Ideas for a wormery?

[Deb London]

Sorry, not sure if this is in the right place. But I guess a wormery is a sort of eco-friendly/organic gardening/low packaging and transport kind of thing.

I was leafing through the Wiggly-Wigglers catalogue and I'm fairly sold on the idea of a wormery. Very green, and for me, who has a fear of lugging compost back from the shops only to find that the plants don't like it, it might be the ideal composting solution. BUT I'M NOT PAYING £ 106, trays and taps or no trays and taps!

We went to the in-laws yesterday. "Grandad" simply has a couple of council waste buckets with tight lids. He found these discarded in a skip and probably got the worms from a mate or the tackle shop for next to nothing. It's a thriving community in there! He is willing to give me a few "dendras" (?) as a starter colony.

Has anyone any innovative low-cost wormery solutions? Has anyone made a wormery for themselves? If so, have you incorporated a tap (I like the idea of the liquid fertilizer and you can't get at this with Grandad's bucket design)?

Would love to hear people's ideas.

Ta.

[nightshade]

I can remember seeing a very good idea posted but cannot find it.
My compost heap is absolutely heaving with insects and inverts.

[Littlesparrow]

I've had a look at wormeries when I lived in a smaller house and didn't have room for a compost heap, and like you thought the commercial one were too expensive. I should think if you were handy with carpentry you could make up a tray arrangement with wood and stout wire or make a mini compost bin.

[nightshade]

Can anyone recommend a good wormery?
A quick Google throws up several good ideas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ordM5TWyFLw

[Cotham Marble]

Originally Posted by Deb London

Has anyone any innovative low-cost wormery solutions? Has anyone made a wormery for themselves? If so, have you incorporated a tap (I like the idea of the liquid fertilizer and you can't get at this with Grandad's bucket design)?

I posted this some years ago Composting 101

It's worth going through the principles before choosing the system you want. Personally I'm not a fan of food waste only 'wormeries', nor of the liquid out put systems. 'Grandad's design' sounds about right for an efficient use of a mixed microorganism/worm based process, the only consideration I would be concerned with is the volume of garden plant material that you have to work with, this volume usually greatly exceeds food waste.

The key thing to building up a large worm population is to have two or more 'bins' which the worms can move between - this allows you to have a resting bin and an active bin. Worms are really only interested in the material that is in a medium state of decay, but to produce a well composted material, in a small scale process (and without artificial heat or structural protection) requires several months of micro-orginism activity - 3 - 9 months depending on the time of year. Allowing the worms to migrate to the newly activate bin when the first one is full ensures the most efficient operation of the process without having to worry about separating the worms from the first bin before it's finished 'working'.

There are all sorts of ways of 'finessing' a compost system but I'm not convinced (having exerimented a lot) that anything other than the simplest solution for any given situation is worth bothering with. I have two 'dalek' bins which where acquired at half price via a Council supported scheme, the Brandling (tiger worm) population has grown without any intervention from me and the only thing I do to maintain it, is bag up the the finished compost and then sun dry it on plastic sheeting which drives the worms (those that haven't previously moved to the adjacent active bin) to the level of the sheeting, and I then skim the dry material off and move the worms to the active bin. The compost is suitable for top dressing and potting up - and if I were more carfeul about weed seeds would be adequate for propagation - it's worth remembering that a wormery/mixed system can't achieve the high compost driven temperatures needed to kill seeds. If needed the final product could be added to water to produce a liquid feed, I simply prefer to top dress.

Brandlings will happily survive low temperatures - I've found masses of the 'fry' looking like lumps of 'vermicelli (recursive analogy) frozen solid to the lid of a compost bin - only to be wriggly happily a few hours later in the winter sun. However worms do become inactive below 10C so providing winter insulation - old carpet etc can keep the working harder in the colder months.

CM

[Deb London]

Thanks both. Hadn't seen the WAB threads. And the video was good, thanks Rod. But like Annie, I wonder if I can make something a bit better.

