And Finally...

Well, it's been two years since I took delivery of my wormery and I'm pleased to advise that all is well. Despite the coldest winter for a century, my little guys are still doing their thing. In 2010/2011, I over-wintered the wormery in my greenhouse without any additional protection from the cold and they've survived.

This will be the final post of "Worms Eat My Peelings" as I feel as though there is nothing more to say and I don't want to repeat myself. What I will do is provide a list of hints and tips that I've picked-up over the months and pass them on for anyone still interested. Here they are:-

• Site the wormery close to the kitchen. That way, you'll be more inclined to use it.


• Provide protection during the winter months. Place the wormery in a shed or greenhouse until spring arrives.


• Never add cooked food or food with a high acid content (orange peel, onion, chili, coffee grounds, etc.)


• Add a handful of lime mix once a month to control acidity.


• Keep the drain tap open to improve air circulation.


• Drain-off leachate regularly or the worms could drown.


• Give the contents a good mix-up every couple of weeks.


• Add equal quantities of shredded paper as kitchen waste. That way, the wormery won't become too soggy. This is very important!


• Forget egg shells - they take an age to compost.


• Try to cut up large chunks of kitchen waste into small pieces or they'll take a long time to disappear.

In conclusion, I've found the wormery highly beneficial. As well as a point of interest in the garden, It has provided me with plenty of free liquid feed and reduced the amount of stuff we send to land fill. Don't expect vast quantities of compost because you won't get lots - maybe a bucketful per year. The real value is in the liquid feed, especially if you have lots of container plants or a greenhouse.

I understand that the East Riding Council are about to launch a food and cardboard recycling scheme. This can only be a good thing but it might put people off getting a wormery in the first place. I'd say do both - they are both beneficial to the environment and the wormery is, well, just darn good fun.

Carl Jacques, Bridlington, 2011.