Arrrgh worms are eating my waste!

A quick reminder as to why we need to reduce organic waste going to landfill – as biodegradable waste decomposes in a landfill the bugs feeding on it make methane which is a very bad greenhouse gas.

Plus producing your own compost and plant feed from your own waste then using it in your own garden lowers your carbon footprint.

What is a Wormery?
This uses worms (not your common garden earthworms) to compost down your kitchen waste. Or to put it another way, the worms eat the waste and poop out compost.
All very natural and no methane is produced.
The official title for this activity is vermiculture.

Isn't it just another compost pile?
Even if you have a compost pile there are some things you cannot put onto it – like your kitchen waste. A wormery will compost down ordinary kitchen waste such as peelings, cooked and uncooked scraps, tea bags, coffee grounds, paper kitchen towels, shredded newspaper etc.

Why Worms?
Worms are nature’s way of breaking down this material, so they are the natural choice. The fruit, vegetables and other kitchen waste in the wormery will also attract fruit flies and of course bacteria already present in the environment will also help the composting process.

What kind of worms?
You need different worms from you ordinary earthworm – but don’t worry these are not some kind of bionic vat-grown super worms, there are simply a few species of worm that are better suited to life in a wormery.

This does mean that you will have to order them in from a worm supplier.

The earthworm species (or composting worms) most often used are Red Wigglers (Eisenia foetida) or Red Earthworms (Lumbricus rubellus) and are probably well known to any fisherman because they are sold as bait. You can also find Eisenia Andrei and Dendrobaena, for sale as compost worms.

You’ll need a worm house
There are a wide variety of wormery designs. The simplest are converted rubbish bins and most complex are stacked tray systems. I can see the benefits of the stacked systems as they allow you to get at the compost (in the bottom stack) without disturbing the worms.
Most feature a tap at the bottom to draw off the liquid feed.

What can I put in the wormery?
They accept your ordinary kitchen waste such as peelings, cooked and uncooked food scraps, paper kitchen towels, shredded newspaper, coffee grounds, tea bags, etc. In fact most organic kitchen waste can go into a wormery. Throw in some soil to make a nice home of the worms and give them some grit.

You have to balance the kitchen waste with drier green waste and cardboard/paper to make sure the kitchen waste does not begin to rot before the worms can get to it – the aim is to feed the wormery little and often.

Worms hate this
Don't put any of this in your wormery: citrus fruit and skins; onions and garlic; potato peelings; food containing fat or vinegar; meat; or animal manure.

What do the worms make?
The worms make excellent compost plus a nutrient rich liquid feed, which when diluted with water makes an excellent plant food for house plants, garden flowers, shrubs, vegetables or as a lawn feed.

Treat the worms like the family pet
A wormery even more than a compost pile needs looking after. You need to care for the worms and keep them alive by making sure they are in the right site, not too hot and not too cold; they are getting the right sorts of waste to feed on; they have room to move and breath; they are not getting too wet or too dry. You’ll also need to clean out the wormery every now and again.

If you are about to start a wormery let me know how you get on and if you are an experienced “wormer��? let me know your hints and tips.
Email me at recycling@premierwaste.com