Skip the drainage holes in the bottom. Leachate running out means you're losing microbes and inviting odor problems. Instead, drill small holes every four to six inches around the upper edge for airflow.

Setting Up Your Tote

Bedding: Is shredded cardboard and paper. Mix both — paper alone compacts and makes it hard for worms to move. Moisten it until it feels like a wrung-out sponge. Tip — Some cardboard can continue to absorb for hours. Squeeze a handful — if only a drop or two comes out, you're in good shape.

Bury a small amount of vegetable scraps or coffee grounds in one corner as a starter food source. Then let your prepared bedding sit for a week or more if you can. Microbial activity will ramp up, and your worms will settle in much faster.

Push most of the bedding to one side, leaving an inch or two at the bottom. Dump your starter colony in — dirt and all. Lightly spray dechlorinated, room-temperature water over the top of the worms since they ship dry.

Place a light over the. Worms will dive down to get away from it, which helps them settle into their new home. Once they've moved down, level out the bedding.

Leave them alone for about two weeks. The less you interere during this period, the better they'll perform.

Adding Your Worms

Once the initial food is gone, add a little more. If you notice your worms trying to escape, something is off — too wet, too cold, or something in the bedding is bothering them. Fix the condition and they'll settle back down.

Once you can read what your worms are telling you, you'll find that a worm farm is genuinely easy to maintain.

Learning to Read Your Worms

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