Wormeries - are they worth having?
 

"JakeD" wrote in message
...

Forgive the novice question. I did look at the FAQ for info on
composting but the relevant link seems to be obsolete/dead.

My question is about wormeries. Do they really make a lot of sense for
the average vegetable gardener? It has often occurred to me that they
might be expending a lot of nutrients into the raising of worms rather
than the raising of plants! I note that they create some useful
plant-feed liquid. However, if I primarily want fibrous, nutrient-rich
compost, would I be better advised to use a simple traditional compost
bin or compost heap?

I haven't tried a worm farm however I can say that any decent compost
pile/bin is virtually a worm farm anyway, such are the numbers of worm I
have in my pile. A worm farm is only really decent for kitchen scraps &
won't handle grass clippings, leave, twigs etc. A decent compost heap will,
a 2 or 3 bay compost bin system is best if you bung a big load of the above
in. It will heat up (if the mix is correct) and worms will initially avoid
the heat but come after the compost cools. If you only have kitchen scraps
than a plastic compost bin is good enough. You won't get any heat but the
worms will soon attack and devour anything in it along with other insects
like slaters, ear wigs etc.

rob

Wormeries - are they worth having?
 

Forgive the novice question. I did look at the FAQ for info on
composting but the relevant link seems to be obsolete/dead.

My question is about wormeries. Do they really make a lot of sense for
the average vegetable gardener? It has often occurred to me that they
might be expending a lot of nutrients into the raising of worms rather
than the raising of plants! I note that they create some useful
plant-feed liquid. However, if I primarily want fibrous, nutrient-rich
compost, would I be better advised to use a simple traditional compost
bin or compost heap?

Many thanks,

JD

Wormeries - are they worth having?
 

On Oct 6, 10:21 am, JakeD wrote:
Forgive the novice question. I did look at the FAQ for info on
composting but the relevant link seems to be obsolete/dead.

My question is about wormeries. Do they really make a lot of sense for
the average vegetable gardener? It has often occurred to me that they
might be expending a lot of nutrients into the raising of worms rather
than the raising of plants! I note that they create some useful
plant-feed liquid. However, if I primarily want fibrous, nutrient-rich
compost, would I be better advised to use a simple traditional compost
bin or compost heap?

Many thanks,

JD

They produce very small volumes of material and need looking after.
We failed to get ours to properly work
and gave up after 6 months. For uncooked vegetable matter, we just
use an ordinary compost heap as we need one for garden waste anyway.
A wormery could never cope with general garden stuff. The wormery was
for small volumes of kitchen waste (rice, fois gras, caviar past best
by date etc.). Nick McLaren is a compost fiend and he says to put all
that on the general heap anyway. I may try one of those cone thingies
for the caviar etc. If you have an active garden yuo need a general
compost heap anyway.

Des

Wormeries - are they worth having?
 

"Des Higgins" wrote in message


... The wormery was
for small volumes of kitchen waste (rice, fois gras, caviar past best
by date etc.). ...

How on Earth do you have such leftovers? We never had food leftovers here
but I wouldn't put them on the garden compost heap even if we did.

Mary

Wormeries - are they worth having?
 

snip everything :-)

When I first glanced at this heading I did not have my glasses on and I
thought it said Worries-are they worth having ? I was going to answer No but
first I found my specs and read it proper like :-) sorry not to be any help
to you or anyone else. I have just been doing some work in the garden and
have left my little friend the robin clearing up the worms that I have
exposed , cheers everyone

kate

Wormeries - are they worth having?
 

On Oct 6, 11:32 am, "Mary Fisher" wrote:
"Des Higgins" wrote in message

... The wormery was
for small volumes of kitchen waste (rice, fois gras, caviar past best
by date etc.). ...

How on Earth do you have such leftovers? We never had food leftovers here
but I wouldn't put them on the garden compost heap even if we did.

Mary

ehhhh, I was possibly joking.
This reminds me, last time I commented on compost and wormeries, I was
berated by the entire URG women's institue recycling division and
'Mike' for not reusing all kitchen material to ehhh make lace curtains
or candlestick holders or leftover hotpot surprise. I can regurgiate
(ho ho ho; that was a feeble joke) that thread and all its heated
comments to save simply going over it all again.

Wormeries - are they worth having?
 

