"Des Higgins" wrote in message
"Mike Lyle" wrote in message

The thing to do is to ask yourself what you want a wormery _for_. Then,
having debated the matter thoroughly, weighing all the advantages and
disadvantages, chuck it away and start a sensible compost heap. If
there's no room for a heap, just bury the odd bit of kitchen waste in
the garden somewhere.

We have both: a big double compartment compost bin and a wormery. We had
hoped to use the wormery to get rid of kitchen waste.

There is a Japanese (??? I think it's Japanes) closed bin system especially
for kitchen waste and it lives in the kitchen - it involves the addition of
some sort of goop to start the fermentation/breakdown of the kitchen scraps.
Couldn't remeber the name of but google came up with it, - Bokashi see:
http://www.eco-organics.com.au/subpage1.htm

I don't know how well it works only having read about it (a garden guru in
this country swears by it) but I would think if it does work it would be
better than a wormery. Worms need care and won't work if it is too hot, too
cold or they don't have the right bedding. The main advantage of worms is
the liquid that comes from the wormery rather than the vermicasts.

A possible compromise is to use big "cones" stuck over/in holes in teh
ground. You dig a hole, put yer waste food in and stick the cone over to
stop foxes and rats getting to it. It gradually breaks down and then you
start again when it is finished.

If you have the space, a big deep slit trench progressively filled from one
end and covered with soil and with some bird/chicken wire pegged down on top
works well and the dogs/foxes etc don't seem to be able to get at teh waste.