Worms turn kitchen waste into high quality fertiliser and are highly recommended for environmentalists and gardeners. You can purchase worm farms from your local council, but building your own is cheap and easy.
You will need:
Two foam boxes (the type that green grocers use)
A brick
Newspaper/cardboard
Compost/leaves
Hessian bag
Make several holes in the bottom of one box. Nestle this box inside the other, with a brick separating the two. The holes in the top box allow the water to drain, while the brick gives any worms that slip through the holes a chance to climb back in.
Mix together torn up newspaper and cardboard with leaves and/or compost and soak in water. Layer this along the bottom of the box to make bedding for your worms.
Next, add your worms. You can purchase these from some pet stores, nurseries or
online.
Feed your worms the leftover scraps from the kitchen. You can feed them anything except meat, fatty foods, dairy, citrus and raw garlic, onions or potatoes. Place the waste on top of the bedding. The key is small but regular amounts.
Cover your farm with a hessian bag to maintain a constant temperature. You may also have to water your farm regularly to keep the soil the consistency of a drained sponge. If the soil dries out, your worms can die.
Harvest your soil about once every three months by pushing it to one side of the box and placing fresh soil on the other side. The worms will move to the fresh soil and you will have readymade fertiliser for your garden.