"Des Higgins" wrote in message
ps.com...
On Oct 6, 11:32 am, "Mary Fisher" wrote:
"Des Higgins" wrote in message

... The wormery was
for small volumes of kitchen waste (rice, fois gras, caviar past best
by date etc.). ...

How on Earth do you have such leftovers? We never had food leftovers here
but I wouldn't put them on the garden compost heap even if we did.

Mary

ehhhh, I was possibly joking.

I guessed that, but how can you have any kind of food waste?

It wastes money as well as nutrients. It's also a waste of effort for the
growers, sellers and preparers - even if you prepared it yourself. I think
that's an insult to those people. If it's animal food it's a waste of a part
of that animal's life.

Mary
Not a WI member

Wormeries - are they worth having?
 

On Oct 6, 12:42 pm, "Mary Fisher" wrote:
"Des Higgins" wrote in message

ps.com...

On Oct 6, 11:32 am, "Mary Fisher" wrote:
"Des Higgins" wrote in message

... The wormery was
for small volumes of kitchen waste (rice, fois gras, caviar past best
by date etc.). ...

How on Earth do you have such leftovers? We never had food leftovers here
but I wouldn't put them on the garden compost heap even if we did.

Mary

ehhhh, I was possibly joking.

I guessed that, but how can you have any kind of food waste?

It wastes money as well as nutrients. It's also a waste of effort for the
growers, sellers and preparers - even if you prepared it yourself. I think
that's an insult to those people. If it's animal food it's a waste of a part
of that animal's life.

Mary
Not a WI member

It is really easy; I live in a city; I work hard during the day and
sometimes at weekends and evenings; we have kids; we do not have any
livestock (no chickens, no dog; no goat and now no worms); we do
recycle more than almost anyone I know; we are one of the few people
in my area to even have a compost heap; our fridge is full of
leftovers; we grow some of our own veg (in our suburban back garden);
it is still impossible to avoid throwing stuff out and have a life.
We already do more than almost anyone I know in the city and the last
10 yards just are not worth it. After all that, any food that is
still there and that has become dangerous, gets put on the compost
heap or, in the case of the fois gras and caviar, thrown out.

Des

Wormeries - are they worth having?
 

In article .com,
Des Higgins writes:
|
| It is really easy; ... After all that, any food that is
| still there and that has become dangerous, gets put on the compost
| heap or, in the case of the fois gras and caviar, thrown out.

Disgraceful! I compost mine. :-)


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Wormeries - are they worth having?
 

On Sat, 06 Oct 2007 04:56:42 -0700, Des Higgins
wrote:


We already do more than almost anyone I know in the city and the last
10 yards just are not worth it. After all that, any food that is
still there and that has become dangerous, gets put on the compost
heap or, in the case of the fois gras and caviar, thrown out.



You don't live in York then?
http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/...184980,00.html
--
http://www.orderonlinepickupinstore.co.uk
Ah fetch it yourself if you can't wait for delivery
http://www.freedeliveryuk.co.uk
Or get it delivered for free

Wormeries - are they worth having?
 

On Sat, 06 Oct 2007 02:41:37 -0700, Des Higgins
wrote:

I may try one of those cone thingies
for the caviar etc. If you have an active garden yuo need a general
compost heap anyway.

Thanks for the input. Since my original query, I think I've settled on
a 'modus operandi'...

We have two black plastic dustbins that aren't being used (leftovers
from before the councul introduced the big wheelie bins). They two old
bins are the older shape: sort of cylidrical, but narrower at the
bottom than at the top. My plan is to place one of these on the earth,
near the kitchen door and also near my vegetable patch. I plan to make
some 2" diameter holes in the sides (for ventilation) and in the
bottom (to allow the worms to come and go).

My plan is that when the bin is full up (I guess after about 12
months), I will take the lid off and invert the bun onto a bare patch
of ground. (It should empty out easily die to the shape of the bins.)

What was at the bottom of the bin will now be at the top of the
resulting pile, and I will shovel that off, directly onto my vegetable
patch. The unrotted remainder will go back into the bin, and the bin
will be used as before, until full, and so on. Well, that's the
theory, anyway. I'll report back in 12 months....

I figure on adding a couple of hanfuls of earth from the veggie patch
every time I empty the kitchen waste bag into the bin. I gather this
will aid composting.

