Your New Worm Castle
Congratulations! You’re officially a worm farmer! The benefits of worm farming are huge, and it’s great that you’ve taken the first step. Now it’s time to get going and set your worm farm up for success. Read on to find out how!
Step 1
Open the box, and find a shady spot
Find a cool shady spot to place your worm farm. For example, under a tree, under a verandah or garage with a tiled (not metal) roof. Remove your new Worm Castle parts from the box, you should have the following parts:
3 working trays, 1 lid, 1 liquid tray (with hole for tap), 4 legs, 1 tap with washers and a nut, 1 coconut coir worm bedding block, Instructions.
Place the block of coconut fibre bedding (coir) into a bucket of rain water to allow the block to disintegrate. If you don’t have access to rainwater, leave a bucket of tap water to sit for at least 24 hours to dechlorinate, so it is safe for the microbes.
Step 2
Attach the legs
Take the liquid tray (looks like the lid but has a hole at the front of it) and turn it upside down. Attach a leg to each corner of the tray. You will hear a “click” when they are connected.
Step 3
Assemble the tap
Add tap assembly by putting a silicone washer on each side of the tray and screw the tap on to the tray, making sure not to cross-thread. Do not over tighten – it only needs to be tight enough for the washer to seal the area.
Step 4
Add the first working tray
Set the liquid tray on its legs and add 1 working tray on top of the liquid tray. The handles must be at the sides, not front and back.
Note: The other trays will be put aside until the first working tray is full (up to the plastic ledge near the top of the tray, see “Fill up to here” in the figure) and then the next tray is added on top of the compost in the bottom tray. Continue feeding the new tray and the worms will migrate upwards for the food.
Step 5
Make the worms a bed
Line the bottom of the first working tray with cardboard, newspaper, hessian or geofabric. This helps prevent bedding from falling through to the liquid tray in the early stages of your worm farm. One suggestion is to use two flaps from your Worm Castle box.
Remove the coconut coir bedding from the bucket and squeeze out the excess water. Place the bedding in the first working tray and spread it out evenly.
Step 6
Introduce the worms
Add the compost worms to the bedding. 1000 worms is a reasonable starting quantity. If you didn’t buy your Castle as part of a kit, you can purchase them from our suppliers.
Step 7
Give them a feed
Feed the worm farm with a handful of scraps in one corner, and cover them over with a 1 cm layer of coconut bedding. This keeps flies away.
Step 8
Tuck them in
Place a worm blanket (or hessian sack or thick wad of newspaper) on top of the worm bedding. This reduces evaporation and keeps the worm farm dark for the worms to forage.
Step 9
Close the lid
Place the lid on top of the working tray. Your Worm Castle worm farm is now up and running!
Establishing your Worm Castle worm farm
Well done, you’ve finished your setup. As you continue to feed your worms, you’ll need to add trays and then rotate them as they become full, here’s how:
Stage 1
Start with only 1 working tray. Put damp paper and the worm blanket on top of the bedding and food scraps. As you keep feeding your worms, the level of compost will rise.
Stage 2
Add a second tray directly on top of the compost in the bottom tray when it’s full (up to the plastic ledge near the top of the tray, see step 4 above for the fill line). Move the worm blanket up and feed only in the 2nd tray.
Stage 3
Add the 3rd tray on top of the 2nd once it’s full. Move the worm blanket up to the 3rd tray and feed only in the 3rd tray.
Stage 4
Once the 3rd tray is full, lift off the top 2 trays, remove the matured castings from the 1st (bottom) tray and move the top 2 trays down. The now empty tray becomes the top tray.
From now on, only the top tray will be fed and the bottom tray will be rotated out once the top tray is full. This ensures that you will always have mature castings to harvest and feeding is easy.
The gear you need for a thriving worm farm
For Worm Castles, composting worms and all the things you need for worm farming, see our friendly stockists.
Worm farming advice from like-minded people
For detailed advice and guides on worm farming, or to get involved with an enthusiastic worm farming support group in your area.
Worm Castle Product Specifications
Boxed product size:
42 x 43 x 31 cm
Maximum assembled product size:
42 x 45 x 60 cm
Colours available:
Gumleaf Green and Mocha. Other colours available upon emailing sales@wormcastle.com.au
Each Worm Castle is made from post consumer recycled (PCP) polypropylene plastic.
The plastic is UV stabilised to maintain long-lasting colour and strength.
Made in a boutique plastic moulding facility that is certified:
- ECAAS ISO 9001 Certified for Quality Management
- ECAAS ISO 14001 Certified for Environmental Management
Worm Castle is designed in Australia by an experienced worm farmer.
Worm Castle is Australian made and owned, and distributed by an Australian Owned certified small business.
