This article explains just about everything you need to know to get started with your own worm farm.  We realize that raising any animal can be somewhat challenging at first, but worms are some of the easiest critters to raise.  The secret to success is easy:

1. Feed them.
2. Don’t Freeze them.
3. Don’t burn them.
4. Water their dirt.

If you can remember those four things, go ahead and stop reading now because the rest of the article is just a long explanation of the above steps.

Worm Bin Setup

I recommend watching the below video on setting up a worm bed.  It explains things pretty clearly and all bins work practically the same way.

Worm Bed Materials

Use the following materials for a good worm bedding:

• Coconut Fiber
• soil
• shredded newspapers
• decayed leaves
• grasses

Avoid clay and green leaves and branches, as they generate too much heat.

Soil Setup:

Soak coconut fiber in water for a few hours and then mix it with your soil bedding materials.  A good 50/50 mixture is a safe bet for the worms to thrive.

If you can’t find coconut fiber, add some shredded, damp newspaper to your soil mixture.  This will allow the worms to feed on the soil nutrients as they adapt to their new environment.

Worm Food

Good Worm food includes:

• vegetables
• fruit (low acidic)
• shredded paper
• cardboard
• coffee ground and filters
• grains
• starches
• decayed garden leaves and grasses,
• manure of horse and cow
• wood sawdust
• hair and tea bags

Worms will basically eat just about anything that was alive and is now dead.  The trick is to avoid getting the pH balance to be too acidic.  Hence, don’t add too many fruits at the same time.   Not sure if you’re doing it right?  Just monitor their intake of the food.  If you notice them not eating as much, their dinner might be a bit too acidic for their liking.

WORM FOOD TIPS:

Cut the food into small pieces.  Manure can be a great source of fuel for the worms because the product is already refined into tiny portions.  Worms can eat through a piece of paper, but they prefer you to cut their dinner up some before they eat it.

Foods can be broken down easier if :

1. You chop them
2. You freeze them (summer heat)
3. You microwave them (better decomposition)

Moisture Levels:

60-80% moisture level range is ideal.

If your bin moisture levels are too low, use a spray bottle to add water to your bin.  If the levels are too high, open the lid to air the bin out.

Temperatures:

Worms work best between 15° C and 27 ° C or 55F to 77F.  These are the ideal conditions where the worms will eat the most food and become the most active.  Remember, that’s soil temperature and not outside temperatures.

Upon Arrival:

After a long flight, your worms will be dehydrated and smaller than they were before shipment.  Give them a week to acclimatize to their new homes.  Don’t try to over feed them the first week, as they will not eat as much as they will once they recuperate.  (See Shipping and Handling for more information).

Reproduction and Harvesting:

Reproduction:

Worms can double their population every three months!  That means that one pound of worms will be make a 5-tray worm bin fully operational after one year.  Once the worm bin is filled, worms simply stop reproducing.

If your worms are kept in the dirt of your garden and your winter months freeze the dirt over, do not worry!  Nightcrawlers and Red Worms will lay eggs before the winter freeze and before the summer months start, you will have more worms than when you started with.  We have customers who keep worms outdoor and survive all the way up in Michigan.  It can be done!

Harvesting:

There are many ways to harvest.  I will leave this to the exceptional youtube video below:

Still stumped?

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