Worm farming aka Vermiculture

**Mr Earl** · 04-11-2010, 01:07 PM

I been doing this for a couple years now.
Finally getting around to posting.

Worm are a great way to convert organic matter into fertilizer.

I'm using two types mainly African night crawlers and Red Wrigglers.

These are the Africans:

They have their own house too

The inside

And outside 20 of these 1.5 m concrete rings.

They eat mostly coffee shelling and chopped up palm fronds which we get free.
They also get watermelon and whatever veggies aren't quite up to snuff for the market.

When we prepare a bin we mix in a solution of fresh cow shit. This is chock full of enzymes which helps break down cellulose in the palm fronds making it easier for the worms to eat.

Pics of the finished product later.

**Happyman** · 04-11-2010, 01:11 PM

I wouldn't mind a bucket of them next time I go fishing

**Mr Earl** · 04-11-2010, 01:13 PM

Here's a shot of red wrigglers I have going in a small plastic bin at my hotel in bkk.

Look closely and see the tiny white hair like things. Those are the newly hatched babies.

I couldn't see them before taking picture.

**Davis Knowlton** · 04-11-2010, 01:17 PM

Lovely worms, Earl. What do you do with them?

**Mr Earl** · 04-11-2010, 01:22 PM

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

Lovely worms, Earl. What do you do with them?

They make fertilizer for the palm trees. Each worm consumes it own body weight a day of organic material, what comes out is a very soluble and easily absorbed fertilizer for the trees. I got about 1000 trees.

**Davis Knowlton** · 04-11-2010, 01:42 PM

Very neat.

sabaii sabaii · 04-11-2010, 01:53 PM

For some strange reason I fancy some noodles now

sabaii sabaii · 04-11-2010, 01:56 PM

What are the trees used for?

**Mr Earl** · 04-11-2010, 01:58 PM

^oil palm ^^

I just had a nice noodle soup

**dirtydog** · 04-11-2010, 02:00 PM

earl, why have you driven a tub of worms 1,000km to keep at your hotel with you?

**Mr Earl** · 04-11-2010, 02:12 PM

Originally Posted by dirtydog

earl, why have you driven a tub of worms 1,000km to keep at your hotel with you?

Kind of an experiment I reckon. I brought a cup with about 20 worms up with me.
I picked up one of those cheap plastic 40x60x40cm bins and threw some garbage and newspaper in.
They all died except for 4 worms, I waited for 3 months for them to start multiplying again, I was about to toss the whole lot when I looked closely someone had laid an egg. Now after about 6 months they're going strong.

They be my little pets. Some folks have dogs. I got me little worms!

**toslti** · 04-11-2010, 02:52 PM

What's the reason behind the newspapers?

When I lived in Africa as a kid our houseboy had his own worm farm but just for fishing purposes.

**forreachingme** · 04-11-2010, 02:54 PM

I've once read somewhere that they are the most populous specie on this planet !

**Davis Knowlton** · 04-11-2010, 03:01 PM

^I thought that honor went to cockroaches.

**Mr Earl** · 04-11-2010, 04:22 PM

Originally Posted by toslti

What's the reason behind the newspapers?

The newspaper serves several purposes.

As food for the worm, shelter from light, they're very light sensitive, a few minutes in the sun will kill a worm.

And they help keep flying bugs and ants from going after the rotting material also.

Soaked and separated cardboard boxes serve the same purpose as well.

**harrybarracuda** · 04-11-2010, 07:38 PM

Originally Posted by forreachingme

I've once read somewhere that they are the most populous specie on this planet !

That's nematodes I think. They've adapted to virtually every ecosystem. There's one species that only thrives in one particular make of beermat in Germany.

Buchsbaum, who wrote the bible of invertebrate biology, "Animals without Backbones", said that if you removed everything on earth, you'd still be able to discern everything from the nematodes.

I've just realised I remember some really useless shit from years ago.

**nedwalk** · 05-11-2010, 10:44 AM

I too have a little worm farm, though not to the size of the one you have..i cut a plastic 44 lengthways, put a drain tap in it sat the 44 in a pine cradle elevated at one end, heaps of cow/alpaca poo, all the scraps and newspaper with a bit of hessian on top, keep it moist and every now and then open the bung and bewt worm juice comes out, give ema bit of time and heaps of casteings too..great fertiliser

**Mr Earl** · 05-11-2010, 11:44 AM

Just just got another shot of by newest babies. There's been a major hatch.

I hope the flash doesn't fock them up.

**Mr Earl** · 05-11-2010, 11:48 AM

Originally Posted by nedwalk

I too have a little worm farm, though not to the size of the one you have..i cut a plastic 44 lengthways, put a drain tap in it sat the 44 in a pine cradle elevated at one end, heaps of cow/alpaca poo, all the scraps and newspaper with a bit of hessian on top, keep it moist and every now and then open the bung and bewt worm juice comes out, give ema bit of time and heaps of casteings too..great fertiliser

Do you know what variety worm they are?

**nedwalk** · 08-11-2010, 03:54 PM

no..i bought a bag of em from the bloke at the market where i have my stall...

**Rural Surin** · 09-11-2010, 01:43 PM

Originally Posted by Mr Earl

^oil palm ^^

One thousand oil palms! Quite substantial, Earl. Keep them perpetuating, as palm oil is making a gradual comeback and a strong future market. Good luck!

**whakatane** · 10-11-2010, 09:14 AM

Hi Mr Earl,
Where in thailand are you, and how does one get hold of worms ??
I am in Ranong, and ordered some from a company in Chiang mai. however, they were all dead on arrival. Got money back, which was just as suprising!!
Kept worms for many years in Australia.
I look foreward to your reply, or you can email me on ,, natoy_123[at]hotmail.com.
CHEERS

**skyrack** · 10-11-2010, 09:52 AM

Hi,

I would like to start farming worms.
Can I buy some to get me started?

I am in Chachoengsao.
I guess the worms may travel ok by post?
Or need to collect?

Skyrack

**pone** · 11-11-2010, 07:52 AM

doe's the chinese eat them?
big market!

**Deerculler** · 11-11-2010, 02:40 PM

How do they cope with heat?

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