Wormery FAQ
All about Wormeries
What happens if I go on holiday?
Can the worms get out of the bin?
Why are the worms gathering around the lid?
Will they survive the cold winter?
How long does it take until I get compost?
How do I get the compost out of the wormery?
What do I do with the compost?
What can I do with the liquid from the wormery?
How do the worms eat the food?
If a worm is cut in two will I then have 2 worms?
There aren’t just worms in my bin, what are the other creatures in there?
A wormery is a box system of worms that eat leftover food and turns it all into compost.
The worms eat away at the food and the bi-product that is produced (worm poo or vermicompost) is excellent feed for your garden. The worms also produce a liquid called leachate which is also a nutritious feed for your garden and house plants.
There are many wormeries on the market which all have benefits. The Can o Worms is available at a subsidised price of £60 from www.recyclenow.com/compost. The Can o Worms has 3 trays that act as layers therefore it does make harvesting the compost easier.
You don’t need a garden to have a wormery as the unit is self contained and is best kept by the back door or somewhere within easy reach of the kitchen. Womeries don’t smell so they can even live on balconies.
Worms will eat leftover food scraps along with other organic material such as paper, card, and egg shells.
Here is a list of do’s and don’ts to feed your worms; remember, if in doubt, leave it out.
Worms can eat; |
Worms can’t eat: |
Fruit and vegetable peelings Leftover cooked fruit and veg Coffee grounds Tea bags Rice Pasta Pizza Biscuits Cakes Baked beans Bread Hoover contents Cereals Paper and cardboard* Egg shells* Small amount of dead flowers
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Meat Fish Bones Garlic Onion Diary products such as milk, cheese, butter Eggs Salt Oils Spicy food such as curry Poisonous plants weeds Grass or lawn cuttings – if more than a couple of handfuls it heats up the wormery too much. Non biodegradable material such as plastic or metal Pet faeces Nappies
|
*Paper, card and egg shells are high in fibre which the worms need.
If you start with a kilo of worms they will consume up to 500g per day. Worms can eat up to half their own body weight each day. You may find it convenient to fill up a little kitchen caddy and then take that to the wormery every few days as the worms need the food to be slightly mouldy before they start eating.
What happens if I go on holiday?
The worms don’t need to be fed everyday so they will be happy munching on the food that is in there for a few weeks before they need more. If you are going away for a long period of time then leave some damp shredded cardboard in there before you go.
Wormeries tend to smell earthy and this is a good sign that your wormery is healthy. If there is a smell then it probably means you are feeding them something they don’t like or feeding them more than they can eat. This means that the food then begins to rot without oxygen (becomes anaerobic).
Can the worms get out of the bin?
No because a wormery is sealed container so there is no way of them escaping however if they are gathering on the inside of the lid then check the following;
- Is it raining? (see following question)
- Has the wormery become anaerobic? (Without oxygen). If you think that the womery has become anaerobic then simply add some damp shredded cardboard and mix the rubbish up a little to add oxygen to the mixture.
- Is the mixture too acidic? Egg shells are good for neutralising and worms love them as they are gritty.
- Check what you have fed them, food such as citrus fruit and onions are really bad for them.
Why are the worms gathering around the lid?
Worms are sensitive to weather changes. To ensure survival they will climb up when it rains to save themselves from downing. Equally if the lid is off they will bury down as they are sensitive to sunlight.
No. Worms control their population depending on how much you feed them. If you feed them lots then they will multiply therefore there isn’t the need to add more. Usually your wormery will contain 15,000-20,000 worms after 2 years.
Will they survive the cold winter?
Worms will slow down during winter so you may need to reduce the amount of food you give them. They will keep warm in their bedding but you could wrap an old carpet round the bin or keep it in a garage or shed during the cold months.
How long does it take until I get compost?
It depends how much food you feed them but usually it will take an average of 6 months. It also depends when you start your wormery; if you start it in the winter then it could take a little longer as the worms are slow eaters during winter.
How do I get the compost out of the wormery?
You will know when your wormery is ready to be harvested because all the worms will be at the top searching for more food which means they have eaten everything further down the bin.
If you have a Can o Worms then all you need to do is take away the bottom tray. In theory there shouldn’t any worms in this tray but you will inevitably find a few. Separate these worms from the compost along with any odd bits of food that the worms may not have eaten and put back in the system. Once you have done this put the working tray/s (that have the food in) back onto the bottom of the wormery.
If you have a different system other than the Can o Worms then follow the instructions for your bin. It may be that if you don’t have a tray system then you will need to empty the whole bin and separate out the compost..
What do I do with the compost.
The compost from your wormery will be very high in nutrients and can be dug into borders or used for potting plants, hanging baskets, house plants etc. Your garden will bloom!
What can I do with the liquid from the wormery?
Many wormeries have a sump at the bottom where all the liquid gathers. There is usually a tap on the wormery to ensure easy access. The liquid is actually leachate and is very high in nutrients and very good for feeding your plants. It is highly concentrated so dilute with 10 parts water before putting it on your plants.
How do the worms eat the food?
Worms don’t have teeth; instead they digest the food by grinding it together. Worms need to the food to be slightly mouldy before they are able to munch on it, so don’t worry if the worms don’t eat the food straight away.
If a worm is cut in two will I then have 2 worms?
It depends on where the worm has been chopped in half. A worm can grow a new tail but cant grow a new head.
There aren’t just worms in my bin, what are the other creatures in there?
After a while you will notice other creatures in your bin such as tiny white spiders, spring tales and white worms. These are all normal and are actually helping with the composting process.
Fruit flies (very small brown flies) can be a nuisance although they are not doing any harm to the worms. You may find a big flurry of them when you take of the lid which isn’t very nice so to help eliminate this make sure that the wormery lid is always on and cover the top with a layer of carpet to stop flies from laying their eggs on the food. The flies are attracted to the fruit and vegetables that are in your bin so you will struggle to get rid of them completely.
Slugs and snails should be removed as some species will eat worms. Other than that most of the creatures that are in your bin are there to aid the composting process so leave them to munch!
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