A lot of people on Twitter have been talking lately about Wormeries. They are the perfect solution to those with limited space or who maybe just want to get involved in an interesting and different kind of project.
They seem great way to get started in the world of composting. You can get all manner of shapes and sizes of worm composting bins to suit the largest, or smallest, of spaces.
Many are suitable for indoor (yes, really) or outdoor use. Apart from the obvious advantage of making compost they have a number of other great advantages.
Worm Composting Bins – Advantages
- Can accommodate smaller spaces than a traditional Compost Heap
- Can be set up indoors so you can put all the Kitchen Scraps inside once they are of the right size
- A great Educational Tool for Children. Helps to explain the wonders of Nature
- When working correctly they are odorless
- The “Vermicasts” that the Worms produce are a very high quality soil conditioner, perfect for pot plants or to add to garden soil
- You can add scraps from the Kitchen, but also cardboard, paper etc
- You are greatly adding the number of micro organisms to your soil
Worm farming is also known as vermiculture or vermicomposting and at its most basic level is the breaking down of Organic matter by worms.
The worms themselves are not the same as those found in the Garden soil but rather are normally Red Worms that spend their time nearer to the surface and reproduce a lot quicker than the normal grey worms we are used to.
How To Get Started With Worm Composting Bins
Having spent much of the day looking in to the art of Worm Composting it does not seem too difficult to get started.
You need a few basics.
- A wormery
- Worms
- A Coir bedding base or something similar
- That’s about it!
It seems as long as you stick to the instructions that come with your worm composting bins you should be fine.
The main problem seems to be letting the wormery get too wet. I won’t go in to details but suffice to say, you don’t want to go there!
Personally they seem to me to be a great idea. We have plenty of space here so have no need for one but I think if you have Children, even if you have a conventional compost heap it would definitely be a great project to get them involved in.
Prices have definitely come down a lot lately as well. It seems they have risen in popularity and therefore more sales are being made.
I have set up search links for the US here
Let us know your experiences with a wormery.
Did it go well?
Was it easy?
Is there one you would recommend?
For a more self sufficient future
I have it in my plans to have red worms introduced into my compost, and to raise mealworms for the chickens, but 1/2 of the worms are going to be exposed to beneficial nematodes to toss onto the garden before I till to incorporate the nematodes into the soil. Nems are safe for earthworms!
Bob, that sounds great!
Raising mealworms for the Chickens is a very good idea. Free food for them and a big saving on feed for you. Every little bit helps I think.
That was a good article but you should have gone into more detail,like all of the things worms do. They eat all yor garbage and help reduce the landfill therefore you are reducing the Methane gas given of by the land. For one.
For more info go to http://www.berwickwormfarm.com or today.com wormguy.
Hi Berwick Worm Farm, the article was more of an introduction than anything. I think most people know that they shoud not (if possible) add compostable material to landfill. I merely want to show the many alternatives available for people with limited space. Most councils now have composting systems available to use if you cannot compost.
Hi Mr. Dirty Boots:
Thanks for the post.
As a recent composting convert, I’m something of a Worm Evangelist. You may have read the “how-to” urban composting post at my blog.
Since I have NO outdoor space for composting I use an indoor Worm Condo— don’t laugh, it’s bigger than some NYC apartments.
So far so good–but my family eats an enormous amount of produce. I need to add a second bin ASAP to avoid the, well, you know–stinky factor.
Lorraine’s last blog post..Need an antidote to Bacon Explosion? Try Recipe-Ready Tofu.
Dont forget that the liquid can be used as a fertiliser. I collect mine in empty plastic bottles with screw tops.
MadDeva, thanks for that. A very good point and one people should definitely remember.
Worms do NOT eat all of your garbage- that can be a very stinky mistake. Before I got into Window Cleaning, I had a commercial worm farm. It is not as “set it and forget it” like people think- or the industry likes to perpetuate.
A good and very honest resource is UNCO worm farms out of Racine, WI.
Window Cleaning, thanks for the advice. I am sure it is very helpful to people.
Thans for the Digg as well, much appreciated.
ps… I “Dugg” your blog
Unco, Uncle Jim and Wotms Wrangler are a bunch of crooks. No wonder you went into the window cleaning business.
I have been vermicomposting since April 2009. My primary source of information is http://www.redwormcomposting.com The proprietor of the blog is the most knowledgeable and honest vermiculturist that I have come across yet; I highly recommend that everyone visit his site for research prior to ordering a vermicomposter and worms. He will show you how to prepare, and even how to make your own vermicomposter if you choose!
That said, I have two main comments:
One. Even if you have acreage for large outdoor composting, you need a vermicompost system. Trust me, you will love it! You will get higher quality compost with worms, you will have compost faster than with an outdoor system, and you can compost easily (indoors) regardless of the season.
Two. The liquid that may (or may not) drip from the bottom of a worm bin (usually into a collector tray) is NOT WORM TEA and SHOULD NOT be used to fertilize plants. That liquid is called leachate- it is the liquid byproduct of decomposing organic matter, and it is anaerobic sludge! It is best to put the leachate back in the top of the bin if moisture is needed, or toss it in the outdoor compost bin if your worm bin is wet. Worm Tea is made from finished worm castings, and must be aerated in tepid water (instead of hot-water seeped, as you would drinking teas). It must be kept aerobic from the time it is crumbly castings to the time you spritz it on your plants. If you oxygenate it properly, the beneficial microbes in the castings will actually reproduce in the tea, both fertilizing and protecting the plants from harmful pests.
I wish you and Mrs. DirtyBoots all the success and happiness that comes with living a self sufficient life- and as a novice canner, I look forward to lots of tips on preserving my harvest.
Sara, aka ForestGardenGirl
Forest Garden Girl,
Sounds like you are loving it. Thanks for the advice and information it was very helpful.
I started my worm bin 360 about 6 weeks ago. It started out fine, but now the worms are jumping out! Help..
They should settle down and get used to living in their worm farm but usually any escapee type behavoir would be early on, not after six weeks. Is it out in the rain? If so it could just be there natural reaction to wet weather and trying to prevent themselves drowning by rising up to the surface as they would in the soil.