Making your own small scale wormery

[Dave H]

Dale. Only as in peelings with the fruit and veg although i have just cut up the odd apple or just a plumb . You dont tend to get much fruit unless you want to be down the market but it wets the soil so it all helps . Putting peelings in is best done in the summer as it takes a while to break down in the winter as the worms go into hibernation.Too much food in the winter is where many really go wrong as they think the opposite as being cold they will eat more but its the opposite. Here is a list i picked up. Some of it is quite surprising.

Vegetables

Vegetable Peelings (Potato Skins Take Ages to Rot Down)

Onions

Citrus Fruits

Fruit / Peel

Coffee / Tea Bags

Bread

Pizza

Rice

Pasta

Flowers (if shop bought - ensure no insecticides are present)

Cereals

Crushed Egg Shells

Cakes/ Biscuits

Sugar

Cheese

Cardboard / Paper

Pet Human Hair (this takes ages to rot down)

Hoover Contents

Baked Beans

Pet Faeces (Rabbit / Gerbil Etc)

[Dales]

It's mostly lobs that don't like fruits....too acidic you see. Brandlings are fine with it and redowrms seem OK.

Cheers Andy

 

Does any one know if fruit is bad for Dendras? as they are the ones I have in my wormery.

[Dales]

Thanks Dave, there are a few odd ones on the list. Onion was another I had heard was bad for a wormery. Not sure I fancy adding pizza, pasta, baked beans etc.

 

I think I will stick with the veg peelings, cardboard, egg shells and tea bags.

[lutra]

Outside is fine but best out of full sun. Garages can be a good place as they tend to have a stable tempature.

 

Don't block the hole in the bottom up as good drainage is important. A few more holes and some gravel in the bottom will also help. Any liquid that comes out tends to smell but watered down 10-1 makes good plant food.

 

Some fruit is fine but if you go mad with it you will make it very wet and slimmy. Straw or shreaded news paper are good to add with fruit if you want to put a lot in or just need to dry it up.

 

Not sure why you would need a wormery if you have a good composte heap full of redworms.

 

 

[Dave H]

Thanks Dave, there are a few odd ones on the list. Onion was another I had heard was bad for a wormery. Not sure I fancy adding pizza, pasta, baked beans etc.

 

I think I will stick with the veg peelings, cardboard, egg shells and tea bags.

That's what i thought Dale i definately thought that was a No No. Sounds like you are sticking to the right stuff. Be careful of peelings as they take quite a while to beak down. Best feed them in the Summer

[Phone]

Dales,

 

http://www.wormcity.co.uk/wormfaq.htm

 

Phone

[tinca steve]

Steve, the worms aren't that local, so a good supply in the garden would be much more convenient. Where do you keep your bins steve, outside i'm assuming? Do you just add food waste to it like teabags and veg peelings? Do you add much water to it?

 

Thanks

My bins have lids on but I also have a layer of underfelt on top of the waste, I suppose you could use a bit of carpet - without any foam on the back by the way.

 

Also when you put veg waste - NOT ONION- it has enough water content.

My bins are constantly in the shade of my shed, outside on concrete, and are renewed every year. The soil is brilliant for the garden , my Dahlia's love it.

[fisherman dave]

My Dad has a wormary, he feeds them with mashed potato !! however the biggest problem he has had is, if it gets too damp they can easily escape, even through the smallest hole in the lid.

 

I am led to believe that the liquid drained off makes great plant fertilizer

[Dave H]

I tend to put the food waste all in one corner. It seems to attract them all to eat quicker

[tinca steve]

You can feed them, if no veg waste is available, with porridge oats made only with water, no milk, salt,sugar or honey though.