plastia Low Worm Farm Urbalive ivory User Manual

WORM FARM

user guide

No chemicals

Use at home

Quality fertiliser

What is vermicomposting?

It’s  a  method of composting in which earthworms take care of peels, teabags and other bio-waste from your household. Using a special vessel, the earthworms turn the waste into a  vermicompost that is similar in texture to peat, over the course of a  few months. Additionally you obtain a  liquid called worm tea. Both vermicompost and worm tea are great fertilizers with a high enzyme and mineral content that enhance growth and protect plants from disease. You can use them to fertilize herbs as well as indoor and outdoor plants.

Why to compost at home?

• 40 to 60 percent of household waste is compostable.
• Bio-waste doesn’t end up in a dump or incinerator where it doesn’t belong.
• You save money for fertilizers and provide your plants with nutrients without chemicals.
• You will have a fertilizer with high content of nutrients and enzymes for optimal plant growth.
• You have a year-around supply of compost for your plants.
• Your kids and grandkids gain practical knowledge of life cycles.

Basic Description

The worm farm is an interior container in which earthworms transform organic waste from households into vermicompost and worm tea. This way you get a high- quality 100% organic fertilizer for growing both indoor and outdoor plants.
If you are holding the product, which has been made of recycled material (gray), you should know, that slight colour instability is a natural property of this material, and so the colours of the individual parts of the product might differ slightly. You may also notice minor visual defects such as coloured dots or shiny smudges, but these do not affect the function of the product.

When using the basic set containing two trays.
B1: 15 l
B2: 15 l
C = 2 l (worm tea)

What will you find in the worm farm package?

• Lid (A)
• Tray frame 2x (B1)
• Composting tray 2x (B2)
• Filter frame (C1)
• Filter textile 3x (C2)
• Filter screen – main part (C3)
• Bottom part (D)
• Legs 4x (E)|
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How do you assemble the worm farm?

• Remove the worm farm from the packaging.

• Remove the lid (A) and separate the frame (B1) from the composting tray (B2).
  Gradually separate the frame (B1) around the edge to avoid damaging it (do not try to pry it open). Remove and separate the individual parts of the worm farm.

• Place the frames (B1) on the composting trays (B2). Gradually attach the frames around the perimeter of the composting tray to avoid damaging them. The grooves of the frames must fit at the edges of the composting trays. This will result in two composting trays (B1, B2) – upper and lower.

• Insert the legs (E) into the bottom part (D); insert the filter screen (C3).

• Turn the filter frame (C1) so that the tabs are facing upwards. Attach the filter textile (C2) to the frame so that the holes in the textile align with the frame tabs (C1,C2).

• Place the assembled filter frame (C1, C2) on the filter screen (C3). Push it until it clicks into place.

• Now install one assembled composting tray (B1, B2).

• Start composting with the bottom part (D) and the lower composting tray (B1, B2).

• The upper composting tray (B1, B2) will remain empty for the time being. Its time will come when you have filled the lower composting tray (B1, B2).

• Pour out the worm tea by tilting the bottom part (D) in which the pouring outlet is located.

• The package also includes a replacement filter textile (C2).

How do you use the worm farm?

• Place the lower composting tray (B1, B2) on the bottom part (D) with the assembled filter screen assembly (C1, C2, C3).
• On the lower composting tray (B1, B2) make some bedding from the paper packaging of the worm farm. Tear the packaging into small pieces. You can use other paper as an alternative.
• Place a hatch of earthworms on the bedding.
• Cover the earthworms with a layer of finely chopped biowaste.
• Close the assembled worm farm with the lid (A).
• After 2 to 3 months, place the upper composting tray (B1, B2) with prepared bedding onto the full lower composting tray (B1, B2). Create a pile in the middle of the full lower composting tray (B1, B2) so that the earthworms can move more easily to the upper composting tray (B1, B2).

