Choosing the Right Worms for Worm Farming

Worm farming is done for several reasons.  Composting, the production of nutrient rich soil and providing live bait are three of the most common reasons for worm farming.  Some worms do a better job at their duties than others so it is important to know how to choose the right worms for your worm farm. (Of course here at Sustainable Gardening we will focus on the first two reasons.)

Composting is one of the most common reasons for worm farming.  Worms are used to compost waste and discarded material naturally and without adding to the local landfills.  To do this, the worms eat fruit and vegetable scraps, along with other compostable items such as paper products, leaves, cotton rags and egg shells.

Image via WikipediaIf composting is the primary reason for setting up a worm farm, choices should be made for the appropriate types of worms that are known as being the best for this option.  The Red Wiggler, or Eisenia fetida, is reportedly the best worm for composting.  These worms reproduce easily and are extremely hardy.  The trait that makes them best as compost worms is their ravenous appetites. 

Because of their eagerness to devour anything edible, Red Wigglers produce a high quality substance resulting in a nutrient rich soil that is so desirable with worm farming. 

Worms used for garden and lawn farming are typically available in sets of three different varieties of worms.  The Red Wiggler and the Night Crawlers are often two of the types of worms in these sets.  The third worm is usually Pheritema, or Florida Wiggler which are worms that burrow deep into the soil. 

Image via WikipediaOver 3000 varieties of worms exist.  The worms mentioned here are the most commonly used and readily available on the market today.  They can be found at various online distributors - even Amazon.com!  Local worm farmers can be found through online directories or by looking up the topic in the local telephone book.

Most types of worms are typically made available as adult worms, young worms and egg capsules.  Typically sold by the pound, the number of worms per unit will vary depending on their age and size.  Egg capsules yield a higher number of worms per unit once hatched.

A worm farm will be most successful when the appropriate worm is chosen for the job at hand. While most worms will compost discarded items and waste and act as live bait, some have some small traits that make them the best choice for a worm farm with a particular purpose.

Worm Composting Resources:

Video - Worm Composting How-To

Here is a great video on worm composting, which shows you how to set up your own worm farm or compost bin. Some suggested resources are below, or you can also get worms from the website mentioned in the video. This is a great way to compost in winter - you can have your compost bin right under your sink (so you don't have to go out into the snow to empty your compost bucket!), and the worms will eat down the garbage quickly to avoid odors. It's easy-peasy - check it out!

worm composting
worm composting your food waste how-to


Worm Composting Resources:

What is Worm Farming?

If your compost is at a standstill right now due to the frigid temperatures, you may want to consider trying worm composting (sometimes known as vermiposting), or worm farming. Worm farming has been around for years on various scales.  While the reasons for worm farming are not widely known to the general public, those who participate are big believers in the benefits that these worms have on the environment.

Many worm farmers commercially culture worms for profit.  Specific breeds of worms are bred and are typically kept in breed specific quarters.  Commercially raised worms are typically sold for composting.  Some worm farmers distribute to landfills providing a natural method for composting waste. 

These specifically bred worms are also used for soil fertilization.  As worms dig through the soil, they aerate and stir up the soil carrying water with them.  The waste that is composted by the worms is broken down into a substance that can be better used by the soil, improving the fertilization of the soil.  A healthy soil is then produced for better growing plants, vegetables and crops.

Image via WikipediaIn recent years, the supply of worm farming equipment and accessories has made it easier for individuals to make a hobby of this technique.  Household sized bins are on the market in a variety of shapes and sizes.  Home owners and apartment dwellers have been given the opportunity to raise their own worms for waste compost and soil fertilization.

Worm farming provides worms with a nutrient rich diet of what many times is thrown out with the garbage including discarded fruits and vegetables.  Other compostable materials include paper products and cotton rags, leaves, egg shells and hair.  Excreted by the worm is a nutrient rich substance called vermicompost or worm compost.

Worms are also farmed for bait.  Small bait and tackle shops often receive their livestock inventory from worm farmers providing fishermen with various worms to use as live bait.  Fishermen who fish on a larger scale than the hobbyist often use these worms for bait for anglers and other large catches.

Many different worms are available depending on the job.  Each variety of worms is used for its own reasons.  Red worms are commonly used for composting while the Belgian worms are good for both composting and bait.  Home owners looking for worms to work lawns and flower beds will find success with Night Crawlers and Wigglers. 

Image via WikipediaWorm farming can also be an excellent educational tool.  As using worms provide a more space effective way for composting, small kits can be purchased and even hand made to be used in a classroom setting.  Students are able to participate in the project learning about how composting occurs.  Using natural methods for composting and reducing waste in landfills is easily demonstrated by classroom worm farms.

Worms can be farmed just about anywhere.  With the various systems available on the market today, home owners can raise their own supply of worms outside or in an apartment.  Providing the correct amount of moisture, light, bedding, temperature and food will ensure a long living worm population.  In return, the reward will be a natural way for composting without filling up local landfills.  As a result, nutrient rich soil is provided that can be used right away or stored for use during gardening season. 

