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What
is worm composting (vermicomposting) and vermiculture?
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. For illustration
we describe the one that we use. |
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Our Wormery.
Click to enlarge.
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Our wormery:
comprises three identical, stackable, circular trays, each with a grid
of holes at the bottom so the worms can pass from tray to tray. Individually
they resemble a garden sieve about 20 inches (50 cm) in diameter. This
dimension is also the overall footprint of the wormery so it can be situated
almost anywhere in the garden. The trays contain the worms and compost
in varying stages of decomposition. The fresh, organic (mostly kitchen)
waste goes in the top section in relatively small amounts every day or
two. The middle section contains fairly well rotted compost and the third,
lower section contains well rotted compost. The top and middle sections
contain most of the worms. When the top section is full, the third section,
which by then contains only fully-composted residue, is emptied and the
compost set aside for use. This empty container is then moved up to the
top position ready to be supplied afresh. and the mat and lid are finally
positioned. Below all of these, at the very bottom, is a further compartment
supported on attached legs; it is a sealed section which gathers the liquid
which seeps through and it incorporates a tap to drain this liquid fertiliser.
The overall height of this structure is about 29 inches (74 cm).
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What are the advantages of a wormery and how can the compost be
used?
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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. |
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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. |
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You can run a wormery whatever the
size of your garden, even if you don’t have a garden |
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Some wormeries are suitable for indoor
use. |
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Wormeries are clean and odourless
(due to the rapid digestion process) |
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They are flexible in use since they
can be purchased in a range of sizes to suit your needs. |
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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. |
What type of worms are in a wormery?
The most common type of worm in a wormery is the Tigerworm also
known as Brandling or Redworm (Eisenia fetida or Rubellis
terrestris). If you have a conventional compost bin, you will probably
have seen Tiger worms, especially around the top. Tigerworms grow very
quickly and reproduce rapidly which is why they are used in wormeries.
They look different from ordinary garden worms being pinkish/red in colour
with a distinctive striped appearance, the red being separated by yellow/beige
bands. The worm secretes a yellow fluid through pores on its body when
it is upset; it is said this could act as a warning to predators.
Other types of worms used for worm composting are: Eisenia Andrei, similar
to the Tigerworm but of a uniform red colour; Dendrobaena, which eat more
than Tiger worms and are larger; and Lumbricus rubellus (Redworms).
George Pilkington, an expert on practical organic
and wildlife gardening and practical vermicomposting, gives lots of relevant
information his site (www.nurturingnature.co.uk/), including identification
of worm species.
What do the worms eat?
The guidelines for what you can put in a wormery are basically the same
as for composting (see our Tips on Making Compost reference page
for more details), however, it’s a good idea to put the items in
a wormery in fairly small pieces. It’s better to feed worms little
and often, rather than fill the wormery up in one go.
We find it helps to mix up the top layer of compost with a hand fork every
few weeks; our belief is that this lets in air preventing the compost
becoming slimy.
What’s good
You can put most types of organic kitchen waste in a wormery, for example:
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many kinds of fruit and vegetables,
peelings, cores (as long as they’re not too big and hard),
but see below for some exceptions; |
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tea leaves and tea bags, coffee grounds; |
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flower heads and soft leaves (not
the stems or hard leaves); |
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torn up paper and cardboard (but
not shiny), and it should be moistened first; this provides fibre
and roughage and helps prevent the compost becoming slimy. If you’ve
got a paper-shredder, this is ideal to cut up paper; |
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pasta, cereal, bread, so we’ve
read but have not tried yet; |
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small quantities of straw, leaves
or grass cuttings, well distributed; |
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hair; human or animal; |
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lime mix, every couple of weeks or
so (commercially available) or fire ashes; |
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worm treats (commercially available). |
What’s not good
Avoid the following, either because the worms hate them or they may harm
the worms:
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all citrus fruit and skins, for example
oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit, clementines, satsumas, mandarins
etc (they are acidic); |
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onions and garlic; |
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we have read you shouldn't put potato
peelings in; |
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food containing fat (a little bit
of vegetable oil won’t hurt) or vinegar; |
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meat; |
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animal manure, unless you are certain
that it does not contain any vermicides (to kill parasitic worms
in the animal) as this will kill your worms. |
How do I start up a worm composter?
You can either buy one or create one yourself. Basically you
need a container, worms, bedding for the worms and then keep supplying
the organic waste.
There are several different types available to buy. If you buy a wormery,
you should receive instructions from your supplier on how to set it up,
get it going and how to maintain it. The value of this support should
not be underestimated if you are a complete beginner.
If you’re keen to create your own worm composter, there are many
sources which can help you, for example the Pauline Lloyd, Vegan News
website (see the link on our Wormeries and Shredders page) provide
what look like fairly simple, straightforward instructions based on a
design from "The Complete Manual of Organic Gardening"
edited by Basil Caplan.
If you look in our Wormeries section on our Wormeries and Shredders
page, there are links to many companies who make and supply wormeries
and who give advice, hints and tips on setting one up.
How do I look after a wormery?
Worm composters do not need a lot of looking after, but there are some
points to watch for best results.
In our experience, the quantity of compost from our wormery is not very
large, but the quality is superb. Also, if you are starting up a worm
composter from scratch, it takes several weeks or months for it to really
get going, depending on the conditions (like temperature), how many worms
you have and what you are feeding them.
There are a few basic guidelines; many of which are mentioned
above.
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Feed the worms the right sort of
food, not too much at a time. |
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Use a variety of foods, mixed to maintain a texture
that is not too dense. |
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Keep in mind that worms are most
active between about 10 to 30 degrees C (that’s 50 to 86 degrees
F). In ideal conditions they can double their population every three
months or so. However, this is not an exact science so don't get
put off by strict temperature control; you may find some of the
following suggestions easy to implement. |
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In the winter, the worms become fairly
inactive below a few degrees C; you could move your wormery close
to the house, into a shed or garage or cover it with a blanket.
If it’s indoors, avoid siting it against a radiator. |
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In the summer, it’s best to
move your wormery into partial shade; worms will die if they become
too hot. However, worm activity increases in warm weather. If the
compost becomes dry, sprinkle or spray some water over the compost;
don’t drench it, but some excess water won’t harm, it
will run through and increase your supply of liquid fertiliser! |
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Even if you go away on holiday, you
don’t have to get family or friends in to feed the worms!
It’s a good idea to make sure the wormery is in the shade
if it’s summer, or protected from frost if it’s winter.
Then put some fresh organic waste on top, not too much so that a
thatch could form, and ensure the compost is covered with a damp
felt mat, newspapers or old towel. The worms will survive a few
weeks if they aren't disturbed. |
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Ensure that a thatch does not form
on the top of the compost; this could prevent air circulating, the
worms could overheat (even die) and the compost could go slimy. |
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You can buy lime mix from wormery
specialists to sprinkle on the compost; this helps to neutralise
acidic food which the worms hate (eg citruses, which really should
be avoided). |
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If you run into problems with your
worm composting, some of the specialists listed on our main Wormeries
and Shredders page may be able to help you. |
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