Home Made Worm Farm

[Luke]

Hi Everyone,

Just curious if anyone here has made their own worm farm and if you did what
did you use to make it. I currently have the Reln Can o worms but I've had
the inlaws move in with us so it looks like i'll need to expand my system
for the influx of vegies and dog poo that are going to be around.

cheers
luke

[John Phillips]

On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:14:09 +0930 "Luke" <blah@blah> wrote:

> Just curious if anyone here has made their own worm farm and if you
> did what did you use to make it. I currently have the Reln Can o
> worms but I've had the inlaws move in with us so it looks like i'll
> need to expand my system for the influx of vegies and dog poo that
> are going to be around.

For a minute there, I thought you were going to feed the outlaws to the
worms!

[Luke]

Thanks Erik,

I'm simply after an idea of how to build my own worm farm eg what have
people in Australia used. I've had my worm farm for a while now and know
what should and should not be put in one, (btw my worms love my dog poo). I
was just hoping someone here had a design they've implemented either using a
old petrol drum or something similar. I'm not interested in puchasing
another worm farm as I'm sure I could use scrap materials to build something
similar. FYI go to www.reln.com.au for information on the Can O Worms worm
farm.

Luke

"Vastmasd" > wrote in message
...
>I do believe that on Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:14:09 +0930,
> "Luke" <blah@blah> wrote:
>
> G'day Luke,
>
>>Just curious if anyone here has made their own worm farm and if you did
>>what
>>did you use to make it. I currently have the Reln Can o worms but I've had
>>the inlaws move in with us so it looks like i'll need to expand my system
>>for the influx of vegies and dog poo that are going to be around.
>
> I've had compost bins for many years and in the last 12 months have been
> experimenting with commercially bought worm farms.
>
> Dog poo has little value in a compost bin and medicines fed to dogs
> can kill worms in a worm farm so dog poo is best sent to the garbage bin.
>
> Reln Can o worms I'm not familiar with so please supply further info.
>
> Normally with a compost bin when you cut the lawn you empty the cuttings
> straight into the compost bin. If you are starting up a worm farm inside a
> compost bin be advised the heat of the new material could kill the
> existing
> worms, so the new material should first reside in a different container
> for
> at least 2 weeks before adding to your worm farm.
>
> Other things to consider, compost bins are often setup in full sun which
> would be to hot for a worm farm.
>
> Hope that gives you something to think about,
> Erik.

[loosecanon]

"Luke" <blah@blah> wrote in message
news:oemdnXh1VMXURpjVnZ2dnUVZ_jadnZ2d@internode...
> Thanks Erik,
>
> I'm simply after an idea of how to build my own worm farm eg what have
> people in Australia used. I've had my worm farm for a while now and know
> what should and should not be put in one, (btw my worms love my dog poo).
> I was just hoping someone here had a design they've implemented either
> using a old petrol drum or something similar. I'm not interested in
> puchasing another worm farm as I'm sure I could use scrap materials to
> build something similar. FYI go to www.reln.com.au for information on the
> Can O Worms worm farm.
>
> Luke
>
> "Vastmasd" > wrote in message
> ...
>>I do believe that on Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:14:09 +0930,
>> "Luke" <blah@blah> wrote:
>>
>> G'day Luke,
>>
>>>Just curious if anyone here has made their own worm farm and if you did
>>>what
>>>did you use to make it. I currently have the Reln Can o worms but I've
>>>had
>>>the inlaws move in with us so it looks like i'll need to expand my system
>>>for the influx of vegies and dog poo that are going to be around.
>>
>> I've had compost bins for many years and in the last 12 months have been
>> experimenting with commercially bought worm farms.
>>
>> Dog poo has little value in a compost bin and medicines fed to dogs
>> can kill worms in a worm farm so dog poo is best sent to the garbage bin.
>>
>> Reln Can o worms I'm not familiar with so please supply further info.
>>
>> Normally with a compost bin when you cut the lawn you empty the cuttings
>> straight into the compost bin. If you are starting up a worm farm inside
>> a
>> compost bin be advised the heat of the new material could kill the
>> existing
>> worms, so the new material should first reside in a different container
>> for
>> at least 2 weeks before adding to your worm farm.
>>
>> Other things to consider, compost bins are often setup in full sun which
>> would be to hot for a worm farm.
>>
>> Hope that gives you something to think about,
>> Erik.
>

