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Old 29-09-2004, 11:29 PM
Pam Moore
 
Posts: n/a
Default Worm bin

I have ordered a worm bin.
I would welcome any advice on what NOT to put in (eg citrus? onion?)
and how to keep it protected through the winter, as it will be
outdoors, unless I put it in a dark garage.
Any other hints and tips?
TIA

Pam in Bristol
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Old 30-09-2004, 11:05 AM
Oxymel of Squill
 
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I put all kitchen stuff in mine, including onion and lemon, torn up egg
boxes are apprently v tasty too so I add those. And a helping of dead leaves
and grass cuttings in season. I don't add egg shells, (I don't even compost
them as they never seem to break up).

Mine is in a little bower all of its own, fairly sheltered by a wall and
hedge, but I have wrapped a bit of bubble wrap round it when I've been away
over Xmas just in case.

Make sure you open the tap regularly as a surprising amount of liquid
strains out. I leave the tap permanently open over a plastic bottle.


"Pam Moore" wrote in message
...
I have ordered a worm bin.
I would welcome any advice on what NOT to put in (eg citrus? onion?)
and how to keep it protected through the winter, as it will be
outdoors, unless I put it in a dark garage.
Any other hints and tips?
TIA

Pam in Bristol



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Old 30-09-2004, 12:04 PM
Philip
 
Posts: n/a
Default

I have ordered a worm bin.
I would welcome any advice on what NOT to put in (eg citrus? onion?)
and how to keep it protected through the winter, as it will be
outdoors, unless I put it in a dark garage.
Any other hints and tips?
TIA

Pam in Bristol


My wormery is in its first year so I do not have any tried and tested
ideas for overwintering. My wormery is within 5 feet of the house in
a sheltered utility area, and I am hoping that it will be OK there. 2
winters ago I managed to overwinter 4 Pelargoniums in this area, so
that gives some idea of how sheltered it is. As for my worms, I plan
to use an offcut of carpet to cover the top, and hope that it does the
job.

What not to put in there, the information you have is OK, Onions and
Citrus are not desired. I would also be wary about any animal
products, fats etc. Although on the odd occaision when onion did find
its way in there the worms just left it. There it sat, this pristine
piece of onion skin, obviously surrounded by this unofficial worm
"No-Go" zone.

What to put in there - Peelings, cores, skins, stalks, teabags, weeds,
and corrugated cardboard! Sometimes I think they like my cardboard
better than the green stuff.

My wormery is now full, and I am ready to start using the first tray
of worm output. But this seems to be the wrong time of year to start
potting things up. So I am wondering if it is OK to store wormery
output, for use in the spring.
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Old 30-09-2004, 12:27 PM
Victoria Clare
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Pam Moore wrote in
:

I have ordered a worm bin.
I would welcome any advice on what NOT to put in (eg citrus? onion?)
and how to keep it protected through the winter, as it will be
outdoors, unless I put it in a dark garage.
Any other hints and tips?


Major risk is waterlogging in the winter - either keep the tap open, or
move it to somewhere dry like the garage.

Mine is outside all year and survives fine with some shelter from a wall,
but if you are somewhere really cold moving it may be a good idea.

Don't put too much of anything in, particularly mouldy bread! I killed off
all of mine with an overdose of that and had to start again.

I have put citrus fruit peel and onions in mine with no problems. I think
the real trick is not to overload it with any one thing.

I find spreading a sheet of newspaper over the contents from time to time
then adding new stuff on top of that keeps flies down and helps stop the
whole thing going runny. The worms will eat the damp newspaper in time,
and in the meanwhile it gives them a bit of shelter, so they come right to
the top to eat the new stuff.

Shredded paper packing material and rabbit hutch cleanings are also good.

If your worm-compost goes grey, you are probably adding too much paper, but
the worms seem to survive OK!

Victoria
--
gardening on a north-facing hill
in South-East Cornwall
--
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Old 30-09-2004, 12:40 PM
Amber Ormerod
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Pam Moore" wrote in message
...
I have ordered a worm bin.
I would welcome any advice on what NOT to put in (eg citrus? onion?)
and how to keep it protected through the winter, as it will be
outdoors, unless I put it in a dark garage.
Any other hints and tips?
TIA

Pam in Bristol


I got my wormery last October. Over the Winter I had awful problems with it.
I don't have much paper waste and I think because of that I had problems
with it being too wet. It was in the garage too and I think though this
protects from frost it doesn't get any heating up during the day in the
Winter which would have allowed at least some liquid to evaporate off - I
have been told my someone thats why they put it in the greenhouse over
Winter but their greenhouse is close to the house.

One of the other problems I have found is that at some point I have
accidently introduced flies into it. They are just fruit flies, I think from
something getting left on the counter top too long. Due to this I have way
more flies in my wormery than in my compost bin (non to date), but there are
loads of them. I also found the tap block up a few times and when I spotted
it 2l of water came out which is probably why it was running too wet.

