Facts About Worm Farming

Worm farming provides an easy opportunity for you to enrich the soil in your flower and vegetable gardens. By strategically feeding contained worms a diet of vegetables and fruit scraps, you can create your own compost. Worm farming reduces garbage waste and improves the quality of the food that you produce on your own land.

Size

Typically a single household uses a wood or plastic container that is approximately the size of a large shoebox. Be sure your worm farm container is waterproof if you are keeping it inside.

Bedding

Bed your worms on moist, shredded newspaper. Crushed eggshells and some garden soil provide good supplements to the newspaper bedding.

Food

Feed your worms a variety of starches, fruits and vegetable scraps, including bread, bananas and potato peels. Worms typically consume half their body weight in food each day.

Considerations

Keep the lid of your worm farm open slightly to increase oxygen circulation. Worms function best if you keep your farm temperature between 40 and 85 degrees F.

Effects

Worms produce castings, also called vermicast, which is broken down organic matter. This matter provides a rich fertilizer for plants.

Resources

• Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality: Worm Farming