Wormery Composting
With spring around the corner, and the days becoming slightly longer, it's hopefully encouraging us all to spend a bit more time out in the garden. Our mission at EvenGreener is to embrace every last drop of nature, from the new sprouts of tulips and daffodils shooting up over Easter, to the broccoli and leeks we can sow in prep for a season of succulent growth.
We also believe by working in unison with nature, we can not only learn from it, but benefit from some of its powers too. Whilst this may sound a little far-fetched, earthworms for example have the ability to replace or replicate segments they may have previously lost, so these magical beings are worthy of teaming up with to trigger some new life into your garden this spring.
With this in mind, we’ll take you through the art of the wormery, and how recruiting a hardworking army of worms for your garden can be your green-pass to a luscious, flourishing garden this spring.
What is a Wormery and how does one work?
A wormery is a different type of composting system that works with and relies on the use of worms to break down organic matter. A wormery is often designed to form a few layers, in which the worms are originally positioned in the bottom layer, alongside the organic matter you add in. The worms then work their way through eating the organic waste, and produce worm castings (worm poo!) as a result, which is otherwise known as vermicompost. This is regarded as one of most nutrient-rich, and efficient composting material available for your garden, and is a completely free byproduct from your worms! In fact, research in New Zealand concluded worm casts has four times more phosphorous than surface soil, proving hugely worthwhile for the health and nutrition of your garden.
Once the worms have devoured all the organic waste, their sense of taste and smell will direct them upwards into the next level, traveling through small holes in between the layers of the wormery. This upwards motion of the worms and the design of the wormeries enables you to harvest the rich vermicompost throughout the worms’ journey, allowing you to collect it from the bottom of your wormery and spread it around your garden to enhance the nutrient content and keep your plants and soil thriving.
Why should you invest in a Wormery?
Wormeries are a great, eco-friendly investment to team up with nature and earn yourself some healthy, beneficial compost for your garden and plants. They work much quicker than traditional composting, so you can reap the rewards in a matter of weeks, as opposed to months via a compost pile, say.
They’re a brilliant solution for those who have a small garden, or none at all, as they deal predominantly with food scraps, with a few exceptions of small amounts of garden waste, as discussed later. One thing to note is they need a frequent supply of food to keep them energised and active, otherwise they’ll start to leave the wormery in search of food elsewhere, so keep a regular top up of scraps at hand to fuel your army of worms.
Where should you place your Wormery?
Ideally, your wormery should be kept in conditions ranging between 15 and 25°C, with anything above 35°C being too hot for the worms. Place your wormery in a sheltered, shaded spot, and somewhere you can easily access to make filling up and draining your wormery as easy as possible. A porch or an outbuilding, for example, can both be convenient spots for your wormery.
Another tip we recommend for keeping your worms happy and healthy, is to accommodate for them when the weather turns cold and wet, which we know can happen pretty often in the UK. To do so, simply plan ahead and place them under shelter from any harsh weather conditions, or place a cover on top to keep your wormery insulated and its inhabitants cosy and content. After all, worms are living beings, so expect to have to maintain and upkeep them slightly more than the traditional plastic composter.
What can you put in your Wormery?
Generally speaking, kitchen waste is best suited for your wormery. Cooked and raw vegetables, fruit, bread, rice, pasta, cartons, newspaper scraps, coffee grounds, teabags, and eggshells will all go down well with your worms. In terms of garden waste, small amounts of grass cuttings and leaves will be adequate. However, it must be noted that worms don’t like citrus food and/or garlic and onions, as they find them difficult to digest, so best to scrap them elsewhere, perhaps in a regular compost pile.
What do you do with your worm castings?
Spread your rich worm castings into your garden to replicate fertiliser, by simply digging them into your soil to let the nutrients diffuse. You can also mix the worm castings with water to produce a liquid fertiliser and feed your plants to enhance their growth too.
Which Wormery should you get?
Urbalive Wormery Composters
The newest range of our wormery collection is the four different coloured Urbalive Wormery Composters. Available in lime green, grey, brown, and beige, these wormeries are the perfect, eye-catching addition to your home to convert your food waste into nutrient-dense compost for your plants.
Put in leftover fruit and veg scraps, tea bags, coffee grounds, crushed eggshells, paper napkins and damp cardboard and let the worms inside get to work in breaking down the waste to form a rich byproduct. Just be sure to avoid putting in excessive amounts of citrus, meat and fish (including bones), and oils, lards and other fats.
This range is beautifully designed, and comes with a vented lid to ensure your waste is frequently oxygenated, and trays at the bottom to collect your vermicompost. Browse the range here.
Maze Worm Farm
A chic, contemporary design crafted and manufactured down-under in Australia, the Maze Worm Farm is a stunning wormery. It features 12 litre trays, a central drain, and is made from recycled material that has been diverted from landfill, lowering your environmental footprint in the process of purchasing!
The Maze Worm Farm is an excellent addition to any home, thanks to its compact shape and size, and rugged build which enables it to suit outdoor use too. Its lightweight build makes it easily transportable, and optional accessories in the form of Legs and a Drainage Kit ensures your wormery performs at the highest level to produce nutrient-rich compost over long periods of time, assisted by the perforated design which encourages aeration and a healthy supply of oxygen.
This wormery also includes a worm saver tray, and a collection tray which slides into the bottom of the base, enabling you to collect the liquid leachate. This can then be diluted in a 1:10 ratio with water, and poured onto your plants and soil to enhance growth and an uptake of nutrients and minerals.
Can-O-Worms Wormery
Available in a two and three tier structure, the Can-O-Worms series are perfect for breaking down and converting families’ kitchen waste via the use of hardworking, hungry worms. The stacking tray design features a raised base with a tap to make draining the leachate much easier and more convenient.
The first tray homes the worms and their bedding, and is where your kitchen waste is originally deposited. Once full, the next tray is added above, with more of your organic waste, where the worms will travel up to in search of more food, enabling you to collect the worm castings they’ve left behind. This would then be repeated once more for the Can-O-Worms 3 Tier Wormery.
The kit also includes lime mix, which assists in neutralising the acidity of the soil when citrus items or onions have been placed in, enabling the worms to digest pretty much all of your kitchen waste to create even more nutrient-rich compost for your garden!
The Can-O-Worms wormeries are made from 100% recycled plastic and come with a ventilated lid, enabling a frequent supply of oxygen to energise your worms whilst contributing to creating rich and valuable compost for your plants and garden to thrive from. Shop the range here.
So, there’s our full range of wormeries for you to explore. Accommodating for any array of households and home/garden sizes, we’re certain we have a wormery right for you, so team up with nature this spring to lead your EvenGreener lifestyle towards a brighter, cleaner future for us all. Together, we can make a difference.