Due to my problems I have only had one tray of compost out of it so far, but
there are two waiting to be taken out atm when they finish the paper bit I
added to try and dry it out.




  #6   Report Post  
Old 30-09-2004, 12:48 PM
Jaques d'Alltrades
 
Posts: n/a
Default

The message
from Janet Baraclough.. contains
these words:

The message
from Pam Moore contains these words:


I have ordered a worm bin.
I would welcome any advice on what NOT to put in (eg citrus? onion?)
and how to keep it protected through the winter, as it will be
outdoors, unless I put it in a dark garage.


It's enclosed; the worms won't see light anyway (or want it) so a
garage is ideal to keep it frost free. I use mine for disposing of weeds
I don't want to put in the compost heap, and confidential papers.


Ve shall your vorms interrogate!

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/
  #7   Report Post  
Old 30-09-2004, 12:55 PM
Jaques d'Alltrades
 
Posts: n/a
Default

So, one has (for the sake of argument) a plastic bin with a tap or drain
at the bottom.

You heave in weeds, certain kitchen waste, cardboard, etc and inoculate
it with some of those little stripey worms you find in compost heaps.

From where do you extract the product?

Or are wormbins specially constructed?

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/
  #8   Report Post  
Old 30-09-2004, 01:13 PM
Nick Maclaren
 
Posts: n/a
Default


In article ,
Jaques d'Alltrades writes:
| The message
| from Janet Baraclough.. contains
| these words:
|
| It's enclosed; the worms won't see light anyway (or want it) so a
| garage is ideal to keep it frost free. I use mine for disposing of weeds
| I don't want to put in the compost heap, and confidential papers.
|
| Ve shall your vorms interrogate!

As all computer users know, worms are currently one of the major
security headaches.

For ONLY an arm, a leg, your firstborn and your immortal soul,
you can benefit from the security of a MacroSog WormDungeon(TM).


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.
  #9   Report Post  
Old 30-09-2004, 01:14 PM
Paul D.Smith
 
Posts: n/a
Default

[snip]

As others have said, a garage is great. You might want to try insulating
the outside with bubble wrap or similar. The worms will get quite lethargic
in cold weather aparently and it's then possible to overfeed them.

This is all "web gossip" as my wormery is also new and this is the first
winter. Mine is going into the shed (no garage!) and I have bubble wrap to
insulate it. DON'T FORGET to leave the airholes clear so the wormery can
breathe. I'm going to try a polystyrene slab on top, with holes cut to
match the airholds in the wormery lid.

Liked the tip about newspaper from another poster though. My worms
currently have the commercial "duvet" but as they've become established,
they've started eating this very quickly, probably helped by it getting wet
since I have somewhere out of the sun (careful they don't roast in the
summer!) but not sheltered from the rain.

Paul DS.


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Old 30-09-2004, 01:19 PM
Oxymel of Squill
 
Posts: n/a
Default

I use a specially made one

http://www.graigfarm.co.uk/wormery.htm

Jon

"Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote in message
k...
So, one has (for the sake of argument) a plastic bin with a tap or drain
at the bottom.

You heave in weeds, certain kitchen waste, cardboard, etc and inoculate
it with some of those little stripey worms you find in compost heaps.

From where do you extract the product?

Or are wormbins specially constructed?

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/





  #11   Report Post  
Old 30-09-2004, 02:25 PM
ex WGS Hamm
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Oxymel of Squill" wrote in message
...
I put all kitchen stuff in mine, including onion and lemon, torn up egg
boxes are apprently v tasty too so I add those. And a helping of dead

leaves
and grass cuttings in season. I don't add egg shells, (I don't even

compost
them as they never seem to break up).

Mine is in a little bower all of its own, fairly sheltered by a wall and
hedge, but I have wrapped a bit of bubble wrap round it when I've been

away
over Xmas just in case.

Make sure you open the tap regularly as a surprising amount of liquid
strains out. I leave the tap permanently open over a plastic bottle.


Is it wormy wee wee?


  #12   Report Post  
Old 30-09-2004, 03:04 PM
Victoria Clare
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Jaques d'Alltrades wrote in
k:

So, one has (for the sake of argument) a plastic bin with a tap or drain
at the bottom.

You heave in weeds, certain kitchen waste, cardboard, etc and inoculate
it with some of those little stripey worms you find in compost heaps.

From where do you extract the product?


Mine is made in a series of stacked trays. You take out the bottom tray
and stick the contents on the garden, then put the empty tray back on the
top. You lose a few worms with the compost, but my colony soon makes more
and most of them are up in the top trays anyway, munching.

