In this issue we will cover the following subjects:

• Worm farming Blog for YOU!
• How can we maximize the production of our worm bin?

it has been a while since our last newsletter and I hope you are well and your worms have survived the challenges of the cold winter period.

I am busy with a few projects: one of them was to set up a ” Vermiculture Blog” on our web site that will help you find some answers to your questions, without having to wait for our newsletter.

We want to offer this “blog” as a platform where all the friends of worm composting can exchange ideas, experiences and find answers to their concerns and questions related to Vermiculture. It is finally on line now and we believe that it can be a helpful tool for everyone who is interested in the field of recycling of organic waste. it is absolutely free, so please make use of it and share your experiences with us. You will find the link to the Blog in the index of www.globalworming.co.za.

Is your worm bin working at full capacity? Here in Cape Town many are enjoying the sunny spring and its carpets of Cape wildflowers. For worm farmers, large scale or enthusiastic home farmers, the change of weather will also bring a change in the behavior of our worms.

As the temperature climbs the worms will become more active and increase their breeding activity. We all want to have more worms that can recycle loads of organic waste. So what can we do to maximize the production of our worm bins? (continued below)

“Should you want to boost your worm population now we can offer you a special which only extends to our subscribers. We offer you a batch of +/- 500 worms for the extra special price of R125 and only R65 for shipping to any place in South Africa”

The Mini Tower 85 liter, 3 Bin System. It is ideally suited for a 2 person household and we can offer it to you including FREE Starter Batch of Worms (+/- 500) FREE Access to Troubleshooting Help line FREE Set Up instructions FREE Maintenance instructions and a FREE 2 Liter bottle of Worm Tea (liquid fertilizer + natural pesticide) Get all that for the amazingly low price of only R500 excluding delivery costs! Shipping for the Mini tower within South Africa will be R125.

For our subscribers who reside outside of South Africa, please inquire about shipping costs to the country of your choice.

www.globalworming.co.za

——————————————————————————– Productivity of worm bins (continued)

There are a few simple ways you can grow your worm herd and with it increase the amount of recycling in your worm bin. So what is needed to shift the worms into the next gear and make them happy breeders and fertilizer producers?

1. Try keeping your worm bin in a stable environment. Studies have shown that worms kept in environments with little to no temperature changes produce more cocoons than those who are kept outdoors with significant temperature changes during the seasons as well as between day and night. So if possible place your worm bin in a store room, a garage or even an underground cellar.
2. If possible, do not disturb your worms. Worms produce favorable conditions inside their worm bin through their constant digging. Their tunnels aerate their environment and encourage them to produce more offspring.
3. Maintain a healthy moisture level inside your worm bin. A handful of bedding softly squeezed should produce a few drops of moisture. A little more or less will still be fine. If your worm bin seems to be too dry just pour 1 to 2 liters of water over the surface of your bin and the bedding will absorb the necessary moisture! Let the water stand in an open bucket for a day to allow for the chlorine to evaporate. Remember that it is important for the excess water to drain out of your bin onto the ground or into a container below where you can catch it and use it as fertilizer for your plants.
4. If you have the time shred or tear up your worm food to make it easier for your worms to eat. They don’t have teeth and are actually sucking on the soft decomposing parts of their food to eat.
5. Worms will stop breeding when they feel that their bin is overpopulated or the conditions are not right. In order to get more worms to live and eat in your worm bin add another bin to your “worm tower system” or just start a second worm bin (this can be even a simple bucket or any other suitable container. Once the worms in this bin have multiplied take surplus worms from this container to add to your worm bin. In this way you can stock more worms in your worm bin than it would produce naturally.
6. If your worm bin is outdoors and there is rain in the air, remember to place a worm trap underneath your worm farm to catch worms that might migrate at night.
7. To stop worms from leaving your worm farm place a light over the worm bin at all times. Worms avoid light at all costs!

Please send us your questions concerning worm farming and we will try to answer it in one of our next newsletters. Just send your question to info@globalworming.co.za .

Kind regards and happy worming

Stephan Kloppert
Editor
Global Worming News

This will be a place where you can learn and exchange ideas around
worm farming, worms, vermiculture and bokashi composting.
Please tell us about your experiences with composting and let us know if you have any questions.

We are sure that we can make a difference together!

So go ahead and happy blogging!!

“Take care of the environment and the environment will take care of You”

kind regards

Stephan (Admin)