Worm tips: Aerating the bedding

Worm tips: Aerating the bedding

Worms do most of the hard work for you keeping the worm farm environment aerobic (oxygen present) as they ‘turn’ the bedding when they burrow and channel their way through the worm farm environment.

However, lightly aerating your bedding can assist in ensuring the environment doesn’t become damp and anaerobic (a common outcome of too many scraps) which are conditions your worms enjoy.

Aerating the top few inches of bedding can help give your worms a helping hand, ensure that there is always plenty of oxygen flow through the worm farm.

Aerate your habitat with a rounded end garden fork or gloved hands to ensure it’s gentle for your worms.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should my worm farm environment look like?

There are several characteristics you should look for on a daily basis that indicate you have a healthy worm habitat environment and your worms are thriving:

  • It smells earthy like the forest, without bad odours
  • The worms are actively eating their feed (if they are clustered together on the upper sides or trying to get out, something is wrong)
  • The contents are moist but not soggy
  • The worms should have moist, glistening skin

Why does my worm farm smell bad?

Your worm habitat should smell earthy like healthy soil. If it has an unpleasant odour, something is not right. The smell is likely due to inadequate oxygen, excessive moisture, and too much food. To eliminate odours, mix in dry bedding and leave the lid off for a while, allowing your system to air out.

What can I use as bedding?

We provide cocopeat as bedding with our range of worm farms, but there are plenty of other suitable options you can use as bedding:

  • Brown cardboard (cut into small pieces)
  • Paper (shredded)
  • Newspaper (shredded)
  • Aged compost
  • Aged horse or cow manure
  • Peat moss
  • Straw and hay
  • Fall leaves and other yard waste
  • Wood chips

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