The quick and dirty method for separating worms from compost of your worm farm.

A quick way to separate worms from their compost is to dump a whole entire layer into a large vessel, like the one pictured.  Then I then fish the worms out (not as hard as you think, you can feel them and grab them from the brew) and pour and use compost water on garden.  I use this method when I don't have time to fuss around, and would like to clear some room in my compost bin fast!  Also, seeds float to the top, so you can remove future sprouters.  

How to fish them out?  Any utensil - they really grab onto any object which passes through the water they will cling to.  Truly, my rubber gloved hand passes through at the end to make sure I have got them all out (or most - as long as you return as many as you can, they can only assist in the garden - dead or alive...)

I deposit them into a separate bucket which I have ready before I start, then when I am done I throw them all back to work in the worm farm.  I had started initially by using colanders, but they get clogged up and are unnecessary.  With worm farming, your rubber gloves are your best friend (and tossing around the layer you are adding to each time - and adding lots of paper!)

I also have a bucket ready to throw all the crap like seeds, and another for uncompostable crimes of humanity - plastic bits.  The seeds and bits can be composted, tossed somewhere to rot, or perhaps planted.  

This method allows you to clear what you are throwing in your garden from rubbish, or unwanted things - and since you are adding the compost with water, the plants can access the rich brew just fine!  A wonderful method.

For the usual method - which I finally realized how to do easily, go here.

How to clear out the vermicompost (worm castings) from your worm farm (otherwise known as "the regular way")

Hey! I just wanted to say that I finally discovered how to remove vermicompost (pure worm castings) from your worm farm"the slow way" (and also the regular way) .

I found worm farming a great "get back to nature" learning curve, as I used to live in a small place where I couldn't compost the regular way (pile or bin of alternating food scraps, lawn clippings, paper out in a shared yard). It seemed to take me ages to get the hang of it - but now I understand soil and therefore gardening so much better. But I didn't understand why everyone said, "open a layer of your worm farm to the sunlight and they will crawl away", as when I did there were still millions of worms crawling in the layer of the worm farm.

So I would dump an the entire layer of the worm farm into a very large container, fill it with water, and bail out the worms (see my post here). It was very quick, true - but also very messy.

The other day I was speaking to my very precise friend Carol, who also has a worm farm. She mentioned to me that they just crawl about a centimeter down in the layer and you have to skim that depth that the worms have left over and over again. It can take all day.

Eureka! Recently I needed some actual worm castings (not fertilizer water) for making seed raising mix. It was a very sunny day, I skimmed and skimmed, depositing the rich worm casting (looks like wet dark mud) into another bucket. Really, it didn't take that long - about an hour (I would suggest doing it on a very sunny day) - and I actually didn't even need to get my gloved hands dirty.

Now I will have to tell the Kohanga Reo that I had encouraged to worm farm, and had educated with only my "lazy method" (dump layer in water and bail out worms) to clear out the castings that they are suffering in vain...

In summary:
I find the very bottom layer (the draining compartment below the bottom layer) to be the richest depository of worm castings - as there is no food, seeds, uncomposted fibers or rubbish remnants. Mine is always full of worms, and pure castings.

Really quick way to clear out compost from your worm farm

A few weeks ago I had to carry out the dreaded activity of clearing out the worm farm.

Having a worm farm is pretty easy most of the time, you just throw in food scraps, and once in awhile I add torn up pizza boxes or newspaper and toss everything in that layer round and round wearing rubber gloves. But when it gets totally full and you need to remove compost-- or more accurately, remove worms from the compost --that's a different story.

But I have found a lazier, easier method that I use, and although I don't always feel like starting, I always feel really healthy and envigorated while I am doing it-- clearing out and getting all that nutrient rich compost actually feels really great. You sort of get into this earthy, green thumb vibe, and then you get into distributing all the nutrient rich compost to your garden plants. It gives you energy.