Composting step by step, in detail

• Make bedding from damp crumpled paper on the bottom of the lower composting tray (B1, B2). One layer is enough. The box your Urbalive worm farm came in is perfect to use for this purpose. But you can also use egg cartons, newspaper, rolls from toilet paper, grass, leaves, peat, wood shavings or coconut fiber.
• Put your earthworm hatch on the bedding. For start, one pound (0.5 kg) of earthworms will be sufficient. For those counting, it would be about two hundred earthworms. We’ll tell you later in these instructions where to get your worms.
• Then cover the earthworms and the entire bottom of the composting tray (B1, B2) with a 2 to 3 cm thick layer of biowaste cut into small pieces.
• For the first month, feed the earthworms once or twice a week with a handful of bio-waste. Beware of overfeeding. Otherwise the earthworms won’t manage to process the bio-waste and it begins to go mouldy. If this happens, simply remove the mouldy parts from the worm farm.
• As there are more earthworms, you can increase the volume of the bio-waste. In about three months the worm farm manages to process approximately half a pound (quarter of a kilo) of bio-waste per day. This is approximately the amount produced daily by a four-member family.
• Check the moisture level several times a week.
• Once a week carefully rake through the content of the worm farm and see how the earthworms are doing. This also nicely aerates the compost.
•  Keep the worm farm closed, the earthworms like darkness.
• In about two months, the worm farm begins to create the earthworm tea, a liquid product of composting. It flows into the bottom part (D) with the pouring outlet. Remove the earthworm tea about once or twice a month, depending how much is formed. Wash out the bottom tray of the worm farm every time you tap off the earthworm tea.
• When the lower composting tray (B1, B2) is completely full, add a handful of biowaste in the middle to create a mound. Press the upper composting tray onto the lower composting tray (B1, B2) and start putting biowaste into it. The earthworms either climb to the upper composting tray (B1, B2) by themselves through the holes in the bottom, or you can help them by moving some earthworms to the upper composting tray (B1, B2). Leave the lower composting tray (B1, B2) in the worm farm for one more month. During this time, all the earthworms will climb to the upper composting tray (B1, B2) and the material in the lower composting tray (B1, B2) will transform into vermicompost. If you need to use the fertilizer immediately, you can spread it in a thin layer on an underlay and make a mound in the middle. The worms will move from the thin layer to the mound.
• Then empty the vermicompost from the lower composting tray (B1, B2), fertilize your plants and rinse the tray. The lower composting tray (B1, B2) thus becomes empty. For now add it empty to he composter or set it aside until you fill the trey in which you are composting at the moment. Then repeat the entire cycle with moving the earthworms to the upper floor. And so on, over and over.

What goes in a worm farm:

• Peels and leftovers of fruits and vegetables (for example potato peels, apple cores, green tops, etc.)
• Tea bags (earthworms often like to reproduce in them, so don’t forget them)
• Coffee grounds, coffee filters
• Leftovers of boiled vegetables
• Crushed eggshells
• Paper napkins
• Dampened paper carton
• Dry baked goods
• Leftovers of house or outdoor plants

TIP: Chop large pieces into smaller, the worms will proces them better.

What doesn’t go in a worm farm:

• flavor-intensive foods such as ginger or an excessive amount of citruses
• milk products
• meat products
• bones
• oil, lard and other fats

TIP: In the beginning of composting, don’t dispose of leftovers of stalk vegetables or potato peels. The initial small number of worms cannot process them with their enzymes and the leftovers could smell.

Where to put the worm farm?

• Your worm farm can stand in the kitchen, in the hallway, in the shade on the balcony, in the garage, in the classroom or in the office. If you maintain a few simple rules, you don’t need to be afraid that the contents of the worm farm would smell badly.
• Keep at an adequate temperature. The earthworms like a temperature around 68 °C (20 °C). In the winter, don’t leave the worm farm outside without insulation, so that it wouldn’t freeze through. In the summer, don’t put it directly in the sun, where it would overheat and dry up. The temperature in the worm farm should not drop below 41 °F (5 °C) and exceed 77 °F (25 °C).
• Keep the vermicompost at the right humidity level. Check the correct moisture level in the worm farm by taking a handful of the composted material and pressing it in your palm as hard as possible. If a few droplets of water appear, the moisture level is ideal. If more water appears, you should dry up the compost, for example with shredded paper or carton. If the drops of water fail to appear, moisten the compost with a  water spray or by adding dampened shredded paper or carton from a box or an egg crate. The number of earthworms may decrease if optimal humidity is not provided. Earthworms like the dark, so do not place the worm composter in the direct sunlight. The best place for earthworms is in the shade.

Which earthworms should I use for the worm farm?

There is a  particular species of earthworms that was bred specifically for composting and that you should use in your worm farm. They are called the California hybrid or tiger worms (in Latin it‘s Eisenia andrei). Unlike their common relatives known as redworms (Eisenia fetida), tiger worms are much more eager to eat, that is to compost, and reproduce faster. You can buy the tiger worms can be bought from specialized sellers. Please be aware that in hot summer months it’s not possible to send earthworms in mail. You should also select a seller who will send you earthworms including compost (that is not just clean worms in a box).

