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Setting Up A Wormery
Anyone can start a worm bin or wormery.
All you need is a suitable container, bedding material and, of course, worms.
The Container
A worm container can be either plastic, wood or metal. Use your imagination and recycle an old bath tub or wooden box, a plastic basin, bin or crate.
Alternatively buy or build one.
Wooden containers provide good insulation, because they are absorbent, therefore excess moisture in the wormery may be less of a problem. Plastic containers are convenient but have a tendency to keep the compost too wet at times.
Experiment and find out what works for you and your worms.
The container should ideally be 2040cm deep with a relatively large surface area (about 40 x 40 60cm), because worms like to work near the surface. A shallow container also allows better aeration of the bedding.
Depending on size, drill or punch 812 holes about 10mm diameter in the bottom of the container for aeration and drainage. If the contents become too wet, drill more holes.
Bins should be raised on bricks or wooden blocks to aid air circulation and drainage.
By placing a plastic tray underneath to capture excess liquid, you can obtain an excellent
liquid plant fertiliser use diluted at the rate of 1 part liquid to 10 parts water if necessary.
Different types of commercial wormeries are available
Cover the bin to conserve moisture and provide a dark environment for the worms.
For indoor containers, place hessian or similar material or a sheet of black plastic on top of the container; outdoors, use a lid or cover to keep out scavengers, predators and water.
The cover should be loose fitting to allow for movement of air.
Consider using several suitable containers for ease of lifting and moving.
Wormeries are heavy so take care when lifting. Bend your knees not your back.
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