Talkback: Worm composting all year round - Talkback

17/10/2011 at 16:08

I've got 6 large compost bays that are filled to the top with hemp horse bedding, manure, cuttings weeds etc... Is it best to cover them over the winter with old carpet or tarp? I'd really like to speed up the breakdown of the material so I can use it next spring.

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17/10/2011 at 19:02

I'd cover the bays with tarpaulin, avoiding the carpet unless it's made of biodegradable material. I've learned from experience that it's important not to use the compost until its well rotted. It's worth waiting for. Don't rush it.

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18/10/2011 at 09:34

Thanks will do... off to tuck the worms into bed now!

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18/10/2011 at 09:57

Yes, always cover compost heaps. This does keep in heat on freshly-made heaps, holds in moisture to stop material drying out, but also keeps out heavy rain that can make everything very soggy. I agree with Henrik – don't use old man-made carpets in the garden, particularly those with foamy underlay. This can decompose to pollute your compost and soil.

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19/10/2011 at 11:46

We just got ourselves a second hand wormery and are keen to start composting soon. One other thing I'm looking forward to doing in the spring is making worm tea from fresh casting off the wormery. Plants love worm tea and restores some essential bacteria into the garden that may lessen in time.

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20/10/2011 at 20:34

I have 4 wormerys at home and work and have just set up 2 snailerys which show promise of doing the same job as the wormerys,in the Autumn/Winter the snails hibernate so little composting is done but using snails this way changes them from foes to friends

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21/10/2011 at 08:43

I just love newley made compost from garden waste and always amazed where all these lovely little worms come from. so far I haven't got an actual wormery but the idea is growing on me. Happy gardening every body

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21/10/2011 at 22:03

I have kept a wormery for over 12 years now and love it. They love leftover bread and anything (almost) that my chickens turn their noses up to. If the chickens leave any food at the end of the day, the worms get the food. I fill the top layer with scrunched up newspaper and cover my wormery in bubble wrap over winter.

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23/10/2011 at 08:34

I've never heard of a snailery before!...any more info? I have old stone garden walls and am inundated witht the blasted things. My runner beans in a planter have had hardly any leaves this year due to snails shinning up the sides and onto the bean poles!"

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26/10/2011 at 10:10

is there a way of making a diy wormery. the ones to buy are so expensive.

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27/10/2011 at 17:04

I have been using one of the large sacks builder's suppliers deliver gravel etc in for leaf mould. Fill it up and tie the loops on the top together and wait for next year. Have blog at http://darbishire.blogspot.com/

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27/10/2011 at 17:48

I worry about toxicity in newspaper ink. I don't use it in the compost heap.

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27/10/2011 at 19:34

Do I stack all three trays on the wormery, and which one do I put the worms and food in first? How long can I keep the juice, does it have a shelf life?

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28/10/2011 at 08:47

You start off with one tray on top of the drainage tray and the lid. Put the worms and a little food into it and they will start to make compost. As you feed them more the tray will fill up and you then put the second tray on top of the first and put food in it. The worms will make their way through the holes to the food and soon that will be full, so you add the third tray. When all three are full you remove the bottom one and empty it of compost and put it back on top with some fresh food. I keep my drainage tap open all the time and the worm tea drains out into an old saucepan. It keeps indefinitely I think. It is best to start off your wormery in the spring. I hope that helps, Brijit.

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05/11/2011 at 21:56

I have had a wormery for two years but the compost is always wet. I regularly add torn egg boxes, shredded paper, etc. Where am I going wrong?

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07/11/2011 at 11:24

Worm compost can be very wet, as much of the kitchen waste we usually add is made up of water. Excess moisture should drain down into a sump, and can be removed to dilute and use as a liquid feed. Provided teh worms are happy I wouldn't worry, but try adding a bit more cardboard and newspaper.

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07/11/2011 at 11:47

I've had a wormery for the last year which has slowly been filling up with compost. Please can anyone advise me on how to use the worm tea that comes out of the tap at the bottom . What plants am I supposed to you use it on and in what quantities? All the companies that sell wormeries say it is a fertiliser/feed,but what's in it? If there is any scientific literature out there,I can't find it!!

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14/11/2011 at 12:56

Reply to Jo: This liquid is simply the fluid that was contained within the vegetable material that has run down and been collected. As you'll know, plant tissue is largely made up of water, and this solution will contain a mix of nutrients. The exact composition will vary depending on what you added to your worm bin. It's useful stuff, so I'd suggest using it during the growing season. Just dilute at the rate of about 1 part to 10 parts of water to use on crops, flowers, trees, shrubs, etc.

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28/11/2011 at 18:44

My worms are in all three trays and the sump all of the time why dont they move up?

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