Worm bedding is an important factor in worm farming and composting, but how deep should the bed be? Is there a standard measurement of how deep the bedding should be? Why is the depth of the worm bed important? We will discuss these questions and more below.
How deep should my worm bed be? In a worm bin, the bedding should be about two to three inches thick above the worms and their food. This will also have to depend on the size of the bin and the number of worms that you will place on it. Make sure that your worm bin is about eight to twelve inches deep. Take note that worms feed at the top layers of the bedding so the bin needs to be shallow.
Some of the best material that you can use for the worm bed includes cardboard, shredded newspaper, and leaves. If you are using a newspaper, do not include the colored sections because the dyes are toxic to worms. Decide on the depth of the bedding depending on the size of the bin and the number of worms that you will place.
When Should I Add Bedding to the Worm Bin?
You need to add bedding to the worm bin when you start and at every harvest time. Make sure to add about three-fourths of bedding into the bin every time you harvest. Moreover, you can use garden soil to help worm digestion. The worm bin should have about two to three inches of bedding to prevent pests and odors. You can also read this article that discusses how often you should change worm bedding. We have shared helpful information that you can refer to.
What is Worm Bedding and Why Should I Use It?
Worm bedding is an important part of a worm bin because it is the one that maintains a good balance of air and water. Moreover, the bedding serves as a food source for the worms and helps them thrive. Without proper bedding, the worms will not grow healthy and they may die. Bear in mind that the food source of the worms is not the food or the bedding that you put in the bin. Rather, it is the bacteria that grow on the food. Proper bedding helps the bacteria to thrive.
What Material Should I Use for the Worm Bed?
Some of the materials that you can use for the worm bed include coconut fiber, shredded newspaper, straw, or leaves. For the worms to thrive, the bedding should be loose, retains moisture, and have good drainage. Let us delve more into these materials below.
Coconut Fiber
One of the materials that you can use for the bedding is coconut fiber. This is a good material because it is compact, odorless, moisture-retaining, and is also easy to clean. You can purchase coconut fiber in bulk. Before outing into the worm bin, it needs to be soaked in water for about twenty minutes.
Shredded Newspaper
This is another material that you can use for the worm bed. Make sure to shred the newspaper into thin strips and dampen it with water before placing it into the bin. You can mix it with straw or leaves to prevent it from compacting.
Dry Leaves
This is another material that you can use for worm bedding. It is recommended that you use fresh leaves and moisten them before adding them to the bin. On the other hand, there might be unwanted organisms in the leaves that can get into the bin.
What Makes a Good Quality Worm Bedding Material?
Aeration, sustainability, and carbon-based are some of the qualities that make good worm bedding. Make sure that you choose a material with these qualities so that your worm bin will thrive.
Aeration
One of the qualities that you need to consider when choosing a worm bedding material is aeration. This will create an ideal environment for the worms to thrive. Make sure that the material that you are using has many air pockets so that it will be easier for the worms to breathe and move. Avoid compact materials for bedding because this can suffocate the worms and can also lead to a foul odor in the bin.
Sustainability
Another quality that you need to consider when choosing a material for the worm bin is sustainability. You need to add bedding to your worm bed frequently so you need to make sure that you choose a renewable resource. A lot of people are using junk mail and paper packaging for the bedding. Worms will thrive in a very humid environment but do not live in their bedding is too wet.
Carbon-Based
You also need to make sure that the material is carbon-based. Worms rely on carbon-based organic matter for their food. Carbon-based material can provide worms with a healthy environment to live and grow. You can also check out this article that discusses if worms can eat cabbage. We have shared an in-depth discussion about the topic.
What are the Steps in Preparing a Worm Bed Using Paper?
When using paper for the worm bed, there are a few steps that you need to follow which include sorting, shredding, soaking, fluffing, and combining. These steps are important to make sure that the bedding is ideal for the worms.
Step 1 – Sorting
The first step is to sort through the papers that you have at home. Take note that not all types of paper can be used as bedding. Avoid using glossy papers. Moreover, do not include papers that have colored ink on them because the dyes can be poisonous to worms.
Step 2 – Shredding
The next step is to shred the papers. You can use a paper shredder or cut them with a scissor. Make sure to shred the paper into smaller pieces so that they can easily decompose. You can also combine the paper with other materials.
Step 3 – Soaking
The next step is to soak the shredded paper in water. Doing this will remove chemicals from the paper and worms also love a bit of moisture in their bed. Remove excess water from the paper by squeezing. You can also use a salad spinner to remove excess moisture. We have also shared this article titled, should I add water to my worm farm? You can check out the article for more tips and information.
Step 4 – Fluffing
Once you have soaked and removed excess water from the paper, the next step is to fluff them. Do not just place a clump of moist paper into the bin because this will make it hard for worms to breathe and move.
Step 5 – Combining
The last step would be to combine the paper with other materials that you have. Make sure to spread them evenly into the worm bin.
✅ Video – How to Create and Maintain a Simple Worm Bin
Homestead and Chill shared the video below on YouTube. It discusses how to create and maintain a simple worm bin. If you are thinking about having your worm bin, you can check out the video for some helpful tips and ideas.
How Do You Add the Worm Bed to An In-Ground Worm Farm?
To add the worm bed into an in-ground worm farm is to add the bedding material into the pit that you have dug. Then, wet the bedding material and fill it back in with dirt. You can then add the composting food and the worms. The problem with having an in-ground worm farm is that the worms can crawl out and it is also easy for the predators to eat the worms. Hence, make sure to secure your worm farm and keep away predators.
Is it Okay to Give Worms Too Much Bedding?
Make sure to give worms the right amount of bedding because if you do too much, they can suffocate. The bedding helps compensate for food if the worms are fed too little. Aside from that, the bedding also serves as a safe place where worms can go if an area in the bin becomes too wet.
How to Properly Maintain a Worm Bin?
To maintain a worm bin, make sure that it has the right amount of moisture. This will create an ideal environment where the worms can grow healthy. Do a regular check-up to make sure that the moisture level is okay and that the bedding is not soggy or damp. You also need to add bedding and water once in a while. When changing the bedding, do not replace it with a new one at once. Move the compost to one side and add the new bedding to the other. Next, add food to the new bedding so that the worms will move to it.
How to Choose the Right Size of Worm Bin?
When it comes to choosing the size of the worm bin, you need to consider a few factors such as the weekly amount of food waste that you need to compost and the number of worms that you plant to keep. There should be enough room for the worms to move freely.
Conclusion
You have reached the end of this article that discusses how deep a worm bed should be. We have found out that the bedding should be about two to three inches above the worms and their food. Moreover, we have talked about the best bedding material that you can choose for your worm bin. Make sure to consider a few factors such as the number of worms that you plan to keep when deciding on the depth of bedding in the worm bin. Thank you for reading!