Worm farming, or vermicomposting, uses red worms to turn kitchen food scraps into a nitrogen-rich compost for your garden. A worm farm can set outside in a cool, protected area -- at about 55 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit -- or you can keep it tucked away in a cabinet or in the basement indoors. Successful worm farming requires a combination of a suitable bin, the right bedding and proper feeding.
Any container capable of holding bedding and moisture works well for a worm farm. Plastic storage totes are the most common and inexpensive option, but wooden boxes or manufactured worm bins are also suitable. The container must have eight to twelve 1/4-inch holes in the bottom for drainage, and additional holes in the cover to provide air circulation. A mesh screen lining the inside bottom of the bin keeps the bedding in place and prevents the worms from escaping. The cover also keeps the light out, which is vital because worms prefer dark conditions.
Organic bedding that breaks down easily provides both the nesting material and a food source for the worms. Shredded cardboard and paper provides the best option because the worms can digest it easily. You need enough bedding to fill the box two-thirds full. Fluff the bedding in the bin and avoid compacting it so the worms can move through it easily. Keep the bedding moist but not wet. Properly moistened bedding should feel as damp as a wrung-out sponge.
The worms eat almost all non-meat, non-dairy kitchen waste. Vegetable and fruit scraps and peelings, coffee grounds in small amounts and crushed egg shells provide suitable food choices. Chopping the scraps up helps the worms eat and digest them more quickly. A pound of worms can usually eat around a pound or more of food weekly. Bury small amounts of the food at a time, changing the location it's buried at each feeding. You can reuse a burial site once the worms have eaten most of the food at that location.
The compost is ready for harvest when the food scraps and bedding become soil-like and are thoroughly broken down. It takes three to four months for a successful worm farm to turn the bedding and scraps into compost. Pushing the finished compost to one end of the bin, then filling the other side with fresh bedding and food, encourages the worms to move out of the finished compost. Within a week, most of the worms will move to the new bedding and you can remove the compost. Fill the bed with additional bedding after harvest.
Most worm farm problems are caused by too much or too little moisture. Check the bedding moisture regularly and add more bedding if it becomes wet, or sprinkle water in the bin if it dries. Keeping meat, dairy and greasy foods out of the bin prevents most odor and insect problems. Worms may not eat everything you put in the bin. If the scraps begin to mold or rot, remove them. You may be providing the worms with too much food or they may not like a particular item.
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