My lazy way is to pour the layers that are ready into a large container (like an empty rubbish bin, or a plastic tub) and pour in alot of water. I used to get worms out quickly by pouring the water through a colander (no, they don't drown during this process), but now I found it's really quick just to drag something through the water to dredge out most of the worms (and anything else that you don't want to pour on your plants. Your garden won't mind the compost diluted with water, it's just very nutrient-rich water that the plants can access instantly, and IT'S REALLY FAST. As disgusting as it is I have found a simple potato masher dragged through the brew will drag out a large number of worms, than you just sluice them back into your worm farm layer that is staying. Worms tend to hold onto an object dragged through the water. (Try dragging a stick, you'll see.) A potato masher has alot of places for them to hold onto.

That's my trick! Here are some photos of us doing it, with Troy volunteering as worm farming apprentice.

One cleared out happy worm farm (and garden).

Louise deVarga's FAQ about Worm Farming

Louise deVarga, someone who first inspired me about worm farming and composting in general (the original "worm lady"), had this posted on her old Composting for Shore website. I am glad I saved this, and can re-publish it on the web through my blog.

(Although after you get the "feel", it far more simple! All you need to remember is to keep churning the contents of the layer you are adding food to around, round and round, to help the process, and also add lots of paper regularly. I just tear up my pizza boxes now, that's enough paper-- simple.)

One thing I loved from visiting Louise's garden (which has won awards in the past from "Create Your Own Eden") was her comment about how her garden, with worms in it, was compared to a neighbour's grass yard. Her garden was full of native trees and plants, with steps made from railway sleepers going through it. It was full of insects, worms churning up the soil, and birds and all kinds of life. Compare this garden to the sunbeaten grass yard, chemically fertilized-- with only one species, grass.

From Louise deVarga and Composting for Shore:

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR WORM COMPOSTER

How should I start operation of my Worm Composter?
Add to the bottom of your worm composter old compost, vermicast, peat moss, palm peat/coconut block (available from Composting for Shore). Empty your worms from the packaging on top of this bedding. Place a small amount of worm feed on top (a light covering on the surface). Cover with an old piece of carpet or woollen underfelt. This allows the worms to feed at the surface while remaining protected from light and the carpet holds in the moisture.

The more worms you have, the more kitchen waste you can dispose of organically. We recommend that you purchase a minimum of 500g (2000)worms.

The more worms you start with the quicker your Worm Composter will reach its full working potential. If you choose to start with 250g worms it will take a fairly long time to reach full working potential. On the other hand 1kg worms from the start would see your Worm Composter fully up and running in a matter of weeks rather than months.

Do I need to dilute the liquid that comes out of my Worm Composter?Yes, dilute it 1-10 with water. It is a leachate and should be diluted. It is a wonderful plant food.

Will I get to the point where I have too many worms in my Worm Composter?No, you can never have too many worms. They will regulate their population to the confines of available space. Worm concentration should reach capacity after 2-5 years depending on space and feeding.

Worms will eat pretty much anything that was once living. This includes left over vegetable scraps, fruit and vegetable peelings, tea leaves/bags, coffee filters and grounds, vacuum cleaner dust, hair and nail clippings, scrunched up envelopes and broken up egg cartons, soaked shredded cardboard, crushed eggshells. The greater the variety of material you use, the better the vermicast.

What is not suitable to feed compost worms?
Onions, meat (attracts flies), dairy products, bread and citrus peel, fat.

Can I feed my worms garden refuge?
Yes, although your Worm Composter is designed to break down soft organic waste. Garden waste is best dealt with by conventional composting. You can add some compost to your Worm Composter for the worms to break down into vermicast.

I’ve had my Worm Composter for a month now, but the worms don’t seem to be eating?
The worms may be eating your bedding material if you used aged manure or compost. They will eat this before eating newly introduced feed.

