Worm composting
Worm composting is an efficient method of turning kitchen waste and small amounts of garden waste into nutrient-rich compost and a concentrated liquid fertiliser. However, it is not a substitute for conventional composting.
What is a wormery?
A ‘worm bin’ or ‘wormery’ usually consists of at least two compartments; a lower collection sump for the liquid and an upper composting area where the kitchen waste goes in and the worms actively work. However, single compartment wormeries can be also used.
The worms used for composting are known by various names; brandling, manure, red or tiger worms. These include the species Eisenia foetida, E. andreii and Dendrabaena veneta. Composting worms live in decaying organic matter, whereas earthworms are soil dwellers. They are smaller and darker red than the common earthworm, Lumbricus terrestris, which is unsuitable for using in worm composting.
Starting a wormery
A wormery is relatively easy to establish though a few points need to be considered.
Conditions required
- Worms are most active in warm moist conditions, ideally between 18-25ºC (64-77ºF)
- Their activity noticeably declines below 10ºC (50ºF) and above 30ºC (86ºF)
- A wormery should be kept in a shed or a sheltered area of the garden where it gets neither too cold in the winter nor too hot in the summer
- If thinking about keeping wormeries in the kitchen, utility room or on the balcony, consider that when neglected they can sometimes produce odours
- Composting worms prefer a pH of between 6.5-7.0, and well-ventilated conditions to live in
- They will not tolerate extreme acidity and dislike being waterlogged because this restricts their supply of air
Using your wormery:
- In the bottom, place an 8cm (3¼in) layer of moist ‘bedding material’ such as old compost or coir if it is provided by the supplier. This creates a humid layer in which the worms can burrow and begin to digest their food
- Add the composting worms
- Cover with no more than 8-10cm (3¼-4in) layer of kitchen waste
- Leave for about one week to allow the worms time to settle into their new environment
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How to set up a wormery
Find out how to set up your own wormery for a source of nutritious compost and plant food.
One of the most efficient ways of recycling kitchen waste is to use a wormery, or worm bin. These purpose-built containers house a colony of brandling worms, which consume fruit and vegetable waste, producing a nutritious worm compost.
As well as producing a rich compost, wormeries also generate a nutritious liquid fertiliser. Vegetable waste is largely made up of water, and this will drain down through the bin to collect in the bottom. The resulting liquid can be retrieved through a tap in the base of the bin. It’s a good idea to keep the tap permanently open and collect drips in a bottle or bucket below.
A wide variety of wormery kits are available to buy. Most of them consist of three or four modular trays placed on top of each other. As the worms consume the waste in the bottom tray, they move up to the next one. Simply remove the bottom tray to access the worm compost, rinse it and place it on the top, and continue to add fresh veg peelings.
Wormeries are easy to set up, but if yours is delivered by post, make sure you set up the bin within two days, as the worms may not survive if they are not quickly transferred into their bedding.
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Worm Composting: How to Make a Wormery
9 August 2019, written by Benedict Vanheems 
Wonderful, wondrous wiggling worms are the starting point to healthy soil and awesome compost. A healthy compost heap is full of them, but there is another way to turn kitchen scraps and weeds into nutrient-dense goodness: by using a wormery.
Wormeries, or worm composters, use special composting worms to turn kitchen waste into nutrient-dense compost and liquid fertiliser. They don’t smell, take up very little space, and are a great way to introduce children to the wonders of worms. Use one as a standalone composting solution for courtyard or balcony gardens, or as a complement to a traditional compost heap or bin.
How a Wormery Works
A wormery is typically made up of at least two compartments. The bottom compartment collects the liquid, which can be drained off to use as liquid feed for your plants. The top compartment is where the worms live and where you’ll put your kitchen scraps to feed them. This is also where your compost, or worm castings, will be made. A lid keeps everything from drying out or becoming flooded by rain showers.
Two compartments will work, but using a third compartment makes it easier to collect the worm compost.
Holes in the bottom of both the middle and top trays ensure that the liquid produced by the worms can percolate down into the collection tray at the bottom. And once a tray is full, the holes enable worms to migrate up into a new tray, so that compost from the vacated tray can then be harvested.
Making a Wormery
Choose trays or boxes to make your wormery with. We’re using plastic boxes about about 16x20in (40x50cm) and fairly shallow at just 8in (20cm) deep. You’ll also need a simple plastic water barrel tap, a drill and drill bits, and a lid for the top tray.
You’ll also need some worms of course. Don’t be tempted to use worms from the garden – they’re great for tunnelling and improving your soil, but not so quick at composting. You can order composting worms online. We’re using a lively mix of European nightcrawlers and tigerworms capable of eating twice their bodyweight a day!
So let’s assemble the wormery, starting with the bottom tray. Carefully cut out or drill a hole to snugly fit the thread of the faucet. Fit it as low as possible in the tray so that liquid isn’t left at the bottom when you drain it off. Screw it tightly into position then secure with the back nut. You can raise the wormery up on bricks to make it easier to drain off the liquid into a container.
Drill quarter-inch (half-centimetre) holes approximately every two inches (5cm), right across the bottom of both top trays. Drill a single row of holes near the top of the two trays at the same size and spacing. These holes will help to improve airflow, creating a healthier environment for your worms.
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Videos
A 40-foot worm bin at Apricot Lane Farms:
