Ok so this is my first proper blog and today I will be writing about wormeries. Why? Because it’s a new adventure I’ve started around two weeks ago.
Firstly I’ll tell you all about wormeries, this is information I’ve gathered from the net. Hopefully this will give you a good overview in case you want to setup your own wormery.
As my wormery is only up and running for the last two weeks I’ll need to create a new blog down the road with my progress and post some pictures.
Ok let’s go.
What is worm composting
Worm composting, or vermicomposting, is ‘the process of using earthworms to break down kitchen and garden waste, to create faster than normal composting. Compared to ordinary soil, the earthworm castings (the material produced from the digestive tracts of worms) contain five times more nitrogen, seven times more phosphorus and 11 times more potassium. They are rich in humic acids and improve the structure of the soil’ (Ref: www.wikipedia.org, Jan. 2006).
Vermiculture is the rearing of worms for the purpose of making compost, to improve the condition of soil.
Worms have evolved into efficient, natural composters; they never sleep so are producing compost all the time. In the right environment, they eat and digest between half and all of their body weight in a day (depending on the types of worms, the quality of the plant material and the environmental conditions), converting this plant waste into nutrient-rich worm casts; this process quickly reduces the bulk of the organic waste, by up to about 80%
What is a wormery
A wormery is an easy-to-use, efficient construction to house the worms and the plant food so that they can convert organic kitchen waste into a bio-rich, high quality compost and concentrated liquid feed, taking advantage of their natural ability to digest relatively large quantities of organic waste.
Typically, a wormery is an enclosed unit with several separate, but linked, compartments containing live worms together with the organic waste you supply, and a mixture of processed compost in varying stages of decomposition. Usually the uppermost compartment is topped with a simple, degradable blanket to retain the warmth and it should be kept moist. This can be fibre matting, old fibre carpet underfelt (not the latex type), old towels, newspapers or similar. The enclosure is completed with a lid perforated with tiny breather holes.
Wormeries can be sited indoors or outside as they are odourless and hygienic (if a wormery smells, then it is not functioning properly!). Our experience of siting a wormery inside, in the utility room, was short lived because many of the worms escaped and the floor was littered with them. How they got out is not clear because the sections fitted quite tightly together; nor can we understand why they should want to get out, but they did. We didn't like it so we moved the wormery outdoors. There are several different types of wormery on the market, including indoor types
This is a picture of the one I’m using
• | What are the advantages of a wormery and how can the compost be used? About a third of household waste is organic, so if this is recycled as compost (by using a wormery or otherwise), you are reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill. |
• | A wormery not only produces top quality, fine compost, but it also generates concentrated liquid fertiliser. This can be used as a liquid feed (usually diluted with water) for outdoor and indoor plants, thus reducing the need for chemical fertilisers. |
• | You can run a wormery whatever the size of your garden, even if you don’t have a garden |
• | Some wormeries are suitable for indoor use. |
• | wormeries are clean and odourless (due to the rapid digestion process) |
• | They are flexible in use since they can be purchased in a range of sizes to suit your needs. |
• | Because it is so rich, normally the worm compost is mixed with other materials and consequently can be used in many different ways in the garden or special containers.
For example you can:
* mix it with other ingredients to make your own potting compost;
* use it in the ground, in planting holes for flowers, shrubs etc.;
* mix it with other compost, in hanging baskets, tubs and pots outside in your garden, on the patio, in your front or back porch, in window boxes etc;
* mix it with other compost for potting indoor plants;
* add it to poor soil to improve it’s quality |
Well that’s the ins and outs of it so fingers crossed and let’s hope my worms like their new home and provide great compost.
As I said before I’ll post another blog with pics and share the results over the coming weeks.
Please leave a comment if you have any experience on the subject.
Until the next time
The Gaff Man
