Creating a worm bath

Creating a Worm Bath

If you don't want to head out into the garden every time you have kitchen scraps, then creating a worm bath could be the answer. Composting worms are different to earthworms because they live solely on decaying organic matter, while earthworms also burrow and aerate the soil.

Brandling and tiger worms are perfect for a worm bath and can be purchased online from organisations like the Urban Worm. You can also buy readymade worm baths online, or you can make your own by using two buckets, with one inside the other.

Feeding Your Worms

Worm baths are a fairly quick composting method. The worms munch through organic matter and excrete worm castings, which are incredible for the soil. These can be put on the soil surface or mixed into a potting mix, while any liquid run off from the process, known as worm tea, can be used as a plant feed.

The best way to find out how many worms you will need, is to weigh how much food waste you produce over the course of the week. As a rough estimate, 200g of worms will munch through between 50-100g of food waste in a day.

Simply lay your kitchen scraps on the surface of the worm bedding and the worms will eat through it. Make sure your worms are eating through the last lot of scraps before adding more.

Harvesting the Worm Castings

Within three months, you'll be able to harvest the castings, but meanwhile, you can periodically drain off the liquid to use as a liquid feed for your potted plants.

You can scoop out the castings with a trowel, making sure to put any worms back in the bucket.

Some things to remember:

1. Only feed your worms a little bit at a time. Make sure they've started to eat all the available food before you add more.

1. During periods of hot or cold weather, your worms may slow down, so make sure to adjust the amount you feed them accordingly.

1. Worms like a pH-neutral environment, so avoid adding too much citrus and avoid onions and leeks too.

1. What composting worms can and can't eat.

What Composting Worms Can and Can't Eat

Worms CAN eat

• Raw fruit and vegetable kitchen scraps
• Garden waste, e.g. soft prunings, lawn trimmings and weeds
• Crushed egg shells
• Coffee grounds (in small amounts) and loose tea
• Some shredded paper and card

Ensuring that the food is in small pieces will make it easier for your worms to eat.

Worms CAN'T eat

• Citrus
• Alliums, e.g. onions, shallots, leeks and garlic
• Large pieces of tough woody material, e.g. branches
• Cooked food
• Meat, dairy or fats. So don't feed them leftover salad if it has dressing on

Where Can I Buy a Worm Bath?

Facebook Marketplace is a great place to find preloved receptacles, including sinks, water tanks and baths.

Or if you want a pre-made kit, I bought mine from The Urban Worm.

If you want to keep your worm bin on display, you might like the look of this one: Urbalive Worm Composter Starter Pack + Bokashi Organico Value Pack from Wiggly Wigglers