|
Make your own wormery
At VermiSell we like to give our customer the option to make or buy a wormery. Here are some instructions on how to build a wormery.
Wormeries make short work of your kitchen waste, turning it into great compost and liquid fertiliser for your plants.
They are ideal if you have a small garden as they don’t take up much space. And it’s easy to make your own. All you need are a few simple things, kitchen waste and some worms!
You will need
A plastic dustbin. A short fat one is better than a tall thin one. Or you can use a large plastic box as long as it has a big surface area.
A drill
Some sand or gravel
Some small wooden slats
Bedding material for the worms, like shredded newspaper or straw.
A plastic tap. You can buy these from most hardware or garden shops.
Wire mesh about 20 cm square
400 compost worms. These are often called brandlings, tiger worms or redworms and are available from most fishing shops or from the suppliers and worm bin manufacturers listed below..
Wet newspapers
What to do
1. Drill a hole for the tap in the bin about 5 to 10cm from the bottom. Don't put it too far up the bin otherwise it won't work properly.
2. Place the piece of wire mesh inside the bottom of the bin so that it covers the inside of the tap. This is so the tap doesn’t get blocked.
3. Drill some breathing holes into the bin lid.
4. Put 5 to 10 cm of sand or gravel at the bottom of the bin.
5. Place the wooden slats on top of the sand or gravel.
6.Put bedding material for the worms on top of the slats and make it damp. You need to make it about 10-15 cm deep
7. Make a small hole in the bedding material and put the worms inside.
How to look after your worms
1. Make sure the container you collect kitchen waste has a lid and keep it on. Otherwise flies will lay their eggs on the food and the eggs will hatch inside the wormery.
2. Always make sure that the waste food scraps are chopped up well.
2. Bury small batches of food scraps in the bedding, slightly under the surface. Spread the patches around the bin rather than putting them all in one area.
3. Put thick sheets of wet newspapers over the surface to keep the light out and moisture in.
4. Only add more food when the worms have finished the last lot. The speed at which the food is processed will depend on the number of worms, the time of year and the type of food added. Never overfeed the worms as the food will just rot, upsetting the worms and making nasty smells!
5. You can keep your worm bin outside but in winter the worms will be warmer (and hungrier) if you keep them inside a garage or shed.
What can I put in my wormery?
Worms like:
coffee grounds and tea bags
fruit
vegetable peelings
cereals
annual weeds (not seed heads)
bread
green leaves
cow/horse manure
Worms don’t like:
meat and fish
cheese
baked beans
rice or pasta
cooked potatoes
grass in any quantity
weed seeds
diseased plant material
cat or dog poo (these can contain human parasites)
Collecting your compost
1. After a few weeks you should be able to collect some liquid through the tap, which you can use as a liquid feed for your plants. It will be quite strong so dilute it with 10 parts water before you give it to your plants.
2. After a few months you can empty the bin and use the compost in the garden. Then just put the worms back and start all over again.
Your wormery questions answered
Q. Why are there are lots of tiny flies in my worm bin?
A. These are probably fruit flies, which commonly occur on rotting fruit and vegetables. They do not harm the compost and are not a health risk. A tight fitting lid will help to keep them out. Burying the vegetable waste as you add it, or keeping it covered with damp newspaper also helps.
Q. I have lots of tiny white worms in my worm compost. Is this ok?
A. These are probably pot worms (enchytraeids). They do a similar job to the worms you put in and are nothing to worry about. They like waterlogged or acid conditions so, if you have lots of them and your own worms are getting fewer, improve the drainage.You can do this by mixing in some shredded newspaper. You can also add a sprinkling of calcified seaweed or rock limestone (dolomite) to correct the acidity.
Newly hatched brandling (tiger) worms are also whitish and only half an inch long. They have a pinkish tinge which helps you tell them apart from pot worms.
Q. Why are there hundreds of worms around the lid of my wormery?
A. They may have run out of food, Or the conditions in the bin aren’t right for them. Worms hate having lots of kitchen waste piled on top of them as this makes things to wet and too acid. They also don’t like fresh green materials as these heat up when they decompose.
Or your wormery may not be draining properly. Check that liquid is not collecting in the bottom of the bin and making the compost too wet.
Q. I am going on holiday. Will my worms be ok if they are not fed?
A. An established wormery can be left for up to four weeks if you give your worms a good feed before you go.
Q My worm bin is mouldy. Am I doing something wrong?
A.Mouldy food is not great for worms as it gets too hot for them. You can help stop waste food from going mouldy by chopping it up into small bits before you put it in. Mixing it in to the worm’s bedding also helps.
If you'd prefer to buy one go to our wormeries section under composting.
|