How to use vermicompost and worm tea?

Vermicompost is the best fertilizer you can give your plants. It contains active enzymes and minerals. I tis added to soil in planters of indoor plants or directly on the plant bed. If you mix vermicompost with soil, you can use it as a classic substrate. It’s also effective as a starter for plant germination process. Earthworm tea is an excellent liquid fertilizer for herbs, indoor plants as well as the garden. It contains high levels of nutrients and enzymes that promote growth and help bulit plant resistance against pests. You can tap off the earthworm tea into a plastic or glass bottle. It’s best diluted with water in the 1:9 ratio. Use the diluted earthworm tea to water plants or spray it on their foliage.

When it doesn’t work as it should…

The worm farm exudes odor: A  properly maintained vermikompostér doesn’t have an unpleasant smell. If the odor appears, it’s  most often because the earthworms can’t manage to process all the bio-waste, therefore lower its amount. The unprocessed waste also causes high humidity of the composted material, that then rots and exudes odor. Dry the contents of the worm farm with pieces of shredded paper, newspaper, cartons or paper egg crates. Another reason for an unpleasant odor may be remnants of stalk vegetables or potatoes. These are best introduced to composting only after a  few months, when the earthworms are sufficiently active for timely processing.
The lack of earthworms: A lack of earthworms is a signal that the earthworms aren’t breeding in the Worm Farm, because they don’t feel well in it. Try to change the composition of bedding and bio-waste and also fine-tune the moisture level of the composted material.
Too many earthworms: If you have a lot of small earthworms in the worm farm, you can donate them to someone. You shouldn’t let them out because they may not be a native species and are not used to cold, so they wouldn’t survive a winter.
The earthworms drop through: If any earthworms accidentally fall into the bottom part (D), return them to the lower composting tray (B2) and check that the filter textile grid is correctly positioned.
Mould: Should mould appear in the worm farm, it is most often because the earthworms can’t manage to process the bio-waste, so decrease its amount. Remove the mouldy pieces. If there is only a little bit of mould, simply cover it with a layer of composted bio-waste.
The worm farm mix is too moist: Should in the worm farm material be too moist, add pieces of shredded paper, newspaper or paper egg crates. Leave the lid slightly ajar until the moisture level drops.
The worm farm mix is too dry: Should in the worm farm material be too dry, moisten it with a water spray or pieces of shredded dampened paper, newspaper or paper egg crates.
Earthworm escapes: When the earthworms have plenty of moisture and food, they have no reason to run. Even then, should this happen, make sure the worm farm isn’t too dry and if so, moisten it with a water spray or pieces of dampened paper. Further check that all parts of the worm farm fit tightly. The earthworms have no way to escape a properly assembled Urbalive worm farm.
Holiday: Holiday is no problem. Earthworms can easily make it for two weeks without food. But they survive without food a maximum to four weeks

Worm farm maintenance and cleaning.

After pouring out the worm tea from the vermicomposter, wash the bottom part with the pouring outlet. Also wash the composting tray from which you removed the mature compost. Simply wash both parts with dishwashing liquid and rinse thoroughly. You can rinse the filter textile under warm running water, or replace it with the spare one you will find in the package.

Disassembling:
Disassemble the worm farm in the same way as you assembled it. Separate the individual trays, remove the filter textile and cover felt, and remove the feet from the bottom part.

Spare Parts:
Do you need any spare parts for your worm farm? On the website www.plastia.eu or by your dealer, you can buy the following spare parts.

Disposal:
Send the plastic parts of the composter for ecological disposal, either by placing them in a container for plastics (the plastic parts) or by taking them to a local collection yard. Dispose of the filter textile in mixed waste. The disposal must be carried out in compliance with the appropriate government directive (European directive) – Act 185/2001 (2002/95/EC) on Waste and amendments to certain other acts, as amended.

Warranty conditions:
The worm farm comes with a  warranty of 24 months from the date of receipt. The warranty is only provided for justified cases and covers material and manufacturing defects. The warranty is only valid if the product is used according to the operating instructions.

Producer
PLASTIA s.r.o. | Na Pankráci 1062/58, 140 00 Praha | Czech Republic
E-mail: info@plastia.cz | Tel.: +420 566 667 001
www.plastia.eu

References

• Zasaďte radost - Plastia
• Mapa komunitních zahrad a kompostérů
• Zasaďte radost - Plastia

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