Wormeries

Worm bins can be a great way to manage food scraps and they produce the highest quality compost. Trays, cans, plastic bins or boxes can be used to house the worms – but remember to keep the lid on as the worms like a dark and moist environment. Food is then buried into a moist carbon based bedding – usually made of shredded paper, cardboard, leaves, straw, rotted manure, wood shavings and/or sawdust. Once the worms eat the food scraps, the compost can be harvested as often as every few months but more usually once or twice a year. In addition, with some systems, you can collect the worm tea and dilute it down to use as a liquid fertiliser.

Suitable Materials: Plant derived food scraps, leaves, cardboard, straw and paper.

Main Advantages:

• The worm castings are rich in nutrients and contain hormones that stimulate plant growth.
• These systems produce the highest quality compost but require some attention to get the most out of them.
• It is easy to make your own, especially if you have access to some well rotted manure for your worm supply!
• They are a wonderful opportunity to teach children about the wonders of life.

For more information check out our information sheets:

• Summary Version
• Detailed Version