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Worm compost
CariAnn1988
Posts: 18
in Talkback
I've been looking and reading up online about worm composting and decided I am going to give it ago.
Is there anyone who is do this and is it any good?
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Posts
Yes, I have a worm farm. It is very active, but the amount of compost it produces is small, though it produces lots of worm 'juice.'
That reminds me, frost forecast, I must put it in the greenhouse for the winter.
My can-o-worms is several yrs old now.
It lives just outside the back door, so no need always to trot down to the main compost bin with veg waste in rotten weather.
It'll never replace my main compost bins, but does produce 'worm juice' which I collect & store ready to dilute as an excellent, free, plant food.
The resulting compost I either mix into my bigger bins or use as a soil conditioner where am going to plant something.
IME it does take several months to produce a reasonable amount to use.
I dont move mine indoors for winter, but it does have a cover & is actually tucked in a fairly sheltered corner. After the last 2yrs of cold winters, have added a 'boost' of worms to mine. You can also swop worms between a normal active compost bin. (I just couldnt manage, without a catastrophy, to move mine) J.
Thank you. What does the worm juice do and can i just use it straight or do I have to add something to it? (I know I sound thick, but I've never done it before)
It is usually recommended that worm juice is diluted until it looks like weak tea.
I was advised with the kit to dilute the juice one to ten of water. I find it easiest to put a small paint brush bucket under the tap and decant the juice into plastic milk bottles. However, after two mice drowned in the bucket I but a branch in so they could climb out. I did get my brother to make a box for it for the winter, it has a front door for easy care. If it's really cold I cover the wormery with my old emersion jacket. Not a vast amount of compost but lots of juice, I guess it's more of a 'feel good' pastime for me rather than efficient recycling. Definitely helps to chop your peelings small and no onions.
you can use it as a liquid feed in the growing season, or add it to your compost heap. Dilute it in both cases - probably about 1:10 (worm juice: water). Will take a while to get going and probably be very slow now until spring. The compost that worms produce is richer in nutrients than garden compost, so use it to boost normal compost when planting, or as a thinly applied mulch around plants in the border
This may sound crazy but i use my garden recycle bin, I save all my soft garden and kitchen waste from Sept onwards,I buy my worms online, keep topping it up with kitchen waste during winter, then come June I usually have a bin full of compost. Tip it all out and spread it around garden, it has never failed for me/ But if it does fail by the time you need to use the bin again in spring, just put it out for bin men to empty, all you can loose is a couple of pounds sterling that you have paid for the worms. Good Luck.P.S If it isnt working quick enough for you just add more worms.Make your refuse bin work for you during the winter.
Can someone explain to me how worm compost differs from normal rotten in a darlek compost?