• able to retain moisture;
• of neutral pH;
• well drained; and
• fairly light and crumbly.

Good bedding consists of a mixture containing sand or soil and other materials such as animal manures, sodden cardboard strips, lawn clippings, household scraps, egg shells, leaf mould, coffee or tea grounds and peat moss. Allow this mixture to decompose slightly before introducing your garden guests.

Once the worms are happily established they must still be fed. Food scraps, manure and poultry pellets are good food, but do not over-feed them. Dig their food under slightly to make it more accessible to them - worms hate the light! As a rough guide, 1 kg of worms (3000 to 5000) need 3 to 4 kg of such food per week. If the worms are overfed the pit will become rancid and smell bad. A healthy pit should smell nice and earthy.

Water the pit regularly with a light spray to keep the bedding moist, not wet, yet still crumbly. It is also a good idea to aerate the bedding carefully about every two weeks with a light pitchfork. Contrary to folklore, worms do not survive a shovel wound. Once cut in half, they will probably perish, not become two.

Keep the pit covered with wet hessian or carpet underfelt. This keeps light and flies out, moisture and odours in, and helps to stabilise temperature.

Wooden frame and excavated pit in well-drained soil

Keep the pH of the bedding about neutral (pH 7). If it is too acid (pH 5 or less), light sprinklings of crushed limestone or dolomite will help to neutralise it. Unsuitable alkalinity (pH 9 or more) may be corrected by adding peatmoss and shredded newspaper.

Under ideal conditions, the numbers of some worm species can reach 5000 individuals in only the space of a large bucket, and they may double their collective weight each month if given enough elbow room. When the worms reach large numbers or the pit is full with castings, move the worms to another prepared bed and collect the castings. Lure the worms to a corner of the old bed using a favoured food, or collect them manually after spreading the bedding and castings out on to a flat area.

Worms are hermaphrodites - they posses both male and female reproductive organs but they will use a partner to breed. Eggs are laid within capsules in the soil and will hatch in about three weeks and mature 60 to 90 a days later. They may then lay an egg capsule about once a week for several years if all goes well. So, a home worm farm can begin with single pair, but a bucket of worms is more fun and a lot quicker!

Worm castings or worms for breeding, aquarium food or fishing are available from commercial worm or vermiculture farms see the Yellow Pages or some garden centres.

Further reading

• Farmnote No. 18/92 'Earthworms in wheatbelt farms' (Agdex 488/530).
• David Lambert. Earthworm Breeding for Profit. Practical Production and Marketing of Earthworms in Australia.
• Kevin A. Handreck Earthworms for gardeners and fishermen. CSIRO Division of Soils.'
• J. Minnich The Earthworm Book. How to Raise and Use Earthworms 1977.
• K.E. Lee Earthworms. Their Ecology and Relationship with Soils 1985.
• David Murphy Earthworms in Australia Hyland House Publishing Pty Ltd 1993.