Delta Worms

09/05/2026

If you’ve ever toured a “wow” garden and wondered what makes it feel so healthy and lush… look down.

One of the biggest common threads in famous gardens (from the U.S. Capitol Rose Garden to Hearst Castle) is a generous layer of mulch protecting the soil.

In this post we break down why that simple habit pays off in better moisture, steadier soil temps, and healthier plants.

Read the full post here: https://deltaworms.com/2026/07/garden-mulch-one-thing-every-great-garden-has-in-common/

09/03/2026

We’re building more than a garden in Oakley.

This fall, three connected projects will lay the foundation for everything ahead:

🪱 A compost and worm station
🌿 Robin’s herb garden
🥬 Our very first winter vegetable garden

The goal? Healthy soil, nutritious food, and eventually a place for people to learn, volunteer, and share in the harvest.

Follow along as we build it from the ground up—one project, one season, and one harvest at a time.

Read the full story: https://deltaworms.com/2026/08/building-the-oakley-property-three-projects-that-will-shape-the-garden-this-fall/

09/02/2026

Tired of soil that dries out almost as soon as you water?

Worm castings can help your garden hold moisture more effectively while adding beneficial microbes, organic matter, and gentle plant nutrition. They are especially useful in raised beds and containers, which can dry out quickly in summer.

Get simple application ideas—including how to use worm castings in beds, pots, and around established plants—in our blog post:
Worm Castings for Water Retention - https://deltaworms.com/2026/05/worm-castings-for-water-retention/

Healthy soil holds on to more than nutrients—it helps hold on to water, too.

09/02/2026

Healthy soil starts from the ground up—not with a quick fertilizer fix. At our Oakley property, we’re using a light compost top-dressing on sandy lawn soil and layering worm castings, compost, and mulch in a new herb garden. See how these materials support soil biology, moisture, and heat resilience over time. Read the full post: https://deltaworms.com/2026/08/compost-and-worm-castings-healthy-soil/

08/31/2026

Worms don’t grow according to a business calendar—and that’s an important gardening lesson, too. The new wormery follows a simple rhythm: pre-compost, breed, hatch, grow, hold, sell. During the first year, we’ll measure how much material the worms eat, how quickly cocoons hatch, how long growth takes, and how much space the system really needs. Temperature, moisture, food, bedding, and population density all shape the timeline.

Get the full story here: https://deltaworms.com/2026/08/building-new-delta-worms-wormery/

08/30/2026

Healthy worm growth takes more than adding food. In the grow-out area, we’ll be watching moisture, bedding depth, population density, food consumption, temperature, and worm size and health. That balance matters: overcrowding can slow growth, while overfeeding can bring odors, excess heat and anaerobic conditions. Careful observation is one of the most useful tools in a wormery.

Read the full article for more detail: https://deltaworms.com/2026/08/building-new-delta-worms-wormery/

08/29/2026

A breeding bed has a different job than a grow-out bed. The new Delta Worms breeding bed is about 16 square feet and is being designed for roughly eight pounds of mature worms. About every three weeks, we plan to screen part of the bedding, return the adult worms to their bed, and move the bedding and cocoons to a nursery. The schedule may change as temperature and moisture teach us what works best.

See the whole process here: https://deltaworms.com/2026/08/building-new-delta-worms-wormery/

08/28/2026

Mark your calendars! Smith Family Farm’s Tomato Day is coming September 26th. A great local event for gardeners and tomato lovers!

TOMATO DAY is returning to Smith Family Farms this September 26th, as we kick off the fall season with a celebration of the taste of summer! Enjoy chef-prepared tomato tapas, check out our unlimited tomato bar, sample gourmet food products and enjoy live music on our opening day for the 2026 Pumpkin Harvest.

$17 admission includes tomato tasting and all of our fall activities (pumpkin patch, farm animal encounters, fall art and photo ops, gardens, corn maze and one pumpkin of any size from the patch).

Presale tickets coming soon to smithfamilyfarm.com!

08/28/2026

Screening is one of the most labor-intensive parts of vermicomposting. Equipment like this can make a big difference as a worm operation grows. Interesting to see how the tools of vermiculture continue to improve!

Screen Table Pro does the heavy work so you don’t have to.
Sift smarter, not harder.

👉 http://wormgear.com/products/screen-table-pro