How to Start a Worm Farm

🪱 PART 1: Choosing the Right Worms

🔴 Red Wigglers (Eisenia fetida)

• Size: Small (2–4 inches)

• Habitat: Surface dwellers, thrive in compost heaps and manure

• Best For: Home composting, vermicomposting, indoor bins

• Breeding Speed: Very fast; mature in 4–6 weeks

• Composting Power: Eat about half their body weight daily

• Temperature Range: 55–77°F (ideal)

• Pros:

  • Easy to breed

  • Excellent for food scraps and worm bins

  • Thrive in shallow environments

🔵 European Night Crawlers (Eisenia hortensis)

• Size: Larger (3–6 inches)

• Habitat: Subsurface; prefer slightly deeper bedding

• Best For: Garden soil amendment, bait fishing, composting

• Breeding Speed: Slower than red wigglers

• Composting Power: Eat less than red wigglers but still efficient

• Temperature Range: 45–80°F (ideal)

• Pros:

  • Excellent for aerating garden beds

  • Hardier in cooler temps

  • More versatile for compost + bait

🪴 PART 2: How to Start a Small Worm Farm

✅ STEP 1: Choose Your Setup Location

Ideal for:

• Basements, garages, sheds, patios

• Shaded outdoor areas (if weather is mild)

• Must stay between 55°F–80°F

Avoid:

• Direct sun

• Extreme heat or freezing cold

• Places with poor drainage

✅ STEP 2: Select a Bin or Container

DIY or Buy:

• Rubbermaid totes (14–18 gallons)

• Commercial worm bins (like the Worm Factory)

• Wooden crates with ventilation

Key Features:

• Air holes for ventilation

• Drainage holes or moisture control

• Lid to retain moisture and block pests

✅ STEP 3: Create Bedding

Use carbon-rich “brown” materials:

• Shredded newspaper

• Coco coir

• Cardboard

• Aged leaves

Moisten it to the consistency of a wrung-out sponge. Fill the bin 1/2 to 3/4 full with this bedding.

Add a handful of garden soil to introduce beneficial microbes.

✅ STEP 4: Add the Worms

• 1 pound of Red Wigglers ≈ 1,000 worms (good for a small bin)

• If using European Night Crawlers, you may need fewer (they’re bigger)

• Gently place them on top of the bedding — they’ll burrow down naturally

✅ STEP 5: Feed the Worms

Feed 1–2 times per week based on how much they consume.

Good Foods:

• Fruit/vegetable scraps (banana peels, apple cores)

• Coffee grounds & filters

• Crushed eggshells

• Tea bags

• Soft garden waste

Avoid:

• Meat, dairy, oily foods

• Citrus and onions (in large amounts)

• Spicy food or salty leftovers

Pro Tip: Always bury food under bedding to prevent pests and odors.

✅ STEP 6: Maintain the Bin

• Moisture: Keep bedding damp, like a wrung sponge

• Temperature: Keep between 55–80°F

• Aerate: Gently stir bedding every few weeks

• Watch for: Pests, foul smell, or too much liquid (drain or add dry bedding)

✅ STEP 7: Harvest Worm Castings (Vermicompost)

After about 2–3 months, you’ll start seeing rich, dark castings.

How to Harvest:

• Push old bedding/castings to one side

• Add fresh bedding + food to the other side

• Worms migrate — scoop out finished compost after a few days

OR

• Dump bin contents onto a tarp under light — worms burrow, scoop compost off top

🛒 Supplies Checklist

ItemDescriptionBinVentilated plastic tote, stacking tray system, or crateBeddingShredded paper, cardboard, leaves, coco coirWorms1 lb of red wigglers or night crawlersFood scrapsOrganic veggie/fruit wasteMoisture spray bottleTo keep bedding dampGarden glovesFor maintenance (optional)

🌱 Bonus: Scaling Your Worm Farm

Once you’ve mastered one bin:

• Split the worm population to new bins every 2–3 months

• Start selling:

  • Live worms (for composters or bait)

  • Worm castings (as garden fertilizer)

  • Worm tea (as liquid fertilizer)

You can sell locally at:

• Farmers markets

• Garden centers

• On Facebook Marketplace

• Through your own website (like you’re building for Dr. D)