Why a wormery is both a green and handy addition to the home
A wormery is a surprisingly tidy and efficient way to recycle your kitchen waste. This compact item can be kept inside your home and worms are fast workers, speedily converting your waste into excellent compost. Most wormeries also have the bonus of producing a nutritious liquid plant feed, known as "compost tea".
According to WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme), 6.7 million tonnes of food is wasted every year - about a third of the food we buy - making a startling impact on carbon emissions. Recycling waste is crucial, saving transport costs and reducing the methane produced by landfill sites. You may have read up on the benefits of composting but why would you bother with a wormery?
What are the advantages?
No garden space required
It's quick - worms are nature's speediest composters, able to eat up to their bodyweight each day
No need to mix and turn waste
No odours or smells
Worms operate effectively with small amounts of waste
Easily add scraps and remove compost with a multi-tray system
Add cooked food - wormeries are sealed so they do not attract vermin
Gain high-quality "vermicompost"
Most wormeries also produce a liquid feed to give your plants an extra boost
How does a wormery work?
Vermicomposting (composting with worms) is surprisingly easy: put worms in place, and they get to work. However, most worms in your garden are deep-burrowing and not suited to wormeries. Specialist composting worms feed on the food just below the surface. Therefore whether you are removing compost from the bottom or adding food to the top, you need never handle the worms.
Of the many species of worm, there are two that are popular composters: Eisenia Fetida (also Red Tiger Worm, or Brandling) and Dendrobaena Veneta (also Dendra), also widely used as fishing bait. Despite their confusing names, these worms are easy to buy and often come with a wormery. Use 500g (approximately 1000 worms), or 1kg per cubic metre.
A simple, low-maintenance process
You can go on holiday for up to a month with no worries; simply add some waste before hand and the worms will look after themselves. There is also no need to add or remove worms once you have set your wormery up: worms balance their reproduction, adapting to the size of your wormery and the amount of waste you add.
Where should a wormery go?
Like humans, worms work best at room temperature. Whether it's in your kitchen or in a garden shed, your wormery should be kept at 10-25 degrees Celsius. If it's outside, consider either moving it indoors or insulating it during cold weather.
How long will it take?
Unlike a compost bin, compost can be ready in just a few weeks. However, if you choose to fill the wormery up this will take up to a year. The majority of waste is released as liquid. This liquid feed is ready within 3 months and can be tapped off each month. It is recommended that you dilute it with 10 parts water before using.
What should go into a wormery?
Like a compost bin, there are two types of waste that can be added - 'greens' and 'browns'. 'Greens' are quick to rot and provide essential nitrogen and moisture. 'Browns' are slower to rot and provide carbon and fibre. Adding approximately one third of 'browns' will prevent compost becoming runny and maintain a more neutral acid level, at which worms function best.
Greens:
Food scraps such as vegetable peelings, fruit, bread and tea and coffee grounds
Garden refuse such as grass clippings
Herbivore faeces such as those of rabbits
Rotted manure
Browns:
Cardboard and paper
Fallen leaves
Sawdust
Straw
Twigs and bark
Other ingredients:
Anti-acid lime mix - add every couple of weeks to improve the activity of your worms as most food waste is slightly acidic
Egg shells - these add valuable minerals and also reduce acidity
Hair
Natural fibres such as 100% wool or cotton
What should be avoided?
Certain foods may be too acidic or attract flies. Fish can be eaten by the worms but may make your wormery smelly; use your discretion and add cooked meats in small quantities. Compostable nappies are more suited to outdoor composting due to the compact size of a wormery.
In general do not add:
Meat, fish and bones
Citrus fruits, garlic and onion
Dairy products
Greasy foods
Weeds with seeds or pernicious weeds
Diseased plants
Disposable nappies
Coal and coke ash
Dog and cat faeces
