Worm compost – the ‘black gold’ of the fertiliser world. It’s packed full of nutrients and is regarded by experts as the compost king. Investing in a wormery means you can make your own ‘black gold’ at home whilst doing your bit for the environment. A wormery is an efficient, low-maintenance method of home-composting. Often referred to as ‘worm bins’, the clever compartment system of a wormery houses compost worms, which are gifted in the art of turning ordinary kitchen food waste – which we’re all guilty of producing – into Leachate (a liquid feed ‘worm poo’) and Vermicompost (an organic, nutrient-packed compost).
A wormery is an inexpensive, easy way for us homeowners to manage our waste, do our bit for the environment and put a roof over the ‘heads’ of some wormy wrigglers. Granted, we have an ulterior motive as what we’re really doing it for is to have a supply of some incredible ‘black gold’ for our indoor and outdoor plants, but it’s nice to be doing our bit for the planet at the same time!
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Buying a wormery
In terms of size, bigger is better. When you first begin your wormery, you’ll start off with just the one composting tray. The first step is to add worms and bedding, and then gradually start adding food cooked and uncooked food waste. Once you reach the point where the tray is almost full, you add the next tray and so on. The worms will move upwards as you add the additional trays, leaving behind a plentiful supply of Vermicompost and Leachate. You’re looking at about 8 weeks per tray for the process to complete – waste to compost – but believe us when we say it’s definitely worth it!
Although 2 tray systems are available, you ideally want to be going bigger as with only 2 trays you’ll have the top tray filled with food waste whilst the bottom tray will still contain un-composted food so, until the worms are ready to move up, you’d be unable to add any more food waste as there simply isn’t the space. You can tell those worms to eat quicker all you like but it’ll do no good.
In contrast, if you’d gone bigger initially and bought a 4 tray system, by the time the fourth tray is full, the composting process in the first tray should have completed and all the worms have vacated and moved up in search of a fresh feed.
At this stage, you simply empty the bottom tray onto your indoor or outdoor plants and begin the process again.
Building your wormery
Choosing the right spot for your wormery requires careful consideration – compost worms are somewhat sensitive to temperature and so the time of year you purchase your wormery will dictate where you’ll need to put it.
Worm composting is not seasonal – make sure your wrigglers have the right conditions to work in and they’ll graft all year round, however, during the colder months, they’ll need to be ideally inside a shed or garage, or if this isn’t possible and the wormery needs to remain outside, then it’ll need insulating with old carpet or bubble wrap – if the temperature drops below 10°C, your worms will call it a day. They’ll be most active in warm, moist conditions, ideally between 18-25°C.
In contrast, compost worms don’t enjoy extreme heat either. Granted, the UK isn’t known for its tropical summers but you should still avoid putting your wormery in direct sunlight – if the temperature climbs to 30°C you’ll notice a significant decline in activity; go anywhere near 40°C and you’re risking wiping out your complete workforce.
Preparing for your wriggly guests
In the bottom of the first tray, lay about 8-10cm of bedding material, old compost is perfect. Your worms will want a humid layer they can burrow in and begin to digest their food. Place your compost worms on top of their bedding and cover with 8-10cm of kitchen waste. Leave your worms to settle into their new home for about a week without disturbing them.
After the week, little and often is best when it comes to feeding your wrigglers.
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Tips for feeding your kitchen waste
- Worms don’t exactly eat at speed so break down your kitchen waste into small pieces so it’s easier for your wrigglers to tackle.
- Place the food on the top of the compost or bury it just below the surface in different spots; don’t mix it in.
- If you’re noticing the waste is starting to build up, hold off feeding for a few days to give your worms chance to catch up.
What to put on the menu
Worms aren’t particularly fussy, most types of decaying organic matter tend to go down a treat! However, there’s a few to avoid:
| Food types to avoid | More info |
| Fat/grease, dairy, meat, fish and bone | Highly likely to attract unwanted pests and flies |
| Large amounts of vegetation | It’s tough for the worms to get through – it’ll slow the composting process right down |
| Garlic, raw onions, shallots and leeks | Can be added but only in small quantities or ideally cooked first |
| Citrus peel | Can be added but only in small quantities or ideally cooked first |
| Seeded fruit and veg | Seeds are likely to germinate in the wormery – it’s optimum growing conditions! |
What your wrigglers will enjoy:
- Raw & cooked vegetables
- Tea bags, eggshells, coffee granules and small quantities of bread, including the crust
- Small quantities of newspaper, shredded paper and cardboard
- Small quantities of soft garden waste
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Maintenance
Organic decomposing waste generally has a high moisture content. Providing the lid of the wormery is kept secure, it’s unlikely to dry out. You’ll only need to add water if the wormery appears to be drying out.
Once you’re wormery been up and running a good while, you can get away with not adding waste for up to around 28 days. However, your worms will still be composting so bear in mind the Leachate will continue to build up; to avoid a flood, you’ll need to keep draining.
In terms of checking on your wrigglers, less is definitely more. Compost worms don’t like to be disturbed when they’re working! From time to time, either when you’re draining the Leachate or adding waste, gently turn the compost over with a hand fork or trowel to check your worms appear to be in good health and haven’t staged a walk-out!
How to avoid a whiffy wormery
- Don’t overfeed the worms – if too much waste is added for the worms to get through, then the wormery is likely to get a bit pongy. Consequently, this can attract unwanted visitors to your garden – pests such as flies and possibly vermin.
- The general rule of thumb is to wait until the worms start digesting the top layer of waste before adding any more.
- Another potential cause of a whiffy wormery is if it becomes too wet. To avoid this becoming a problem, drain off any surplus liquid and add some shredded newspaper to absorb any excess moisture and increase air circulation.
- If you notice your wormey start to smell, it’s always worth checking if your wrigglers are still alive! All that uneaten waste combined with decomposing worm really isn’t going to smell great!
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use normal worms in my wormery?
No, you cannot use ‘normal’ worms in your wormery. Earthworms live in the soil whereas composting worms live in decaying organic matter; they’re darker in colour than Earthworms and are smaller in size. Composting worms are referred to using various names including brandling, manure, red and tiger worms; to give them their proper titles, the composting worm species are Eisenia Fetida, Eisenia Andrei and Dendrobaena.
How should I use the fertiliser from my wormery?
The Vermicompost can be used as you would a standard compost. The difference being it’s supercharged with nitrogen and potassium!! The Leachate (the liquid drained from your wormey) can be used as a liquid fertilizer on garden plants. Dilute it first (1 part leachate:10 parts water).
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