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Worm Farm

Go green and upcycle an old metal laundry tub into an upmarket worm farm.

How to make a worm farm for your garden

As seen in kiwigardener

You will need

Equipment:

  • 25mm exterior screws
  • 40mm exterior screws
  • Bottle or jar
  • Clean cloth
  • Drainage gravel
  • Duct tape
  • Galvanised hinges with screws
  • Large bucket
  • Mineral turps for cleaning paintbrushes
  • Paintbrushes
  • Pencil
  • Rainwater
  • Sandpaper
  • Saw
  • Scissors
  • Screwdriver
  • Shade cloth or windbreak fabric
  • Tape measure
  • Treated timber (or bricks/pavers)

Primers and paint:

Worms and compost:

  • Worms suitable for a worm farm
    (these can be purchased online)
  • Compost mixed with a little pea straw

Recycled:

  • Old blanket or towel
  • Old metal laundry tub
  • Recycled wood for lid

How to make a worm farm

Before you begin:  Remove taps and plumbing pipes from the laundry tub and thoroughly clean the whole unit.

 

Step 1 Step one
Lightly sand the outside of the metal laundry tub to ‘key’ the surface and wipe off any sanding residue with a clean cloth.


Step 2 Step two
Measure, mark and cut four pieces of recycled wood approximately 680mm in length. We used old fence palings, a piece of 130mm x 25mm timber and a piece of 40mm x 20mm timber. Smooth any rough edges with sandpaper.


Step 3 Step three
Attach one of these to the back of the laundry tub, fixing from underneath with 25mm screws, as shown.


Step 4 Step four
Measure, mark and cut two 470mm lengths of the 40mm x 20mm timber. Smooth any rough edges with sandpaper.


Step 5 Step five
Attach these to the three remaining 680mm lengths of timber, as shown, fixing with 40mm screws. This will form the lid of the worm farm.


Step 6 Step six
Prime both sides of the wooden lid with one coat of Resene Quick Dry and allow to dry.


Step 7 Step seven
Paint the outside of the metal laundry tub with one coat of Resene GP Metal Primer and allow to dry. Wash the brush in mineral turps.


Step 8 Step eight
Apply two coats of Resene Lustacryl tinted to Resene Palm Leaf to both sides of the lid and the outside of the metal laundry tub, allowing two hours for each coat to dry.


Step 9 Step nine
Position the worm farm against a shed wall or a fence, standing it on treated wood or bricks/ pavers to keep it off the ground.


Step 10 Step ten
Fix the lid to the worm farm using the two galvanised hinges.


Step 11 Step eleven
Lift the lid and place a square of shade cloth or windbreak fabric over the plug hole, as shown.


Step 12 Step twelve
Place a 50mm layer of drainage gravel on top of this.


Step 13 Step thirteen
Cut a piece of shade cloth or windbreak fabric to cover the drainage gravel, as shown.


Step 14 Step fourteen
Place a generous layer of compost mixed with a little pea straw on top of this, as shown.


Step 15 Step fifteen
Place the large bucket under the plug hole and then gently moisten the worm ‘bedding’ by sprinkling it with rainwater – any excess water should drain into the bucket below.


Step 16 Step sixteen
Carefully spread out the purchased worm mix over the top of the moist ‘bedding’, incorporating any cardboard packaging the worms were sent in.


Step 17 Step seventeen
Cover the surface with a damp towel or blanket, as shown.


Step 18 Step eighteen
To prevent possible escapees, block up the overflow outlet with duct tape. Shut the lid and let the worms settle in for a week before starting to feed them.


 

Handy hints

  1. For the first three months, chop up food scraps (or put in a blender) to make it easier for the worms to consume.

  2. Ensure the worm farm is positioned in a sheltered (preferably semi-shaded) spot so it is protected from extremes in temperature.

  3. As the worms do their thing, collect the ‘worm wee’ in the bucket and then dilute at a ratio of 1 to 10 in clean water to use as general plant food in the garden.

Words and photos by Mark Rayner

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