Differences
This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.
Both sides previous revision Previous revision Next revision | Previous revision Next revisionBoth sides next revision | ||
wormfarm [2012-11-05 16:38] – imogen | wormfarm [2012-11-05 19:12] – imogen | ||
---|---|---|---|
Line 13: | Line 13: | ||
So! Your worm farm design is not only about aesthetics (what you want the worm farm to look like, maybe you want it to also function as a bench top for pot plants or a seat), but it's also about what materials you have at your disposal and how much you are willing to spend on buying bits and pieces. After chatting to FoAM, we had decided on a bath tub design, with a nice wooden lid (perhaps an old door) which could provide a flat surface for plants. | So! Your worm farm design is not only about aesthetics (what you want the worm farm to look like, maybe you want it to also function as a bench top for pot plants or a seat), but it's also about what materials you have at your disposal and how much you are willing to spend on buying bits and pieces. After chatting to FoAM, we had decided on a bath tub design, with a nice wooden lid (perhaps an old door) which could provide a flat surface for plants. | ||
- | I hunted around Brussels looking for a bath tub, but to no avail, it just wasn't second hand bath tub season at the flea markets. So Plan B: I decided that I'd buy big plastic tubs which stack into each other (you can buy them at hardware store or office supply stores). I decided on a vertical design like this http:// | + | {{ : |
+ | |||
+ | I hunted around Brussels looking for a bath tub, but to no avail, it just wasn't second hand bath tub season at the flea markets. So Plan B: I decided that I'd buy big plastic tubs which stack into each other (you can buy them at hardware store or office supply stores). I decided on a vertical design like this http:// | ||
Purchase:\\ 3 x blue plastic storage containers\\ 1 x lid\\ 5 x 15cm wooden blocks\\ Threaded tank inlet and washers | Purchase:\\ 3 x blue plastic storage containers\\ 1 x lid\\ 5 x 15cm wooden blocks\\ Threaded tank inlet and washers | ||
- | |||
- | {{: | ||
Total cost: about 50 Euro (could have been cheaper but I had to shop at the inner city hardware store, which was an experience in itself as none of the staff spoke English. Trying to ask for / draw / mime a threaded tank inlet was like playing charades in the dark). | Total cost: about 50 Euro (could have been cheaper but I had to shop at the inner city hardware store, which was an experience in itself as none of the staff spoke English. Trying to ask for / draw / mime a threaded tank inlet was like playing charades in the dark). | ||
Line 24: | Line 24: | ||
**Step 1:** | **Step 1:** | ||
- | Drill some very small holes (about 1/16") around the top of the containers to help with ventilation. | + | Drill some very small holes (about 1/16") around the top of the containers to help with ventilation. Drill larger holes (about 1/4") on the bottom of 2 tubs. Space about 5cm apart. These 2 tubs are the interchangeable top layers of the worm farm. Both will drain liquid down to the 3rd level (and also letting the worms move up and down). |
- | {{: | + | {{: |
**Step 2** | **Step 2** | ||
- | Drill larger holes (about 1/ | + | Create your drainage system |
+ | |||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | |||
+ | A slight design flaw is that the bolts I used were very wide. I would have liked to drill the hole at the base of the tub, allowing the liquid to drain out the bottom, however the wide bolts created too much height, which would have meant liquid | ||
+ | |||
+ | **Step 4** | ||
+ | |||
+ | Place the wooden blocks in 4 corners of the 2nd tub. These blocks create space between the food layer and the composting layer. Stack the tubs on top of one another. Voila, your worm farm is ready! | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{: | ||
- | {{: | ||
+ | Out on the balcony, the old worm farm is full and overflowing. It was time to dig in, harvest out worm castings that were ready and put the rest of the compost in the new worm farm. I added some shredded wet newspaper. Carbon helps balance out the rich nitrogen during the composting process. Worms love newspaper. I was told this via my permaculture teacher who spoke to a worm farming expert in Australia. | ||
- | **Step 3** | + | {{: |
- | Create your drainage system on the 3rd level. You could just drill a hole and let the liquid drain into a bucket. However, worms can be prone to escaping, so you're better off creating some kind of small drainage system which would make it harder for them to crawl through. Either way, you need to check the 3rd level occasionally - to remove anything clogging the drain and maybe helping a few stray worms back to the top 2 levels. | ||
- | So back to the design. I drilled a small hole in the side of the tub, and inserted a small tap with a threaded end which I closed off with washers and bolts to make it water tight. The tap can be closed off however it's best to leave it on, letting worm tea drain into a bucket below. It's good to use the tea when it's fresh, so seeing it in the bucket reminds you to put it on the plants. Just a useful tool for not forgetting! | ||
- | {{: | ||
- | A slight design flaw is that the bolts I used were very wide. I would have liked to drill the hole at the base of the tub, allowing the liquid to drain out, however the wide bolts created too much height, which would have meant liquid would be sitting in the bottom of the tub. So I went with a side drainage option, which will still mean that some liquid will get stuck in the bottom but it just takes a small tilt of the tub to drain it out. | ||