Worm Farm

Jenny_Aster

Not sure if this post should be in 'Wildlife'.

I'm really interested in creating a worm farm. I've been watching some youtube vids on wom farms, tho' I'd say about 80% of the vids are about worm farming in Australia. Can worm farming, non-commercial of course, be easily achieved in a new garden in the Fens? Obviously the worms would need to be sheltered during the winter months. 

Eventually there should be a continual supply of good compost, as well as liquid fertiliser, fingers crossed.

Think I'm sold on it, though I'm wondering if anyone here has experience, good or bad, on keeping them?

nick451992Ydc4vRfB

Jenny_Aster  It would inevitably be a niche activity but, in my angling days, one could buy worms for bait from the specialist newspapers, so it should feasible.  A firm in S Wales used to set up beds of 'sea peat' to rear ragworms.  As their food source he arranged racks of horizontal clear plastic tubes, all linked together, that he filled with water.  As they became green with algae in the sun, he'd allow the water to drain into the sea peat before refilling with water and starting the process again.  You could experiment with a fresh water equivalent, as you're in E Anglia?

Jenny_Aster

Thanks Nick, the worms turn organic kitchen waste, grass clippings, leaves etc., into compost which I've read takes about 2 months to harvest the 'black gold'. Then there's the 'liquor' that's tapped off which apparently is pretty potent stuff as it needs to be diluted before feeding plants. 

I've got a (smallish) new garden and it'll need copious amounts of soil conditioner. From the bit of garden I've dug, it looks like there's more gravel than soil. 

You can buy the 'special' composting worms online, even on Amazon apparently.

Why are wormeries such a 'thing' in Australia and not so much in the UK? Are worm farms smelly? Can they overwinter easily? Is it best to start off with an expensive wormery, or is it relatively easy to create a more economical one using 3 black plastic container boxes? Questions.... questions  

Dovefromabove

There are quite a few earlier threads on Wormeries here
https://forum.gardenersworld.com/search?Search=Wormeries  

Hope that helps 😊 

Jenny_Aster

Thank you Dovefromabove, I did a search, but obviously I didn't use the correct terms.

Jenny_Aster

Once again thanks Dovefromabove, through the search I've found everything I need to know, and a good supplier https://www.wormcity.co.uk/wormfaq.htm. Plus the wormeries look good value.

Dovefromabove

Pleased to help ... I've been around here a while and have the memory of an elephant 
It'd be great if you let us know how you get on with it 

Hope you don't mind my asking (I promise I'm not a stalker) but which bit (roughly) of the Fens are you in?  We're in Norfolk, have relatives in S. Lincs and friends in Cambs so travel the area quite a bit (in more normal times at least). 

Fairygirl

We used to have a forum member who had wormeries and was very knowledgeable but he seems to have disappeared. 
They're very useful if you don't have the room for compost bins etc. 

Lyn

I’ve been trying to remember his name, he was very knowledgeable but unfortunately overstepped the line and was banned. 

Jenny_Aster

Dovefromabove said:

Pleased to help ... I've been around here a while and have the memory of an elephant 
It'd be great if you let us know how you get on with it 

Hope you don't mind my asking (I promise I'm not a stalker) but which bit (roughly) of the Fens are you in?  We're in Norfolk, have relatives in S. Lincs and friends in Cambs so travel the area quite a bit (in more normal times at least). 

Will certainly let you know how I get on, that's if Santa takes the hint

We've newly moved to a little village called Elm, it's in Cambs but right on the border of Norfolk, we're still in discovery mode. We liked the area while passing in a narrowboat on the way to Denver Sluice and onto the Gt Ouze one pleasant summer before Covid clipped our wings - or should I say rudder

philippasmith2

Wormeries were well advertised ( and proved popular ) in the '90's.  I had one for several years and found them quite productive.