Westfalia 93 23 54 Original Instructions Manual page 6

 Compost worms should not be exposed in the garden soil. They will not survive.
Protection against Heat, Cold and Heavy Rain/Flooding
 To prevent dehydration and extreme heat, in the worm composter, cover the composter with a wet hessian bag.
 In case of extreme heat, pour about 500 ml to 1 litre of water into the worm composter to keep it moist but not too wet. Cover
the bedding with a damp sack, an old wet cloth or a damp newspaper.
 To protect the worm composter from heavy rain and possible flooding, dig a little deeper than the total length of the worm
composter (approx. 60 cm) and lay a suitable drainage of 10 – 15 cm of gravel so that the water can drain off, in case of heavy
rain. A possible indication of is, that the compost worms accumulate in the lid when it rains heavily. The compost worms try to
escape from the danger of flooding and drowning.
 To protect against extreme cold, cover the worm composter with a thick layer of hessian bags or bubble wrap foil.
 With sinking temperatures, the activity of the worms will decrease and can lead to the hibernation of the worms if the
temperature will fall under 5° C.
The soil has compacted and dropped
 If the level in the worm composter has dropped, it is a normal process and no reason to worry. Just add some soil or finished
compost in order to fill the worm composter to the desired level.
The soil is too acidic
 Use garden lime as acid regulator. Signs of a very acidic soil are many Enchytraeidaes (see Troubleshooting – Vermins).
Weekly apply a handful of lime or heavily crushed eggshells to the composter to raise the pH.
Overfeeding
 Bad odours only occur when mistakes happen. Possible reasons are too wet compost beddings, too much sunlight or
overfeeding (rot, fermentation, mildew).
 Add small amounts of food every week for a few months. If scraps are still present a week later you will need to reduce the
amount you are feeding. If you are finding you have an oversupply of scraps adding another worm composter is advised.
Mold
 Prevent the formation of mould by turning the infested material over. This will improve ventilation. Make sure that the worms
work close to the surface. If not, this may be a sign of overfeeding. Then stop feeding for a few days.
The worms try to break out/die
 If too many worms accumulate on the surface or under the lid, or if the worms die, it is a sign of poor living conditions in the
worm composter. In this case, check the moisture, air, pH, and feed in the worm composter and balance any deviating factors.
If the conditions are not right for some time, or the composter is neglected, the worms may die.
Harvesting Solids from the Worm Composter (Worm Castings / Worm Poo / Worm Tea)
 The worm composter also provide solids (ready for use worm castings or worm poo). This solid can be removed "harvest"
from the worm composter and used as flower fertiliser after mixing with soil.
 Worm castings are useful additives to any garden being pure, natural and therefore organic with a neutral pH level of 7.
 The produced liquid in the worm composter, also called Worm Tea, is a highly concentrated fertiliser. Due to the open design
of the worm composter, the worm tea flows into the soil and thus fertilizes the soil and the nearby plants and shrubs. Worm
tea and worm humus are more than chemical fertilizers. They add many useful microorganisms to the soil, creating a healthy,
fertile soil.
 It can be used for sowing, for planting and as top dressing for potted plants.
Harvest Time
 Worm castings can be harvested from the worm composter approx. every 6 months.
 Stop feeding the worms for at least one week when you want to harvest worm castings. Leave the lid open for some hours
before removing worm castings to allow the worms to dig deeper. By doing this, you will avoid taking too many worms out of
the worm composter.
 Mix the castings with an equal amount of soil before planting flowers and always cover the humus with a little mulch to prevent
it from drying out quickly. Worm casting need to be used immediately once harvested, otherwise it will dry out.
 Make a potting mix by mixing 1 part worm castings with 4 parts soil, compost, sand or vermiculite. For preparing sowing soil,
use: 25 % worm humus, 25 % perlite, 50 % peat.
Troubleshooting – Vermins
Worm composters are easy to look after and should not smell or attract pests. In case of problems, observe the following
instructions:
Vinegar Flies
 Vinegar flies are a symptom of food rotting. Feed only small quantities and chop food as much as possible. Cover the betting
in the worm composter (with an old cloth, damp newspaper or hessian sack).
 If you find small vinegar flies are becoming an issue, cover the scraps with a thin layer of soil from your garden bed.
Bad Odours
 Tangy smells mean acidity. Treat the worm composter like fruit flies and additionally sprinkle on a little bit (a tablespoon) of
ash or garden lime if smells persist. Avoid adding animal products.
 Boggy smells (moldy water) mean a blocked drain or drowned worms. Check the drain and re-position the worm composter in
another place, if the soil is very hard and rain cannot drain easily and fast enough.
Slow Worms
 Check you still have plenty of living worms. Add more worms if needed. Only feed as much as they can eat, give them time to
breed and gradually start feeding them more. Take out food that has fluffy mold on it.
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