Thursday 25 June 2015

I've Got Worms

*BACKDATED from August 2014*
And I got them through the post!
I have been thinking about getting a wormery for a while. My mum had one years ago and it was amazingly useful and her vegetables certainly appreciated it!
For those not familiar with the idea of a wormery I shall attempt to explain. It is basically a large plastic bin with some worms in it. You add your kitchen scraps and garden clippings in at the top and the worms break it all down turning it into compost and a liquid fertiliser. Job done!

Ok, so, the original plan was to get my mums old one but after inspection it was a little worse for wear so, as a late birthday present she bought me a new one! Hurray! Well, she gave me some money and told me to order what I needed!

I searched various locations to purchase but kept coming back to "The Original Wormery" company. They were the makers of my mums one, so I knew what I was buying and they certainly seemed to know their stuff.

They offer a wide range of sizes and shapes depending on what you are after, how many people in your house. There is even one for dog poop! I considered this but as this can't be used on vegetables it isn't the best use of my money. But if you have a dog and a passion for flowers then this is definitely a possibility.

So after much reviewing of their products I settled on "The Original Wormery". It seemed to cover our needs the best. You get the Wormery itself, the worms, some lime mix and full instructions.

Waiting for it to arrive seemed like it took forever, sitting by the window. Waiting. Waiting.

While we are waiting I'll tell you more about the Wormery. The worms themselves are not your common earthworms, like the kind you find in the garden. They are called Tiger Worms. There are various varieties that would work in a Wormery but the Tiger Worm is chosen because of their ability to adapt to a variety of conditions. They also have a good composting rate, which is obviously a big plus!

And they are all pretty and stripey! Pretty for a worm anyway!

 

 

When it arrived it came literally as is! Just with some cellophane wrapped around it! Postman must've been scratching his head over this one!

(Use film trailer deep voice) The item came with everything pictured here!

Set up was very basic, even I managed it! I had to insert a plastic 'platform' into the base. This allows the liquid fertiliser to drain through and keeps your worms up and out of it. It was just a case of sliding it in! The tap at the front needed screwing in. And that was as technical as building it got!

Next was to set up the worms. Again, very simple. Placed a sheet of paper on the platform and emptied them, and their bedding (soil) into a pile in the middle of it. Next a handful or two of kitchen scraps on top. That's it! Wormery set up!

It is nessecary to leave the worms to it for about 6-8 weeks, only adding one handful of kitchen scraps per week. After that the colony is established and you can add your scraps as and when!

This Wormery can be kept indoors as it is pong protected but we just don't have the space inside so it is outside the kitchen door. I propped it up on some bricks to make draining the liquid off easier. You can buy a specific base but this does just fine! It is not as wobbly as it looks, I promise!

I am hoping that I can successfully get them through the winter, that's the biggest issue with starting them so late in the year. I am hoping they will be well snuggled in by then with plenty wormy compost!

 

*I am not getting anything for discussing Original Wormery stuff, these are just my own opinions and recommendations!*

 

 

1 comment:

  1. You should have some beautiful veggies with worm compost. I have to admit that I'm a bit squeamish where worms are concerned so a wormery is something I've never considered but it's a great addition to any veggie garden.

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