Three easy ways to build a worm farm

Worm castings are black gold for the garden, they are absolutely packed with the good stuff that makes our soil sing and are moisture and nutrient magnets! A slosh of diluted worm castings and water onto a tired pot plant can help it re-wet and re-invigorate it.

Composting worms are not fussy and there are several ways you can harvest the rewards of their hard work. All they need is food, water & shelter – Millie shows us three different ways of making the worms welcome at your place without the need for a fully constructed farm.

A Way with Worms # 1 – Potted Paddock
Millie runs a simple, no fuss, free-range worm farm in a large plastic pot which is dead easy to replicate at home.

Materials Required:
- One large plastic pot
- Hessian (or similar) to cover
- Avery mesh (optional)


A Way with Worms # 2 – Free Range Farm

Materials Required:
- Bucket with lid
- Drill and bit
- Shovel

A Way with Worms # 3 – Polystyrene Palace
One down side of the potted paddock and free-range worm farm is that you cannot harvest the liquid leachate which can also contain beneficial microbes and is absolute gold for your plants. To harvest leachate, you will need a fully enclosed farm – here is how to make one for next to nothing using polystyrene fruit boxes. While these boxes are a bit of an environmental nightmare, they are everywhere, so repurposing them and diverting them from the waste stream is positive – they are also well insulated, meaning they are perfect for worm farm construction.

Materials Required:
- Polystyrene fruit box with lid
- Small section of hose or poly pipe (about 10cm – 12cm)
- 5mm gravel (about half a standard bucket)
- Shade cloth or fabric
- Bedding material – compost, coco fibre, rotted leaves
- A handful of worms and castings




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