Worms (Red Wigglers)

Stocking Densities and Space Requirements.

Most common (ideal) stocking density is between 5 and 10 Kg per square meter or 1 to
2 lbs per square foot. Worm growers tend to stock at 5 Kg per square meter then split
beds when population density has doubled after 60 to 90 days under ideal conditions.
Initial stocking densities should be greater than 2.5 kg per square meter (0.5 lb per
square foot) but not more than 5 kg per square meter or 1.0 lb per square foot.
Starting with a population density less than this will delay the onset of rapid reproduction
and, at very low densities, may even stop it completely.
Densities higher than 5 kg per square meter begin to slow the reproductive urge,
as competition for food and space increase. It is possible, though rare to get worm
densities up to as much as 20 kg per square meter or 4 lbs per square foot.
If the above guidelines are followed and conditions are ideal a grower can expect a
doubling in worm biomass about every 60 days. Theoretically, this means that an initial
stock of 10 kg of worms can become 640 kg after one year and about 40 tonnes after
two years.
Given space for home use is:
1 Rubbermaid box (perforated) measuring 1ft 9 x 1ft 3 = 2.47 Square feet (2.5 Square
feet rounded, or 0.23 square meters)
Initial stocking density (0.5 lb per square ft) = 2.5 sq feet x 0.5 lbs = 1.25 lbs or 0.45 kg
(450 grams)
Most common population density for box is: 2.5 ft square x 1.5 lbs = 3.75 lbs or 1.7 Kg
Maximum population density for box is: 2.5ft sq x 4 lbs = 10 lbs or 4.5 Kg

Feed Amounts:
As a rule the worms will eat their weight in organic material a day.
Initial stocking density of 1.25 lbs or 0.45 Kg will eat 0.62 lbs or 250 grams of material
daily.
Most common population density of 3.75 lbs or1.7 Kg will eat 1.87 lbs or 850 grams of
material daily.
Maximum population density of 10 lbs or 4.5 Kg will eat 5 lbs or 2.25 Kg of material daily

Feed Types:
In commercial worm farms, usually established on existing farms as a side business, a
wide variety of organic material is available as a by-product of their farming. The
amount of space available on such farms also allows for the composting of materials
such as cow and horse manures. As such materials are unavailable (and some would
argue undesirable) in the urban environment the food items listed below do not reflect
the variety of things worms can compost. Items listed reflect foodstuffs presumed
commonly available and acceptable to households in an urban setting.
Top Tips: Blending food scraps in a food processor helps the worms, breaks up seeds
and speeds up composting. Balancing acids (Coffee Grounds) with alkalis (Egg Shells)
helps maintain the ideal PH level of 7-8 that the worms like.

What to Feed

AND

What Not to Feed

Vegetable Scraps
Fruit Scraps
Egg Shells
Coffee Grounds
Tea Bags
Shredded News Print
Plain Bread

Meat or Bones
Animal Fat / Vegetable Oil
Dairy
Lots of Citrus, Onion, Garlic
Spicy Foods
Glossy Newsprint
Animal Faeces

Feeding Strategy
Worms can tolerate a lot of neglect and its possible to feed them once a week though it
would be advisable to weigh and record how much feed you are giving them.
Once every few weeks alternate the end in which food is deposited to get an evenly
distributed layer of worm activity. Worms will travel, especially for melon.
Temperature Requirements
It is generally considered desirable to keep the temperatures for the worms above
10 Celsius (minimum) and preferably 15 Celsius for vermicomposting efficiency and
above 15 Celsius and preferably 20 Celsius to encourage breeding and cast production.
During the heating season, most Canadian householders who controlled the household
thermostat reported to Statistics Canada that they set their home temperature between
20C and 22C when at home and awake. Home temperatures were generally kept
between 16C and 18C when household members were asleep.
As such, unless you are a hot- house flower or frigid miser, your home is already set at
an ideal temperature for home vermicomposting.

Lighting, Moisture, Bedding and Ventilation Requirements

Red Wigglers are described as being photophobic which means they prefer the absence
of light. An opaque box made of material that can be perforated for ventilation (Blue,
plastic Rubber Maid tote) will suffice.
Worms breathe oxygen through their skin and their skins need to be kept moist in order
to maintain the efficiency of that organ. The ideal moisture content for vermicomposting
is between 70% and 90% though bedding that can retain moisture content, without
compacting, similar to that of a wrung out sponge is a commonly accepted and useful
measure for adequate moisture content.
Shredded newsprint, while also functioning as a source of food, can satisfy bedding and
moisture retention requirements without compacting and interfering with ventilation.
Cardboard and leaf litter can also be used for bedding though leaf litter can compact
when wet.

Though worms do not require large amounts of oxygen to survive, bacteria and toxins
they produce in anaerobic like environments will quickly kill off the worms if they cannot
leave the affected area.
Ventilation requirements are satisfied through worms burrowing their own holes in
combination with relatively loose bedding materials and numerous small perforations
(3/32 drill bit) through all surfaces of the worm container.
Harvesting Worm Casts and Worms
Allow the worms to eat through the last food deposit, place a quarter of a melon or other
juicy non-acidic fruit in a string bag (onion bag) and wait for a week. The worms will
mass on/in the bag so its a simple act to fish them out and place them in a bucket with a
sprinkling of their own casts and a little bedding for cover.
Separate the undigested bedding material from the accumulated worm castings and
scrape the worm castings into a bucket or clean bin for use on plants.
You may wish to spread worm castings on plastic sheeting on the floor to screen out
solids such as Egg Shell or obvious seeds while rescuing worm stragglers though this is
not entirely necessary.
Weigh the worms and the castings that have been harvested and record along side feed
input in order to ascertain cast production and growth in worm population.

Vermicomposting In Pictures

Information here has been compiled from a variety of sources most

notable of which is The Manual of On-Farm Vermicomposting and
Vermiculture by Glen Munroe from the Organic Agriculture Centre of
Canada.
Please search local directories or the internet for worm vendors
available in your locality. Thanks. Oliver Hobson.