I had a phone call from my uncle wanting to know if I had seen an old kero
tank (back years ago when kero fed inside heaters). I have a gardening
customer who had one sitting on her wall with no further use for it.

So we snaffled it loaded it up in his ute and off he went.

It now sits in his backyard in an upright position, like it originally sat
on the wall. He emptied it of the remaining kero, around 20 litres. Then cut
the top off. He also cut the bottom 20cm off the front and put a plank in
front of it. Sides and back were left intact. He bored some holes through
the bottom to let excess liquid out.

All this was placed in a shaded position in his backyard, filled up with
compost and the worms added. Kitchen scraps are added to the top and covered
in hessain. The liquid is collected in buckets under the holes in the
bottom. The plank is lifted occassionally and the castings removed. A few
taps on the side sees everything above fall down. Plank is replaced and the
cycle continues.

Tank is over 0.5 cubic metre so is much better size than a small worm farm.
Tank was free so good recycling and plenty around still. 20 Litres of kero
was a bonus. Worms multiply well and scraps get eaten and turned into
castings. Worm juice gets diluted and used around the garden.

[David Hare-Scott]

"Luke" <blah@blah> wrote in message
news:SeudnRqOb4OqPZjVnZ2dnUVZ_j2dnZ2d@internode...
> Hi Everyone,
>
> Just curious if anyone here has made their own worm farm and if you did what
> did you use to make it. I currently have the Reln Can o worms but I've had
> the inlaws move in with us so it looks like i'll need to expand my system
> for the influx of vegies and dog poo that are going to be around.
>
> cheers
> luke
>

Old baths make excellent compost worm containers, cover with hessian bags or
old carpet, complete with drain.

David

[len gardener]

g'day luke,

you can use almost anythng from those large styrene vegetable trays to
a 1/2 plastic 44 gal drum, see the pic of our 1/2 drum worm farm on
our site.

nowadays we cut out the middlemen so to speak all our vermicomosting
happens in the garden where it is needed.



On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:14:09 +0930, "Luke" <blah@blah> wrote:
snipped
With peace and brightest of blessings,

len & bev

--
"Be Content With What You Have And
May You Find Serenity and Tranquillity In
A World That You May Not Understand."

http://www.lensgarden.com.au/

[Luke]

hmm good idea, i actually have a basin in the backyard that i grew my
tomatoes in this year is probably the perfect size for another farm. all
i'll need to do is mount it and put a bucket under it for the juice,
harvesting the castings will be an issue but i'll figure it out when the
time comes.
"David Hare-Scott" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Luke" <blah@blah> wrote in message
> news:SeudnRqOb4OqPZjVnZ2dnUVZ_j2dnZ2d@internode...
>> Hi Everyone,
>>
>> Just curious if anyone here has made their own worm farm and if you did
>> what
>> did you use to make it. I currently have the Reln Can o worms but I've
>> had
>> the inlaws move in with us so it looks like i'll need to expand my system
>> for the influx of vegies and dog poo that are going to be around.
>>
>> cheers
>> luke
>>
>
> Old baths make excellent compost worm containers, cover with hessian bags
> or
> old carpet, complete with drain.
>
> David
>
>

