Worms / Compost

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*Fluffykitten*

Joined: 03 Dec 2004
Posts: 74
Location: Merthyr Tydfil

Posted: Fri Mar 04, 05 5:03 pm Post subject: Worms / Compost
Hello, Appologies if this is in the wrong place but i was wondering if anyone had tried using worms in their compost bin. I recieved my membership pack from HDRA today and its got some wormery bins in their catalogue. Thought they looked very interesting and im thinking of getting one if the allottment search proves sucessful. Any comments / advice would be gratefully recieved. Clair XX

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45674
Location: Essex

Posted: Fri Mar 04, 05 5:07 pm Post subject:
There is hopefully going to be an article on composting up soon, there are people on here that have used wormeries but I'm not one, I have three of those plastic compost buckets with stuff at different stages and they generate plenty of worms between them.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Fri Mar 04, 05 5:16 pm Post subject:

Try looking here: https://www.forum.downsizer.net/about1332.html

I'm writing the compost article, I'll post it up in here over the weekend for everyone to have a look. I'm aiming the article at people trying to reduce landfill and who don't unnecessarily grow much. There are plenty of other articles that can be covered, composting for the veg garden, making potting compost, leaf mould, wormeries etc...

*Fluffykitten*

Joined: 03 Dec 2004
Posts: 74
Location: Merthyr Tydfil

Posted: Sat Mar 05, 05 8:08 am Post subject:
Thank You

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Sat Mar 05, 05 7:06 pm Post subject:

A worm bin might be better for kitchen waste at home - that's really what they're designed for, and you're not supposed to put large amounts of garden waste in them (I think they can handle the type of waste, but not the volume)

To be honest, I'm not very impressed with mine so far. I have put about 1 weeks waste in it when I first got it after christmas, and its still there, so I haven't really been able to add any more. I know that we produce a lot of kitchen waste (especially in the winter, when we peel lots of root veggies). I know they take a while to get going, and its cold out there, so they have the benefit of the doubt for the moment.

I'm going to make another one in the summer, as I'm sure we could easily keep it going, but I'll be keeping the compost heap as well (humph - was going to plant rhubarb there instead!)

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Sat Mar 05, 05 7:09 pm Post subject:
They should get going when it warms up. I don't think they like it if the bin is in full sun during the summer though.

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Sat Mar 05, 05 7:23 pm Post subject:

No, they don't - my mum fried all hers! They're on the patio on a north wall, so they'll be OK in the summer. I'd have moved them to the south wall for the winter, but then they'd be blocking the path (damn stupid ornamental garden design!)

They are a lot more settled than they were - they sulked in the sump, and then tried to escape out of the lid (just because it rained!) and then hid in a big ball in the middle. Now they have bubble wrap insulation, and a raincover, they are a bit happier, but I think they're still cold in this cold snap! I have faith (and nothing else to do with them!)

The soil in the garden didn't defrost today - I was trying to put stakes in and waited all day for it to thaw out!

Blue Sky

Joined: 30 Jan 2005
Posts: 7658
Location: France

Posted: Sat Mar 05, 05 8:51 pm Post subject:
No offence, but you wanna come live here in "Massif Central" ..... we have had nowt but snow and frost for weeks! Never mind, I would be very interested to know how your wormery goes as we have plans for one ourselves once the (dreaded) cold weather departs Keep us updated all you "wormers" out there S

Gertie

Joined: 08 Jan 2005
Posts: 1638
Location: Yorkshire

Posted: Sun Mar 06, 05 8:29 am Post subject:
Went to the library yesterday, got an interesting book out on composting - I fancied making a wormery because we have loads of that type of worm in our muck heaps at present. Something else to add to our long list of tasks!

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Sun Mar 06, 05 11:44 am Post subject:

I would definatley reccomend waiting until it worms up (sorry!) as I think they get kick started a bit in the spring.

As they are essentially very simple things, I would also reccommend you join hdra, and they will send you their building instruction booklet for womeries. Much cheaper than buying one, and a lot easier to incorporate insulation (which it sounds like you might need!) There are some good instructions on the web somewhere too. I'll try and dig them out. Although if you have an outbuilding or garage for them to live in, they might be more effcient. Apparently, you can buy the worms from bait shops.

gavin

Joined: 10 Feb 2005
Posts: 93
Location: Leeds, W Yorks

Posted: Sun Mar 06, 05 11:45 pm Post subject:
Any help, folks? https://www.troubleatmill.com/wormbin.htm All best - Gavin PS I got the boxes - but then filled them with books and kids' toys

mochyn

Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales

Posted: Mon Mar 07, 05 10:49 am Post subject:
We have a splendid wormery and use the compost from it for seeds. The worms are greedy and very active, although they slow down in winter. The liquor from the sump is also useful as liquid fertilizer. Three cheers for the worms, I say!

Tristan

Joined: 29 Dec 2004
Posts: 392
Location: North Gloucestershire

Posted: Mon Mar 07, 05 12:27 pm Post subject:

gavin wrote:

Any help, folks? https://www.troubleatmill.com/wormbin.htm

All best - Gavin

PS I got the boxes - but then filled them with books and kids' toys

Nice link, I'd wondered about making one from those inspection cover rings that are lying about on almost every new estate, fiddly tho'. that one looks dead easy.

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Mon Mar 07, 05 7:18 pm Post subject:
That's the one - I'm going to make it out of polystyrene boxes for insulation (if they are strong enough with the bottom cut out) Mochyn, are your worms doing anything at the moment. Mine don't seem to be. I thought it was just cos it was cold, but maybe I'm doing something else wrong

Blue Sky

Joined: 30 Jan 2005
Posts: 7658
Location: France

Posted: Mon Mar 07, 05 7:42 pm Post subject:

gavin wrote:

Any help, folks? https://www.troubleatmill.com/wormbin.htm

All best - Gavin

PS I got the boxes - but then filled them with books and kids' toys

Thanks Gavin - that is a heck of a link - and a heck of a worm composter.

I did it the other way round to you tho' .... our kids have loadsa' boxes for books and toys (stackable type) so I chucked the toys in cardboard ones and nicked their bins

... sorry, had to be done (priorities and all that)

Thanks again for the link

S

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