So you’ve got a new worm compost moisture meter from The Squirm Firm but aren’t exactly sure how to use it?
Perfect, you’ve come to the right place. Here we will explain how to use, read, clean and store your moisture meter properly for years of accurate readings.
Your moisture meter from The Squirm Firm is designed specifically for use in worm compost. It is a simple tool that will help you gauge the level of humidity in the bedding of your worm bin. You’ll see it has a green head with a window to see the gauge and an 8-inch pointed probe that extends beneath.
At The Squirm Firm we rely on the readings from our moisture meters to tell us if we are maintaining optimal conditions and to be alerted as to when we need to change things up for the well-being of our red wigglers. With proper use of your moisture meter you’ll be able to confidently do the same.
Way to Work It!
Your moisture meter is wonderfully simple to use. It takes only seconds to take an accurate reading. What’s more, your moisture meter requires no batteries at all. Instead, electrolytes naturally occurring in the soil provide the chemical reaction that powers the function of your meter.
All you have to do to test your worm compost is to simply plunge the meter a few inches beneath the surface to ensure enough contact for an accurate reading. Check out the gauge to see where the needle points. That’s really all there is to it!
Try testing your bin at a few different levels to find out if moisture is equally distributed or may be lying stagnant at the bottom of your bin.
To test your meter outside of soil, simply add electrolytes to water by mixing in some distilled white vinegar. The smell may remind you of dying Easter eggs, but it works! Place the meter into the water and watch as the needle swings to the WET reading.
Be a Meter Reader
The Squirm Firm moisture meter tells you both in numbers and by color what level of humidity your worm bedding is at. On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 is nearly void of any humidity and 10 is as wet as it gets. If your reading lands somewhere in the middle, the humidity of your bin rests safely in the sweet spot – neither too dry, nor too wet, just perfectly moist.
Quick Fixes
If the meter needle points to red, or 1-3 on the dry side, consider spritzing the bedding with a water bottle until you get a test that reads between 4-7, or moist. Other ways to maintain moisture are to feed your worms fruit and vegetable scraps with high water content such as cucumber and melon, or add soaked and squeezed out shredded paper to the bedding.
If the meter reading reaches between 8-10, the blue section on your gauge, the conditions in your bin are too wet. Composting worms need air flow and oxygen within the bedding to be able to breathe and to prevent food from anaerobic decomposition. Add dry shredded paper and aerate the bedding or leave the lid off to reduce humidity and create more tolerable conditions for your worms.
Keeping it Clean
Proper maintenance of your moisture meter will ensure it continues to function properly over time. Wipe the probe clean before and after each use. Dry it thoroughly before putting it away in a cool dry place.
Follow each of these simple pointers to be secure in knowing you are doing your part to keep the moisture level in your worm compost ideal.
Now you have both the tools and the skills to test and maintain the proper humidity in your worm bin. For more tips, tricks, and advice on worm composting sign up now for our monthly newsletter. Once each month The Squirm Firm will send you a FREE newsletter with all the inside information you need to become a vermicomposting expert.