How to Set Up a Large-scale Worm Farm

Required Materials and Tools

Before you begin, ensure you have the following items on hand:

• Cutting Tool: A Stanley knife.
• Bedding Container: A large container, bucket or wheelbarrow for holding your bedding while rehydrating.
• Cardboard Component: One of the boxes from your flat-packed worm mod.
• Water Source: Ideally a hose, bucket, or any available water supply.
• Digging Tool: A shovel.
• Bedding Material: High-quality bedding is crucial. In this example, we use aged horse manure. However, any aged animal manure, coco peat, or pre-composted materials can be used. This bedding will ultimately serve as the bedding and primary food source for your worms.

Choosing the Ideal Location

An optimal location for your worm farm should meet the following criteria:

• Shade: Select an area with sufficient shade, ideally protected from the western sun.
• Firm Ground: The farm must be situated on firm, stable ground. If your chosen site is uneven, use blocks or other leveling aids to create a flat surface for the structure.

Assembling and Leveling the Worm Farm

1. Positioning on Uneven Ground:
   If the ground is not level, place blocks under the feet of your worm farm. This stability is essential for levelling the system.
2. Checking for Squareness:
   Once positioned, inspect the structure. An out-of-square lid relative to the frame indicates that further adjustment is required.
3. Adjusting the Feet:
   Lift the affected leg and unthread the bottom foot to adjust the height. Continue this process until the entire worm farm is level and square.

Preparing and Rehydrating the Bedding

1. Rehydration Process:
   Use a wheelbarrow to rehydrate your bedding before adding it to the worm farm. The bedding material should be uniformly moist— avoid any dry bits. Use a water source to thoroughly rehydrate your aged manure.
2. Amount of Bedding:
   Aim to fill approximately one-third of the worm farm with the rehydrated manure. Starting with a one-third fill provides a base environment for the worms to begin processing the material.

Constructing the Cardboard Platform

1. Preparing the Cardboard:
   While waiting for the manure to rehydrate, roughly cut up the box from your worm mod - avoiding small pieces Be sure to remove any sticky tape so that only clean cardboard remains.
2. Layering the Cardboard:
   Use the cut cardboard pieces to form a stable platform atop the bedding. You may not require the entire box; only enough to provide a supportive base for the manure layer.

Loading the Manure Bedding and Final Adjustments

1. Adding the Manure:
   With the cardboard platform in place, load the rehydrated aged manure onto it. Ensure that any remaining dry bits are rehydrated before incorporation.
2. Final Watering:
   Once all the bedding is in position, administer a final watering. This step is essential to eliminate any residual dryness and to create a uniformly moist environment for the worms.

Now add your worms!