One would think that unless you’re a bird or possibly a Klingon, you probably don’t care much about worms. Well call me crazy because I think they are in fact pretty cool… yes I said it, worms are cool!

‘Why on earth would somebody want to keep worms?’ you might ask.  You can’t pet them, eat them or teach them tricks. The fact is these slimy little invertebrates are just not sexy — although the Worm Café packaging designers would have you believe otherwise.

But still worms are fantastic and there are a few good reasons why you might consider keeping a worm farm at home.

Worm farms can really help benefit the environment, while giving you an easy way to dispose of those kitchen scraps.  And because they are compact and moveable, they are great for people who have limited space.

Whether you’re a hard-core gardener or just grow a few pot plants or veggies on your balcony, worms can be an invaluable asset. These are however, not your ordinary worm, these are composting worms, which usually comprise Indian Blue Worms, Tiger Worms
and Red Worms. They live in your worm farm and decompose organic matter to produce fantastic stuff, called worm castings and worm tea, which is one of the best natural fertilising products you can get — it’s gold!

Worm farms are easy to start and I suggest grabbing a worm farm kit. There are a few different types available; I’ve been using the ‘Worm Café’, which has had some great reviews and works a treat. I’d go for the rectangle option as it takes up less room than the round model.

A worm farm is also inexpensive and kinda fun. If kept properly there is no smell and it’s very environmentally friendly. Your new worm farm will come with full instructions, but basically you feed them kitchen scraps — avoiding too much citrus and onions — and after four or five months the worm casts (vermicast) and wonderful worm tea on the bottom will be ready to use. You just keep adding scraps and the worms will keep producing gold.

When setting up a worm farm firstly consider where to put it. It should be in a convenient easy to access location that is cool and dry. Make sure your new worm farm does not get any hot sun as it will kill your worms.

WHY WORMS?

The worms eat your kitchen scraps and process them into castings. This reduces the rubbish you put out and it makes an excellent soil conditioner.

Worm tea is the liquid waste the worms produce. This is an awesomely effective and natural fertiliser. Worms also produce vermicast (worm poo) — it’s great to add to your garden or pot plants.A worm farm is a cheap solution for people with limited space. It’s an easy and fun way for people to recycle kitchen waste.

DID YOU KNOW!

Worms are great for our environment because they naturally till, aerate, and fertilize the earth. The problem is that worms are disappearing from the earth because of farmers using lots of chemicals in order to make their plants grow bigger. The chemicals are killing the worms that would make their plants grow bigger naturally.

WHERE TO BUY A WORM FARM?

In Canberra you can grab a worm farm from The Greenhouse Emporium in Fyshwick (they’re really great supporters of FUSE) and in other parts of Australia you can pick one up from your local hardware store or online.

I thought the packaging was the funniest thing about my new worm farm. Cartoon lady worms (or possibly drag worms or lipstick lesbian worms) all glamorously dressed to the nines — fantastic.

Come along to the Greenhouse Emporium Eco-Spring Open Day on Saturday 17th September — More info here!