How much will my worms eat?
Worms will feed at a faster rate once they have adapted to any new food source. Worms will also eat more if food is offered in a digestible form (i.e. moist and without large clumps is best).

The worms will eat their body weight every 1-2 days, but it will take 8-10 weeks until they have fully adjusted to their newenvironment and able to eat at maximum levels. As you become familiar with them, you will learn their rate of food consumption.

How can I help my worms eat more?
Although not a requirement of operating your Worm Composter, you may choose to make a regular addition of worm fattener. This will encourage stronger, fatter worms. Mix together proportionally – 50% chicken layers pellets, 10% wheat or corn flour, 10% powdered while milk/skim milk, 20% bran or wheat meal, 10% agricultural lime or Dolomite. You can sprinkle lightly over food wastes about once a week.

Can I overfeed my worms?Yes.
If you have overfed your worms and the feed has become smelly, the worms will stay lower in your Worm Composter and may die. The best test of whether you have overfed your worms is simply by the smell. The only smell associated with a well maintained worm farm is a pleasant earthy smell.

What do I do if my Worm Composter smells?
If your worm Composter has an offensive smell, it is an indication that anaerobic bacteria have built up in the system in uneaten food wastes. Either: remove the old food and start with a very small amount of new food, or stop feeding the worms and stir the wastes with a garden fork, adding garden lime as well. This aerates the organic material and allows worms to move through it more easily. Repeat this aeration procedure regularly to prevent recurrence. Start feeding again when all smells are gone.

What about temperature changes?
If you get much hotter than this, make sure your Worm Composter is in a shady place. By watering through the top, this will help to maintain the temperature when in a shady place. During winter months, particularly in Otago/Southland, it pays to place your worm farm under cover. The best temperature range for worms is between 18-23 degrees C, though Otago/Southland temps get lower. If temperatures are very low in winter it pays to keep your composter in a shed or good shelter.

Should I add water to my Worm Composter?The contents of your Worm Composter should always be moist. When adding your kitchen scraps, add some water to it before it goes into your unit, alternatively use your watering can to add some water if you feel it is too dry. Worms work better when their conditions are moist.

Can the contents of my Worm Composter be too moist?
If rain continues over a period of time, e.g. 1-2 days or longer, or is very heavy rain, if you Worm Composter is outdoors you should cover the top of it. Use plastic sheeting held down by a brick. The reason for this is the worms work better in moist rather than waterlogged conditions.

Will my Worm Composter attract ants or flies?
You may get ants in your Worm Composter if it becomes dry or acidic. Add water to increase moisture levels and a sprinkling of garden lime. Flies may indicate overfeeding. Offensive odours would also indicate overfeeding. To eradicate vinegar flies, slow your rate of feeding and ensure freshly added wastes are covered with a layer of old carpet. A sprinkling of lime will control vinegar flies entering your Worm Composter.

What about maggots?If you experience any influx of maggots, it will most likely be the soldier fly or vinegar fly larvae. Don’t be too alarmed if they appear, they are actually beneficial to the waste breakdown. If you want to remove them though, do so by liberally applying lime.

What are the little white worms?These look like baby worms but are completely white. They are enchytraeids although some growers incorrectly call them nematods. Don’t worry about them, they do not harm composting worms, if you want to reduce the numbers don’t feed bread or floury products. They are part of the recycling system.

Can I put compost worms in the garden?
Only if you have a thick surface layer of mulch in your garden. Compost worms require moist conditions all year round. This is because they do not tunnel deep like earthworms (flat tailed worms) to find moisture. If you cannot provide this environment in your garden, do not introduce compost worms into it.


What about a holiday?
Leaving an established Worm Composter for 1 week without constantly adding food is not a problem. Just feed the worms a good quantity of food waste before you leave. Make sure that you leave your Worm Composter in a cool place with a layer of old carpet on top of them, to protect them from dying out. If away for 1-2 weeks add dried grass clippings. Purchase a bedding block if away for 3 or more weeks.