The worm bin, being relatively small and civilised, is convenient to keep
just outside the back door so I don't have to trog up to the big mean
monster compost heaps in my slippers each time I have a few potato peelings
to dispose of.

It's also a handy source of worms for the rare but alarming occasions when
the cats decide to release an unharmed but shocked blackbird in the
livingroom (if you just pick the bird up and put it outside,it is too
exhausted to fly away. If you leave them somewhere quiet till the next
morning with a big plateful of worms & half an apple, they are raring to go
again, I have discovered).

Victoria
--
gardening on a north-facing hill
in South-East Cornwall
--
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Old 30-09-2004, 04:31 PM
Anna Kettle
 
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Default

An established worm bin in a reasonably sheltered spot doesn't need
any extra protection cos the worms will retreat into the compost if
the weather gets too cold. If you are starting off a bin at this time
of year then the worms won't have much home produced bedding so they
will need a bit more tender loving care over the first winter

Once your bin is established you can feed the worms anything though as
another poster said, not too much of any one thing. Flies in the worm
bin are normal and nothing to get upset about

In late spring once the weather has improved I rake off the top inch
or so of uncomposted stuff, upend the bin to get out the lovely
compost and sieve it to get any worms and rejected matter out

Onion skins get rejected by my fussy worms, so the skins then go on
the compost heap for a second attempt at recycling. The worms go back
in their bin

I once tried using a worm bin with a tap but the tap kept getting
blocked up and was a pain in the XXXX so now I use a plastic bin with
holes in the bottom and sides which are big enough to allow worms and
water out but are too small to allow rats and hopefully mice to get in

Anna

~~ Anna Kettle, Suffolk, England
|""""| ~ Lime plaster repairs
/ ^^ \ // Freehand modelling in lime: overmantels, pargeting etc
|____| www.kettlenet.co.uk 01359 230642
  #14   Report Post  
Old 30-09-2004, 05:04 PM
Jaques d'Alltrades
 
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Default

The message
from Janet Baraclough.. contains
these words:

Or are wormbins specially constructed?


Mine's specially constructed from a 50 gallon plastic barrel. The sawn
off top is reversed to make a lid, and a teastrainer bolted over the old
pouring hole is the worms' airhole. Inside at the bottom I made a filter
from an old bread tray and a woven plastic sack, which prevents worms
and compost blocking the run-off tap at the bottom. That drains off the
copious fertile juice. Total cost, 50 p for tea-strainer.


It's well over a year old but only a quarter full, so I haven't any
experience of emptying yet; but the plan is just to shovel it out of the
top. TBH, the compost heap is a faster less complicated way of providing
compost, but the bin is useful for making odourless liquid fertiliser
and getting rid of couch grass etc. I also transfer a shovel of worms
from the wormbin to full, cooled compost heaps, to speed things up.


Ah. Oh. Um, I'm going to have a big ponder about using a stack of old tyres...

Or something.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/
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Old 30-09-2004, 05:58 PM
Stephen Howard
 
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Default

On Thu, 30 Sep 2004 14:31:30 GMT, (Anna Kettle)
wrote:

An established worm bin in a reasonably sheltered spot doesn't need
any extra protection cos the worms will retreat into the compost if
the weather gets too cold. If you are starting off a bin at this time
of year then the worms won't have much home produced bedding so they
will need a bit more tender loving care over the first winter

Once your bin is established you can feed the worms anything though as
another poster said, not too much of any one thing. Flies in the worm
bin are normal and nothing to get upset about

In late spring once the weather has improved I rake off the top inch
or so of uncomposted stuff, upend the bin to get out the lovely
compost and sieve it to get any worms and rejected matter out

Onion skins get rejected by my fussy worms, so the skins then go on
the compost heap for a second attempt at recycling. The worms go back
in their bin

I once tried using a worm bin with a tap but the tap kept getting
blocked up and was a pain in the XXXX so now I use a plastic bin with
holes in the bottom and sides which are big enough to allow worms and
water out but are too small to allow rats and hopefully mice to get in

Had to put wire mesh round my bin, after a rat gnawed a hole through
it. And we're not talking an average plastic dustbin - this is a 40
gallon plastic 'spice' barrel...about 5mm wall thickness.

I have two bins - one is active, the other is storage/maturing. Each
spring I empty the contents of the active bin into the storage bin,
and give it a month or so to settle and dry out.

I've been a bit neglectful of my worm bins, ever since the man from
the stables just down the way turned up with a six ton trailer full of
horse manure...but I toss all the kitchen scraps in once a week and
the worms seem to be happy enough.

I'd agree re. the tap problem. Better off removing it and sticking a
bung in the hole.

Regards,



--
Stephen Howard - Woodwind repairs & period restorations
www.shwoodwind.co.uk
Emails to: showard{whoisat}shwoodwind{dot}co{dot}uk
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