[Luke]

thanks len, got a few ideas now, now off to the dump to get some scrap


"len gardener" > wrote in message
...
> g'day luke,
>
> you can use almost anythng from those large styrene vegetable trays to
> a 1/2 plastic 44 gal drum, see the pic of our 1/2 drum worm farm on
> our site.
>
> nowadays we cut out the middlemen so to speak all our vermicomosting
> happens in the garden where it is needed.
>
>
>
> On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:14:09 +0930, "Luke" <blah@blah> wrote:
> snipped
> With peace and brightest of blessings,
>
> len & bev
>
> --
> "Be Content With What You Have And
> May You Find Serenity and Tranquillity In
> A World That You May Not Understand."
>
> http://www.lensgarden.com.au/

[Terryc]

Luke wrote:
> Hi Everyone,
>
> Just curious if anyone here has made their own worm farm and if you did
> what did you use to make it. I currently have the Reln Can o worms but
> I've had the inlaws move in with us so it looks like i'll need to expand
> my system for the influx of vegies and dog poo that are going to be around.

Well, we use a variety of "worm farms"

1) Two lots of some brand stackable trays, run as one farm.
2) old bath tub on a stand, just load it up and keep topping it up, then
take stuff from each end 1/3 or half every 3+ months.
3) the 1 metre cube slow compost bin which is just four sides sitting on
the ground. it usually gets loaded, topped up and left, then, after a
few months the top 6-12" gets thrown in as the base of the next one,
aka I transfer the worm masses into the new one.

1 & 2 have the advantage that we can collect whatever liquid drains out
the bottom, then use it on the vege garden, but I prefer 3 for "compost"
production and the ease of care.

For 2 & 3, we chuck in whatever we want, including bush prunnings,
citrus, onion, etc, then mesh/sieve(1/2"x1/2") the output into the wheel
barrow to get the "compost"/"soil".

We have also done the 20 & 40 litre drum trick, aka cut top and bottom
out of round drum, place in middle of garden bed and then load with
mixed vegetable matter. the worms can come and go and spread the compost
around the location. When everything is composted, you can lift the drum
and spread the compost, alternativer, lift slightly, skew sideways
spread compost out of bottom, reseat and recharge for a worm farm that
travels around the garden bed.

[Terryc]

Luke wrote:
> Thanks Erik,
>
> I'm simply after an idea of how to build my own worm farm eg what have
> people in Australia used. I've had my worm farm for a while now and know
> what should and should not be put in one, (btw my worms love my dog
> poo). I was just hoping someone here had a design they've implemented
> either using a old petrol drum or something similar.

Yep, see my answer. I think they are a perfect worm farm in that you can
leave the worms to fend for themselves, aka, if you stop feeding them,
they eventually go away looking for food elsewhere.

[FarmI]

"Luke" <blah@blah> wrote in message
> I'm simply after an idea of how to build my own worm farm eg what have
> people in Australia used.

A friend of ours who breeds worms for fishing, just uses polystyrene
containers that vegetables are shipped in. He covers then with old bits of
carpet and/or hessian and keeps them in his shed.

Josh on Gardening Australia has used old bathtubs and I've seen a few of
these around too.

[tony@altavista.com]

On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:14:09 +0930, "Luke" <blah@blah> wrote:

>Hi Everyone,
>
>Just curious if anyone here has made their own worm farm and if you did what
>did you use to make it. I currently have the Reln Can o worms but I've had
>the inlaws move in with us so it looks like i'll need to expand my system
>for the influx of vegies and dog poo that are going to be around.
>
>cheers
>luke

Hi Luke,

I have for the past few years had two that I constructed from the 60
Litre rubbish bins with their lids, similar to what I once saw on Don
Burkes show some years back, although he only used buckets.

Just drilled heaps of 25mm holes in bottom and side and the buried
these bins to about 100mm of the top in the ground.

The worms seem to like the stable temperature and can come and go as
they please, and do their aerating thing in the soil surrondint the
pots.

Probably have to empty the castings 1 ~ 2 times per year. Juice just
leaches out into surrounding soil, doing hopefully everything some
good.

Just use the castings in your garden or pot plants.