Worm Care Instructions
Prepare a Worm Bin
- Carefully select the permanent location for your worm bin.
- Cut a piece of cardboard that covers your bedding but allows for a two to three inch opening around the edges of the bedding. This will serve to block the light while leaving a barrier of light along the edges that the worms will naturally avoid.
- Mix the worm bedding and place it in the worm bin.
- Mix water into bedding until moist. A few drops should fall from a fistful when squeezed.
- Give the bedding time to go through the "heat" stage. Once it has gone through the heat stage, turn the bedding with a tined fork. If the bedding is still "hot" continue to turn the pile every few days until "cool." Once the pile is "cool", the worms can be introduced to the bedding.
Wood and plastic serve as good materials for erecting a worm bin. A simple 2' x 2' x 6' wood box works well. Consider adding 36" legs to reduce bending during maintenance.
Hang a light above the bin. This will prevent the worms from venturing out of the bin as they will avoid light.
A mixture of 50% manure and 50% peat moss is recommended. Cow, horse, sheep and rabbit manure are suggested. Poultry manure is not recommended.
For composting without manure, a combination of 50% dried leaves, grass clippings, aged sawdust and 50% peat moss (sphagnum) can be used.
- Verify that the worms are alive.
- Place approximately 250 worms per 1 square foot of the bin.
- Place the previously cut cardboard on top of the bedding.
- Do not feed the worms on the first day of introduction. Instead, feed the worms on day two. Corn meal or corn powder can be sprinkled on top of the bedding then wet thoroughly, or soft table scraps can be buried under the bedding.
- Water approximately once per week. Water less frequently if you feed with table scraps only.
- Add a handful of powdered lime (garden or lawn variety) to a 2' x 2' box to keep the acid and base of the bedding close to even.
- Add water with a sprinkling can to any dry bedding.
- Turn bedding approximately once per week with a tined hand fork.