Comments invited... And if anyone can think of a good use for that
other spare bin, I'll be interested...

JD

Wormeries - are they worth having?
 

On Oct 6, 1:07 pm, Mogga wrote:
On Sat, 06 Oct 2007 04:56:42 -0700, Des Higgins

wrote:
We already do more than almost anyone I know in the city and the last
10 yards just are not worth it. After all that, any food that is
still there and that has become dangerous, gets put on the compost
heap or, in the case of the fois gras and caviar, thrown out.

You don't live in York then?http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/...184980,00.html

Gasp; and just as I was about to move there; I find it hard to get
through a morning without some on toast at 11.00 and what is a day
without veal stuffed with the stuff for supper?
I see the council have banned it on their premises:
"The motion means York council will ban the sale of foie gras on its
premises."
That will cause a huge change in the dietary habits of the people who
work there I predict.
I can see mass walkouts in protest.

Des



--http://www.orderonlinepickupinstore.co.uk
Ah fetch it yourself if you can't wait for deliveryhttp://www.freedeliveryuk.co.uk
Or get it delivered for free

Wormeries - are they worth having?
 

In article ,
Mogga writes:
|
| You don't live in York then?
| http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/...184980,00.html

Spineless and hypocritical bigots.

Before they ban foie gras, they should address the abuse of 'battery'
chickens and (worse) turkeys. But that is a UK obscenity, and it is
so much easier to pick on the French.

Hell! Am I sounding like "pete", "marc" or "steve"? Associating
with them, even in cyberspace, is polluting. But one must suffer
for one's principles ....


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Wormeries - are they worth having?
 

In message , JakeD
writes
On Sat, 06 Oct 2007 02:41:37 -0700, Des Higgins
wrote:

I may try one of those cone thingies
for the caviar etc. If you have an active garden yuo need a general
compost heap anyway.

Thanks for the input. Since my original query, I think I've settled on
a 'modus operandi'...

We have two black plastic dustbins that aren't being used (leftovers
from before the councul introduced the big wheelie bins). They two old
bins are the older shape: sort of cylidrical, but narrower at the
bottom than at the top. My plan is to place one of these on the earth,
near the kitchen door and also near my vegetable patch. I plan to make
some 2" diameter holes in the sides (for ventilation) and in the
bottom (to allow the worms to come and go).

My plan is that when the bin is full up (I guess after about 12
months), I will take the lid off and invert the bun onto a bare patch
of ground. (It should empty out easily die to the shape of the bins.)

What was at the bottom of the bin will now be at the top of the
resulting pile, and I will shovel that off, directly onto my vegetable
patch. The unrotted remainder will go back into the bin, and the bin
will be used as before, until full, and so on. Well, that's the
theory, anyway. I'll report back in 12 months....

I figure on adding a couple of hanfuls of earth from the veggie patch
every time I empty the kitchen waste bag into the bin. I gather this
will aid composting.

Comments invited... And if anyone can think of a good use for that
other spare bin, I'll be interested...

JD

For the first bin: proceed as you say but cut off the very bottom of the
bin, place the bin upside-down, and replace the (proper) lid on what is
now the top. This makes for the right shape, maximum contact with the
soil, and ease of emptying: you just lift it up.

As for the second bin: that's for when this one is full and maturing...



--
Klara, Gatwick basin

Wormeries - are they worth having?
 

On Oct 6, 1:52 pm, (Nick Maclaren) wrote:
In article ,Mog ga writes:

|
| You don't live in York then?
|http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/...184980,00.html

Spineless and hypocritical bigots.

Before they ban foie gras, they should address the abuse of 'battery'
chickens and (worse) turkeys. But that is a UK obscenity, and it is
so much easier to pick on the French.

Hell! Am I sounding like "pete", "marc" or "steve"? Associating
with them, even in cyberspace, is polluting. But one must suffer
for one's principles ....

Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

I agree with this; battery hens and chickens are a real issue that
real action could be taken on whereas the foie gras thing is almost
laughably silly. I last tasted it nearly 10 years ago (in France).
Here in Ireland, some county councils passed motions banning nuclear
weapons. Such lofty pronouncements are lazy and involve zero hardship
on the man in the street. Not eatng chicken or only eating free range
chicken involves people having to pay more or do something.