Hemp Mat / Moisture Pad Roll 30M

Each piece cut from the roll acts as a cover over the freshest food scraps: it keeps the surface moist while letting air through, helps keep fruit flies out, and gives the worms a place to shelter. You can use it in a worm composter or a regular composter.

It isn't required: brown cardboard or 100% cotton fabric can do the job in a pinch, although cardboard needs to be replaced often. The advantage of the roll is that it gives you covers for all your bins, whatever their shape.

All our tips: Which accessories do you need for your worm bin?

Yes! Each piece cut from the roll becomes a cool, moist refuge for your worms, whether in a worm composter or a regular composter. They come up underneath it to feed and break down fresh food scraps more efficiently.

They readily lay their cocoons there. These small yellow balls are a sign of a thriving, growing population. The hemp also protects them from the cold. Because it's 100% natural, the worms gradually nibble it away, but with 98 ft (30 m) on hand, you'll always have plenty to replace your mats.

Unroll the hemp to the length you need and cut it with heavy-duty scissors to fit the shape of your bin, working within the 21.3 in (54 cm) wide strip. Then lay the piece dry, nice and flat on top of the bedding and fresh food scraps, under the lid.

To feed your worms, lift the mat and slip the scraps underneath. There's no need to moisten it, since it absorbs moisture from the food scraps. You can occasionally spray it with diluted WORMboost to stimulate the worms.

In any worm composter, the piece cut from the roll stays on the active tray: when you add a new tray, move the mat up into the top one. One cover per bin is all you need, and it won't keep the worms from moving up toward the food.

For a garden composter, lay the piece over the most recently added scraps. Store the roll in a dry place, in a room at a moderate temperature, until you cut the next piece.

All our tips: How does a stacking-tray worm composter work?

Each piece cut from the roll lasts 2 to 3 months on average: the worms feed on it until it's full of holes. With 98 ft (30 m) of hemp, or more than 172 sq ft (16 m²), you'll have plenty of replacements on hand.

When a piece is worn out, cut a new one and lay it on top of the old one, which may contain cocoons and will eventually be eaten up. Got a thick leftover piece? Crumble it into the active tray, where it will serve as carbon-rich material.