Publications / Building Projects & DIY / Worms and Wormeries (Now with 'Look in the Book'!)
Around the world Wormeries are coming more and more into the spotlight as governments strive to reduce the level of household waste ending up in landfill sites and look to make better use of the resources that we have available. On a personal level it is actually very easy to contribute to both of these aims while also ending up with supremely rich compost and fertiliser, and all with the help of the humble worm.
Mike Woolnough has discovered that worms and their by-products improve his crops enormously, making use of household scraps and rubbish that went previously into his bin. Starting from a small wormery in the conservatory or garden, Mike takes you step by step up to a sphisticated system capable of handling all your garden waste, or processing that huge heap of livestock manure you were wondering how to dispose of, plus a host of other waste items along the way.
Your waste is a valuable resource - learn how to use it to your advantage with Mike's help.
Reviews
Add ReviewRon Crisp - Jul 9 2010 4:22PM
‘Keep ‘em Wiggling, Mike’ The author starts this small book with a description of the sex life of the earthworm – and keeps up that pace and interest through the next ninety-odd pages. He sets out the by-now obligatory ‘save the planet’ arguments, but then speculates about readers’ possible interest in composting their kitchen waste, manure from vegetarian animals, and even small quantities of garden waste in a wormery. He shows us the excellent test results of growing in ‘worm cast compost’ – a polite name for worm ‘poo’ - which is both sterile and fertile, and gives a convincing demonstration of why we should compost this way – so, how are we to do it ? Mike considers that commercial wormery ‘kits’ are the easiest way for the beginner ‘vermiculturalist’ or worm composter, and goes on to cover the two main types – the ‘wheelie bin’ and the ‘tower block’. Looking like a waist-high wheelie bin crossed with a water butt, this older design relies upon a single close-mesh net container inside the recycled plastic body to contain the worms and their bedding in the bottom of the bin. The worms are then fed from the top with kitchen scraps, which they convert into worm ‘wee’ and worm ‘poo’, leaving little else behind. The liquid is drained from the built-in tap in the sump, mixed with ten parts of water and used as a liquid feed – and works well as a general fertiliser. Worm poo is a rich dark ‘fruit cake mix’ density and extremely nutritious for all kinds of plants as a ‘top dressing’ or to add to enrich a planting mix. It can be too rich for some seeds and seedlings if used ‘neat’ The problem with this type of bin is removing the compost, as the bag will be very heavy when full. Recovering the worms from their composted waste is not easy, but essential for bump-starting the next bin. Mike (and the bin manufacturers) explain how to achieve both these aims – but my experience is that the wheelie bin-style is suited best to the stronger person, with space to tip out the whole bin and separate the worms from the compost, perhaps once a year. More convenient for most users, the ‘tower blocks’ consist of round, square or rectangular plastic box trays pierced to allow the worms to travel up and down the tower. With a base/sump, and a starter tray containing the worms and bedding – often shredded coconut fibre ‘coir’, these systems can be assembled and set up in half an hour or less – and are ready for household waste as soon as the worms have arrived by post and have been settled into their new home. In the tower system, worms eventually fill their feeding tray with poo, the liquid having been drained away from the sump tap. Then, a further empty tray is placed on top, and feeding of waste into that tray draws the worms up in search of food leaving the lower tray full of usable compost after a short time feeding ‘upstairs’. The lower tray is then ready to lift out and harvest. Any ‘escapee’ worms found in the compost or down in the sump can be returned to the working tray. Sounds complicated: no, not really. As I tell the primary school pupils with whom I work sometimes – “it’s so simple, even some grown-ups can do it” – and they can, and Mike Woolnough’s book will show them how, as will the manufacturers’ instructions and web-sites. Additionally, he covers every possible worm ‘food’ and describes all of the commercial wormeries, including the best-selling Australian-designed circular ‘Can-o-Worms’ – my own preference for the new worm-keeper. The importers – www.wigglywigglers.co.uk - have a really effective and helpful web forum on worms and wormeries, as do other e-tailers – just Google ‘wormeries’. Going back to composting animal manures, Mike finishes with DIY composters, complete with plans and drawings for large – and often very large – composters for horse-manure, etc. This is a thoroughly useful book illustrated with all types of bins and diagrams – and Mike’s own cartoons which break up the pages of quite dense text. ….and finally, his explanation of where baby worms come from will be worth the ‘tenner’ this book costs to any parent answering awkward questions from an inquisitive child. Enjoy it – I did ! Ron Crisp, Lancashire Home Composting Adviser – and committed worm-keeper
