Wormery

tom riordan · Mar 25, 2004

I made myself a wormery last autumn out of a five gallon plastic barrell with holes drilled all over it for ventilation, I stuck a handfull of dendebrena's in and a few lobs for good measure. Now I have had a population explosion so I need something bigger. Has anyone got any hints or tips on making wormerys? I have space at the bottom of the Garden about 2metre square.

Baz · Mar 25, 2004

Tom,
I made my wormery out of old pallets.
I put four corner posts in first, then I stripped the pallets and nailed them to the posts with a gap of about 1 inch between them. I then put a couple of old flagstones on the bottom to keep most of the weeds out but left gaps for drainage. After that I just keep topping up with compost potato peelings etc and cover it with a bit of old carpet to help keep the heat in wnter.

tom riordan · Mar 25, 2004

Nice one baz I will try that out tomorrow, I have a few old grow bags I can empty into the bottom to give them something to dig around in and make it easy for me to fish em out. It surprised me how quick they multiplied, It was only a few leftover worms from a fishing trip and now I have a small colony on my hands.

Nick Austin 2 · Mar 25, 2004

this is interesting... hope more people comment.... so, how did you start off tom / baz?

Dave German · Mar 25, 2004

I'd make 2 smaller ones, the problem with bigger compost heaps is they get to hot, great for making compost, terrible for worms, if you make 2 or even 3 long narrow bins with a gap between each 1 and put them on another pallet for a base not only will they keep cool you can keep a different type in each box. My boxes are 3 x 2 x 2'6" high and 4 of these produce about 3000 reds a year.

Baz · Mar 25, 2004

Tom/Nick,
To build my wormery up with compost I first put some leaves in the bottom, also grass cuttings. I got one bag of manure, horse is better as it is hotter and helps to rot the other materials down faster, more grass cuttings on top of that to try and layer it, and all your veg peelings go on whenever you get them. I dug a couple of dozen lobworms up from elsewhere and put them on with a tub or so of red or dendrabinas. Some worms won't go well together, I think it's reds and lobs that don't mix well. Maybe someone else can clarify that point.Well rotted horse manure is great for redworms as is pig manure.

Baz · Mar 25, 2004

Keep it damp to help it rot down and start off better. You should get all the worms you want.

Nick Austin 2 · Mar 25, 2004

cool.... i have an unlimited supply of horse manure.... so... build a box,.. with some ventilation, bottom layer of leaves,cuttintgs.. then add horse manure and all my veg peelings?..

is it best to let the thing get going before putting any worms in. AND..

Do i need to seal it at the bottom, to stop the worms from digging back down into the soil?..

tom riordan · Mar 25, 2004

I went chubbing last autumn and I usually can get lobworm at work but I decided to by a tub of dendrabenas ?8 for a 1/4lb, the chub werent interested in the worms so basically I brought the worms home and I stuck them into a half bag of compost thinking I would use them the following week. I got hold of an old plastic home brew barrel, drilled a load of ventilation holes in it, tipped in the compost and a worm farm was born, I feed them on potatoe peelings and banana skins,water the compost once in a while so it stays damp, no mess, no smells, no noise - perfect pets, now how about a few good recipes. I would say since mid september I have had six times the amount I started with, and there are as much again in the barrel, also I have found that dendrabenas and lobworms coexist quite happily in the same enviroment so whenever I get a few lobworms I chuck them in. The cold this winter never bothered them although I am a bit concerned about them being in a plastic barrell when the weather warms up hence my original posting. Phew my longest posting so far, Ive been lurking around the forum for about a year now and I have only just been brave enough to start posting replies, I have not had my head bit off yet.

jp · Mar 25, 2004

Too many worms?

Go fishing more often. :0)

Baz · Mar 25, 2004

Nick/Tom,
Don't seal the bottom off as it will need to drain, also any worms under the wormey will tend to come up into the compost rather than go down. Nick you don't have to wait for it to rot down. You can also put a layer of soil on top and put the worms in straight away.Once you have built it up, a regular topping of veg waste will keep it going.
Tom,
I used to be a bit frightened of posting, but no one on here will bite your head off, I've never seen it yet. But lets face it, does it really matter if they do?or if anyone makes a mistake in what they print.
Back to the worms.
I usually find most of the worms towards the front of the compost heap or down the sides, especially in winter.Start a wormery now and it should be good for summer. Like you said Tom, it's amazing how quickly they multiply.

Stuart Bullard 3 · Mar 25, 2004

The only thing I remember reading is to not mix your worms......as per your drinks!

Not sure how valid this is but I am sure I read it somewhere.

Nick Austin 2 · Mar 25, 2004

sound advice, definately gonna have a go!...
TOM.. baz's comments were spot on, PLEASE contribute whenever you feel like passing comment, whatever the circumstance.... you will find you are well recieved by the regulars here.....

jason fisher · Mar 25, 2004

i think dendras feed on leaves
lobs on grass
and really good reds on horse manure if that's any help.

Keith Miller · Mar 26, 2004

Don't add grass clippings to a compost heap in any quantity as they generate too much heat.
Dendrabenas survive and multiply in compost heaps. Reds in dung heaps. Lobs in leaf mould.
I emptied my compost heap last week to the veg garden and picked out all I could, together with the little white immature worms to add to my new heap.
I have also had trouble in the past with moles, to combat these I have a layer of chicken wire on the ground and the heap is contained in an old concrete coal bunker. This keeps out rats that were attracted to my windfall apples. I keep it covered with carpet and remove a side panel to access the worms.

Paul Christie 2 · Mar 26, 2004

I have got one of those plastic compost containers, with a lid and a spade whole at the bottom.
I tipped in some red worms that I had left over and they too seem to have thrived.

However, I too have kind of done this by accident and I am not sure if my accidental success will continue?
I was putting in grass cuttings and peelings, leaves etc and have continued to do so, since chucking the reds in.

However, should I stay away from adding lobs worms?? and should the reds continue to thrive or was I just lucky over last summer?

Simon Firth · Mar 26, 2004

Great thread this one! This may be a really stupid question, but do you have to keep the wormery outside or would it be OK in a cellar???

Baz · Mar 26, 2004

Paul,
Your reds should continue breeding ok each year, and they like their compost a bit on the loose side. As for the lobs they seem to prefer upturned turfs of grass which is a bit more firmer. Try putting leaves manure veg peelings in one half and the firmer stufff like soil or turfs of grass in the other. Don't be to fussy though.
Simon,
The wormery is better outside so it can be kept moist more naturally,although I have seen them in old buildings under the likes of wet timber and rubbish.

Phil Hackett 2 · Mar 27, 2004

Guys many of the answers your looking for regarding worms, their keeping, food, etc are on the net, if care to look for it.

Type worms and/or worm forums in a search engine and whole wriggly world opens up.

What most anglers don't realise is that wrom composting is now cutting edge science regarding recycling, as my mate from my university days keeps telling me every time we go for a pint in the City. And he should know, as he's one of the top bods in this feild

tom riordan · Mar 27, 2004

I boil a couple of potatoes now and then, cool em, mash em, and feed to the worms. They also get rid of used teabags. Ive read somewhere citrus fruit and onions kill the worms both probably being to acidic. I think lobworms thrive in a damp soil but dendabenas like to be in a wetter soil, my dendabrenas seem to be deeper in the barrel buried in a layer of pebbles I use as drainage and the lobs are always higher up in the barrel.

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