(Stay tuned to this blog for more on worm farming later this week!)

Giving your Indoor Plants Enough Light

The three things that all plants need to survive are food, water, and dirt.  Plants create much of their own food when enough light is provided.  The water and dirt part of the equation are pretty straight forward as long as you follow the recommended care instructions and don’t forget to water your plants.  But how do you ensure that your indoor plants are getting enough light?  Finding the right location in your home may require some trial and error before you find the perfect spot.

Image by vigilant20 via FlickrBefore deciding on what type of plants you will have in your house, look into the light requirements.  The four categories that describe the different light requirement for plants are low, medium, high, and very high.  If you have a sunroom or skylights in your home which get a lot of light, and can position your plants in or under them you can purchase plants that need high or very high light exposure.  Be aware that some plants can get too much sun, in which case the light that comes in from a regular window should suffice.

There are options you can utilize if you want a certain type of plant and know that your house is not going to provide it enough light.  You can purchase specially designed grow bulbs to supplement the amount of light the plant is getting.  Be aware of the light requirements for your plants when choosing this lighting method.  Although plants require a lot of light to grow there is such a thing as too much light too.  The exact ratio for your plant may differ but a good guideline to follow is about 14 hours of sunlight to 10 hours of darkness.

Your plants will let you know if they are getting too much or not enough light (either they will begin to look dry or will become limp).  Try different locations in your home to find the best place for them, and optimize the growing conditions for your indoor garden.

Indoor Gardening - Video

Here is a pretty cool video of a pretty extensive indoor garden. He also is re-using packaging for growing his garden, so it's a "green" gardening effort, which is awesome! This is an organic garden as well, and it looks like it's doing pretty well, so it's awesome to see that growing veggies indoors is not only possible, but affordable as well (he shows the lights he is using, which can be found easily and affordably at Home Depot or other home or garden supply stores).

Check it out, and get inspired!

Indoor Gardening



Other Indoor Gardening Resources:
    

Indoor Gardening News

Image via Wikipedia
Got the winter blahs?  Here are some recent articles on indoor gardening to brighten your day! Just because it's cold and snowy outside doesn't mean you can't enjoy a lovely green garden indoors. Check out these tips for some ideas on how you can make your indoor garden beautiful this winter.

Healthy Plants Indoor Gardening Tips | Home and Garden Tips
Bring nature inside and start an indoor garden to make your home more colorful, but be careful to follow these indoor gardening tips. Plants are so soothing to look at and many indoor gardeners feel that they add that extra little spark ...
Publish Date: 01/10/2011 9:50
http://www.maxforourport.com/healthy-plants-indoor-gardening-tips.html

Indoor Gardening with Garlic Greens |Indoor Garlic Gardening
Growing your own garlic greens during the winter is an inexpensive way to feed two needs: a gardener's need for growing and a cook's need for something tasty.
Publish Date: 01/12/2011 9:00
http://www.westerngardeners.com/indoor-gardening-with-garlic-greens.html

Indoor Gardening- Precocious Herbs
With the gaining popularity of organic gardening or herb gardening, many find it a convenient option to have a indoor garden.
Publish Date: 01/16/2011 4:23
http://lifestyle.ezinemark.com/indoor-gardening-precocious-herbs-31e1db80a15.html

Watering and Fertilizing your Indoor Garden Plants

Unless it is the middle of summer and there has not been enough rain, watering your outdoor plants is usually not necessary (or not very often).  But indoor plants rely on you as a source of water and extra nutrients in the form of fertilizer.  It is important to know the individual water and nutrient needs of each plant to keep them healthy.

Image via WikipediaAs mentioned, individual plants will require different amounts of water to keep them growing optimally.  But what all plants do like is moist soil.  If you are worried about over-watering your plant, make sure that the pot you choose has a good drainage system.  With holes in the bottom of the pot or gravel inside the pot the soil and plant will soak up the necessary water and the excess will run out through the bottom. (See our previous blog post on choosing good pots for your indoor garden.)

If your houseplants are not thriving no matter what you do, there are two things to look into.  If you are using tap water to water your plants there may be too much chlorine or salt present.  A solution to this is to use distilled or filtered water or you can leave a container outside to collect rainwater - which is also more sustainable and healthier for the planet.  This may just be the change you need to make to grow healthier plants.

Choosing to fertilize your plants is another way to give them a boost.  Fertilizer contains nutrients and elements that plants need to grow.  Indoors plants do not need as much fertilizer as their outdoor counterparts do.  Because of a slower rate of growth, feed your plants minimal fertilizer (and always opt for natural, non-chemical fertilizers - you don't want to be bringing extra toxins into your home!).  In the winter time you can probably skip this step altogether.  The spring or summer time is the best time to fertilize indoor plants.  This is during their growing phase when they need the extra nutrients the most.

A Few Good Natural Fertilizers To Try: