Week Two.

This week we've added another 4 handfuls of waste in two batches. The worms are no longer visible - they're well inside the bedding material. I turned over the top couple of inches just to make sure that they were OK and I'm glad to report that they're still wiggling away. The proto-compost is moist, but not too wet and there's no sign of any worm juice yet. We're avoiding onion, chili and garlic waste as, according to the instructions, these can make the environment too acidic. In a couple more weeks I'll give everything a good stir and add a bit of lime mix to control the acidity. If anyone can answer this question then I'd be grateful: There are loads of chalk pebbles in our soil (we live near Bempton Cliffs.) Could these be ground up and used to control acidity like the lime mix? Anyone know?

Week One.

We've left the wormery undisturbed for a week, as per the instructions. OK, I'll admit to a sneaky peek after the first day to show my wife what was going on, only to find most of the worms in the lid. Apparently, this is normal as it takes a few days for them to explore their new environment and to settle into the bedding material.

Yesterday, we added a couple of handfuls of fresh material and discovered that most of the worms had buried themselves into the waste, which is a good sign. I've also placed the wormery on bricks to make it easier to collect the worm juice. It sits unobtrusively at the bottom of the garden by the shed and in the shade. I'll transfer it into the shed in the autumn when the weather gets colder, but for now it can live outside.

This week we'll add a little more quantity of kitchen scraps and keep an eye on the worms general condition. I've plenty of shredded credit card receipts to hand if the compost gets too wet. So far, so good.

It's Here! The Wormery Arrives.

My wormery arrived by stealth mail today. It silently materialized outside my kitchen door this morning. I'm really pleased with it, apart from the fact that the lid was secured by miles of plastic wrapping. Note to the supplier: please find some environmentally friendly alternative to plastic. Like a small child at Christmas I unwrapped it enthusiastically and examined the contents.

Inside the wormery I found a tap, a plastic platform, legs, worm bedding, lime mix, instructions and, rather surprisingly, two packs of live worms sealed up in plastic bags. I expected to receive a voucher for worms so that I could arrange delivery and make sure I was home when they arrived. What happens if you're out at work all day or on holiday? How long do worms survive in airtight plastic bags? Luckily (for their sake, at least,) my worms were alive and wriggling and I set about assembling their home immediately. After a quick read of the instructions, it took about 10 minutes to put the wormery together. It was very easy and the instructions were clear and concise. I placed a sheet of newspaper on the internal platform, emptied out the bedding material and introduced the worms. I hadn't got any kitchen waste handy so I sliced up a few old potatoes and a soggy green pepper to give them lunch. The instructions tell you to leave the lid off for 10 minutes to encourage the worms to dig down and settle. After waiting a while, I clipped on the lid and moved it to the shed at the bottom of the garden. I'm not sure if I'm going to leave it there or keep it outside during the summer. Today has been exceptionally windy so I put it inside the shed to stop it blowing over.

The kit includes a bag of lime mix to control acidity. This shouldn't be an issue in the early days but I know someone who's wormery failed because it became too acidic. I also think it might be useful to stand it on some bricks to make it easier to drain off the "worm juice" liquid feed - there isn't much room to put a container under the tap to collect the precious liquid. My final thought is to get hold of a small bin with an airtight lid to store waste in the kitchen during meal preparation. It isn't practical for us to keep the wormery outside the kitchen door so a container will stop us making endless trips to the bottom of the garden.

My first impressions are very favourable. It was easy to set-up, the instructions are clear and it looks pretty smart. I'm off for a cup of tea and to read the Handy Information Booklet that came with the kit. It includes sections on what to feed worms, compost making, how to look after the wormery and a comprehensive FAQ section. Apparently, I need to do nothing for the next 7 days while the worms establish themselves. That's it then, job done. I am now an official worm composter. Easy-peasy. Who said that worm composting was hard work?