Worm Bin

Description

The bins consist of 2-3 tiers/compartments. The top compartment is where the worms live and where you add the scraps. As the top compartment fills with worm castings the worm tea filters through to the bottom compartment where the tap is used to collect this liquid gold. This dark, rich liquid can be diluted to make an exceptional natural fertiliser, or aerated overnight with a fish tank pump to amplify the beneficial life already in it, increasing it’s effectiveness.

THE RED WRIGGLER
When ordering a bin with worms you will receive approximately 100 red wriggler worms with your order. Congratulations, you will soon say you have 1000 pets! While these worms will live their lives in your three tier bin, reality is they will bit-by-bit be introduced to your garden or wherever you are using your vermicompost (that’s fancy for worm poo) The red wriggler (Eisena foetida)  is not native but is now widespread in many urban areas of South Africa and the world through introduction. It has not yet been observed outcompeting indigenous nightcrawlers – those big guys you used to find in the compost heap when you were a kid (if you didn’t have that experience growing up, make sure your kid does!).

Red wrigglers stay in the more rotten stuff at the top, while the nightcrawler (Eudrilus eugeniae) moves between the surface and deeper down. While the nightcrawler cycles nutrients between to the surface O horizon and the upper A horizon, the red wriggler specialises in fast breakdown of food waste and manure at the surface. They are therefore complimentary in function, and together create thriving healthy soil – local and foreigner side by side.

Red Wrigglers are great for greenhouse environments and tolerate temperature fluctuations well. They reproduce extremely fast and are great at breaking down waste.
Nightcrawlers are larger and ideal for outdoor gardens but don’t enjoy temperature fluctuations. These worms like to borrow deep and aerate the soil, but reproduce at a slower rate.

How to set up your worm farm (see quick how to video here):

1. Place a liner (newspaper or cardboard) in the bottom of the top tray

2. Prepare worm bedding (either soak coconut coir and/or shredded newspaper in water until damp or use some well-aged compost) and add it on top of the liner.

3. Add the worms to the bedding

4. Place a blanket (hessian cloth, old blanket or even newspaper) over the worms

5. Allow a few days for the worms to get used to their new home

6. Feed the worms. Slowly increasing the amount of food.

What to feed your worms: 

Raw and cooked fruit and vegetable scraps; crushed dried eggshells; coffee grounds and tea bags (paper bags not plastic); cooked grains, pasta, and rice in small amounts; newspaper and unprinted cardboard; egg cartons.

What NOT to feed your worms: 

Citrus; Onion; Garlic; salty or oily food; meat or dairy products

Extra feeding tips:
It’s important not to overfeed your worms, especially in a small system like this.It helps to squash the food down a bit into the bin to make it easier for your worms to get to. Keep an eye on how fast they are getting through their food and don’t add food if you already have a lot of food in the worm bin that looks untouched. There are many helpful troubleshooting guides on the internet to help you look after your new pets.