I'm also massively interested in the wormery. What does it look like? What's special about the worms (over normal garden worms)? How do you know if you're over feeding them (before they die)? How many worms do you need? Do they procreate? I'd love to read more about it in a future post : )
Good news, Terry: I will absolutely be writing about my worms in a future post! But I won't make you wait until then for the answers to your questions. So as you might expect, there are tons of different species of worms. Some are more into burrowing around (great for aerating your soil), and others are more into turning decomposing organic waste into compost.
Since in a wormery we have the luxury of selecting the most efficient worms, the breeders focus on the compost-makers with the biggest appetites and most rapid work-rate. That tends to be the so-called Tiger Worm, though there are others. Once you've got your colony in place, they should just keep doing their thing and breeding away, for as long as the food keeps coming and the conditions remain habitable.
As for a question like 'how much food is too much food?' it's basically just trial and error. You can take a peak inside the wormery and see how the worms are getting on with the last batch of scraps - if they've hardly made a dent, don't feed, whereas if they've gotten through lots of it, then top up the waste material.
In terms of the wormery itself, you can get all sorts of different ones in various colours and sizes. Mine couldn't be more dull. It's a three-tiered black plastic number, round, on little rolly wheels and casters. Hopefully this link works: https://tinyurl.com/34zttweh
Great question, Stuart. The worms are at their most productive when it’s mild out. 15-25 degrees Celsius is supposedly ideal. That means in winter, they would do best in a garage, shed, or cooler part of one’s home (the wormery doesn’t smell). Unfortunately, we don’t have a garage or space for it indoors, and we only have a space-saving tall and narrow shed, so the wormery doesn’t fit in there either. I had no choice but to keep it outside. Fortunately I managed to find a little nook for it in the side return, sandwiched between the back of the house and the side of the shed. That should protect it from the worst of the winter weather. I also stuffed some horticultural fleece in the top layer of the wormery to try to provide a little insulation - not sure whether that’s a thing or not, but doesn’t seem to have done any harm. And finally, I’ve fed them very very little in the past few months. Over-feeding is one of the big killers of these worms, especially during winter when they aren’t breaking the waste down at any particular speed. To summarise: yes it’s ok outside in winter, but does need as much protection as you can offer it
I'm also massively interested in the wormery. What does it look like? What's special about the worms (over normal garden worms)? How do you know if you're over feeding them (before they die)? How many worms do you need? Do they procreate? I'd love to read more about it in a future post : )
Good news, Terry: I will absolutely be writing about my worms in a future post! But I won't make you wait until then for the answers to your questions. So as you might expect, there are tons of different species of worms. Some are more into burrowing around (great for aerating your soil), and others are more into turning decomposing organic waste into compost.
Since in a wormery we have the luxury of selecting the most efficient worms, the breeders focus on the compost-makers with the biggest appetites and most rapid work-rate. That tends to be the so-called Tiger Worm, though there are others. Once you've got your colony in place, they should just keep doing their thing and breeding away, for as long as the food keeps coming and the conditions remain habitable.
As for a question like 'how much food is too much food?' it's basically just trial and error. You can take a peak inside the wormery and see how the worms are getting on with the last batch of scraps - if they've hardly made a dent, don't feed, whereas if they've gotten through lots of it, then top up the waste material.
In terms of the wormery itself, you can get all sorts of different ones in various colours and sizes. Mine couldn't be more dull. It's a three-tiered black plastic number, round, on little rolly wheels and casters. Hopefully this link works: https://tinyurl.com/34zttweh
Where do you position your wormery, Dan? Is it OK outside in winter or is it in a shed or something?
Great question, Stuart. The worms are at their most productive when it’s mild out. 15-25 degrees Celsius is supposedly ideal. That means in winter, they would do best in a garage, shed, or cooler part of one’s home (the wormery doesn’t smell). Unfortunately, we don’t have a garage or space for it indoors, and we only have a space-saving tall and narrow shed, so the wormery doesn’t fit in there either. I had no choice but to keep it outside. Fortunately I managed to find a little nook for it in the side return, sandwiched between the back of the house and the side of the shed. That should protect it from the worst of the winter weather. I also stuffed some horticultural fleece in the top layer of the wormery to try to provide a little insulation - not sure whether that’s a thing or not, but doesn’t seem to have done any harm. And finally, I’ve fed them very very little in the past few months. Over-feeding is one of the big killers of these worms, especially during winter when they aren’t breaking the waste down at any particular speed. To summarise: yes it’s ok outside in winter, but does need as much protection as you can offer it
Show us some photos of the worms! Somehow it seems awkward to meet them by only seeing their worm wee.
Ha! You're so right, how very rude of me. I shall introduce them properly – portraits and all – in a near-future post!