In the video he uses a storage box. These are stackable. I can feel a layering system coming on. I am particularly interested in the fluid. Does anyone know what hole diameter do I need to allow seepage of "vermi-liquid feed"?

I have two compost heaps that I have never got to work properly. I simply can't get the proportions right, for whatever reason. I'm looking for help. I think I need some "little workers" who will do the work for me, and as long as I feed them the right things and keep their temperature, humidity, moisture, and light levels right they should be able to crack this composting malarky for me. I have helped "Grandad" collect suitable waste sometimes and I have a good idea about what will work.

Cheers.

[nightshade]

I was looking at some plastic bowl sieves in a £1 shop, teamed up with a collecting bowl for liquid at the bottom the may make a half decent wormery.
I did notice as well that there are wormeries for around £50, very cheap compared to some. It is interesting just what is out there that could convert quite easily, it is just a case of thinking outside the box, good old google

[Deb London]

Originally Posted by Cotham Marble

I posted this some years ago Composting 101

It's worth going through the principles before choosing the system you want. Personally I'm not a fan of food waste only 'wormeries', nor of the liquid out put systems. 'Grandad's design' sounds about right for an efficient use of a mixed microorganism/worm based process, the only consideration I would be concerned with is the volume of garden plant material that you have to work with, this volume usually greatly exceeds food waste.

The key thing to building up a large worm population is to have two or more 'bins' which the worms can move between - this allows you to have a resting bin and an active bin. Worms are really only interested in the material that is in a medium state of decay, but to produce a well composted material, in a small scale process (and without artificial heat or structural protection) requires several months of micro-orginism activity - 3 - 9 months depending on the time of year. Allowing the worms to migrate to the newly activate bin when the first one is full ensures the most efficient operation of the process without having to worry about separating the worms from the first bin before it's finished 'working'.

There are all sorts of ways of 'finessing' a compost system but I'm not convinced (having exerimented a lot) that anything other than the simplest solution for any given situation is worth bothering with. I have two 'dalek' bins which where acquired at half price via a Council supported scheme, the Brandling (tiger worm) population has grown without any intervention from me and the only thing I do to maintain it, is bag up the the finished compost and then sun dry it on plastic sheeting which drives the worms (those that haven't previously moved to the adjacent active bin) to the level of the sheeting, and I then skim the dry material off and move the worms to the active bin. The compost is suitable for top dressing and potting up - and if I were more carfeul about weed seeds would be adequate for propagation - it's worth remembering that a wormery/mixed system can't achieve the high compost driven temperatures needed to kill seeds. If needed the final product could be added to water to produce a liquid feed, I simply prefer to top dress.

Brandlings will happily survive low temperatures - I've found masses of the 'fry' looking like lumps of 'vermicelli (recursive analogy) frozen solid to the lid of a compost bin - only to be wriggly happily a few hours later in the winter sun. However worms do become inactive below 10C so providing winter insulation - old carpet etc can keep the working harder in the colder months.

CM

Sorry CM, I hadn't seen your post when I posted mine. I really appreciate the advice. Very interesting.

[Deb London]

Originally Posted by nightshade

I was looking at some plastic bowl sieves in a £1 shop, teamed up with a collecting bowl for liquid at the bottom the may make a half decent wormery.
I did notice as well that there are wormeries for around £50, very cheap compared to some. It is interesting just what is out there that could convert quite easily, it is just a case of thinking outside the box, good old google

The god old pound shop eh? I will definitely keeping an open mind and looking around these shops.

Garden waste is recycled by the council. I no longer have to worry - well I have to get something good out of the extortionate CT bill.

[Cotham Marble]

Originally Posted by Deb London

I have two compost heaps that I have never got to work properly. I simply can't get the proportions right, for whatever reason. I'm looking for help.

What is it that 'doesn't work ? Is that the end product isn't as you'd prefer it to be ?

CM