Joined: Dec 25, 2001 Posts: 18,041 Location: Showing my tan lines
Posted: Wed 27/Sep/06 9:44am Post subject:
Like racheals hair, it wo'nt happen overnight, but it will happen. My dad has 4 large worm farms now. I think he's addicted. hehe, he always cook more food than he needs just so he can put the sparcs in the worm farms
I have heard old car tires stacked up make a good worm farm. Probably slightly harder to get the composted stuff out the bottom once it gets full though. Maybe if you put a layer of mesh stuff between the tires that worms can get through could make it easier.
Joined: Feb 09, 2004 Posts: 13,696 Location: land of the long white latte
Posted: Wed 27/Sep/06 9:50am Post subject:
Tama wrote:
How much did your cost and where did you get it from?
http://www.pottsburyfarm.co.nz/id35.htm $125 by the looks of it, it was from Kings Plant Barn. But they are Auckland only. any garden centre should have them.
You can probably fit a tap to any old black bins pretty easily though.
Joined: Dec 25, 2001 Posts: 33,807 Location: Liberty City
Posted: Wed 27/Sep/06 10:00am Post subject:
The Can-O-Worms was my original plan but it's a bit too large for my planned locaton.
Here's a photo of what I have in mind. Will paint the top bin black, drill some air holes in the top, and then drill some holes in the bottom of the top bin and the lid of the bottom bin to allow the worm seew to drain through.
Still not entirely sure about what size holes I should use to prevent the worms from escaping out the bottom.
Joined: Feb 23, 2005 Posts: 6,595 Location: churchur
Posted: Wed 27/Sep/06 10:04am Post subject:
Tama wrote:
The Can-O-Worms was my original plan but it's a bit too large for my planned locaton.
Here's a photo of what I have in mind. Will paint the top bin black, drill some air holes in the top, and then drill some holes in the bottom of the top bin and the lid of the bottom bin to allow the worm seew to drain through.
Still not entirely sure about what size holes I should use to prevent the worms from escaping out the bottom.
Surely if there is lots of lovely food in your farm they would be quite happy to stay put rather than run away through the holes in the bottom??
So, are there specific worms for worm farms then? I want a worm farm with those huge green native worms... man they could chomp their way through mountains of stuff!!
Last edited by inzane on Wed 27/Sep/06 10:11am; edited 1 time in total
The Can-O-Worms was my original plan but it's a bit too large for my planned locaton.
Here's a photo of what I have in mind. Will paint the top bin black, drill some air holes in the top, and then drill some holes in the bottom of the top bin and the lid of the bottom bin to allow the worm seew to drain through.
Still not entirely sure about what size holes I should use to prevent the worms from escaping out the bottom.
Surely if there is lots of lovely food in your farm they would be quite happy to stay put rather than run away through the holes in the bottom??
So, are there specific worms for worm farms then? I want a worm farm with those huge green native worms... man they could chomp their way through mountains of stuff!!
They are called `Tiger' worms. Different to normal earthworms and wont survive if you throw them into your garden. Tiger worms only live in loose material like foodsparcs or maybe leaf litter etc. THe big native worms might work, but getting them legally might be tricky.
The Can-O-Worms was my original plan but it's a bit too large for my planned locaton.
Here's a photo of what I have in mind. Will paint the top bin black, drill some air holes in the top, and then drill some holes in the bottom of the top bin and the lid of the bottom bin to allow the worm seew to drain through.
Still not entirely sure about what size holes I should use to prevent the worms from escaping out the bottom.
I presume you mean to leave the bottom bin sealed at the bottom to collect the liquid? As mentioned above, you will need some way for the worms to get out of the liquid back into the next bin up or they will drown. The can-o-worms one have an inverted cone shape in the bottom bit for this. Maybe you could make a pile of stones or concrete rubble in the middle for them to crawl up.
Joined: Dec 25, 2001 Posts: 33,807 Location: Liberty City
Posted: Wed 27/Sep/06 10:20am Post subject:
pb wrote:
I presume you mean to leave the bottom bin sealed at the bottom to collect the liquid? As mentioned above, you will need some way for the worms to get out of the liquid back into the next bin up or they will drown. The can-o-worms one have an inverted cone shape in the bottom bit for this. Maybe you could make a pile of stones or concrete rubble in the middle for them to crawl up.
Bugger - I hadn't thought about that. I was hoping that you can make holes which are big enough for the worm seew to dribble through but not so large the worms fall through.
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