I've had varying degrees of success with the wormery. It basically consists of a base and a set of stacking boxes with meshed bases. You put kitchen waste in the bottom together with the pack of brandling worms they send and basically keep adding boxes when the one below gets full. Eventually, when the worms have finished consuming the lower layer they work their way up to the top through meshed bases.
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| The Wormery. And no the gargoyle DID NOT scare the rats away! |
A few years ago I bought a wormery from WigglyWigglers . I get all my birdseed from them as they send a variety in huge packs which make it relatively economical (though I'd be the first to admit they aren't the cheapest guys on the block, I trust that their stuff ticks all the ethical boxes I look for).
My first mistake was underestimating the time it would take the masses of worms to do their bit. You really need to use a wormery in conjunction with other composters or you'd soon run out of space. It fell into disuse for a few years. This is because we had a rat problem. (If you aren't squeamish and want to read more about what happened, then read here.) but have since reactivated it having left the bottom base to its own devices and found the most gorgeous, friable compost when I took the trouble to eventually look.
All the worms had, of course, left the building but there were plenty - thousands - populating my other compost bin so I had a happy hour uncovering detritus to find them. The wormery is back in business and I am much more realistic about the timescale.
One of the great by-products of a wormery is the compost tea it makes. The very bottom has a solid base which holds the liquid seepings from the composting process and a tap allows you to siphon it off periodically and then to dilute it like you would any liquid feed. I have found this to be a very hit and miss operation, however, as the tap gets blocked and some people recommend keeping it open anyway to avoid it all becoming a bit rank. However at the beginning of the season, I now just dismantle the whole thing to check progress and then pour the tea into any spare bottles I have hanging around.
The quality of the eventual compost is exquisite. I use it when I want to ensure precious plants get the tlc they need. As I operate a 'no-dig' garden , planting with lots of goodness is really important and gradually improves the health of the whole area.
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