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We collected fruit peels throughout our assignment to add to the wormery.

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How Earthworms Help Your Garden: Gardening Know How's 2 Minute Gardening Tidbit: Episode 6

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We chose to make a wormery as we thought that this would be a good opportunity for the children to experience the designing and making process from start to finish independently.
We would introduce this topic through the Geography curriculum, using the strands units Rocks & Soils and Caring for the environment. We will focus on the importance of worms in soil and how this has a positive impact on the environment.
To develop this further we would use the Science curriculum skill Designing and Making with the strand unit Caring for the Environment. This will be done by the children creating an efficient wormery for their classroom.

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Things we would do differently next time:
1. Start our preparation earlier. It is easier to map your progress as you go rather than trying to reflect on it.
2. Put more worms in so the process is quicker.
3. Practice using the tools before cutting the plastic because the plastic split and cracked when we used a jigsaw.

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Things we liked about our product:
1. It could easily be placed in a classroom setting or in a home.
2. It promotes healthy eating and caring for our environment.
3. It was interesting to learn about worms and how they contribute to our environment.

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We soon realised that this would be an ongoing assignment. This is because the worms need time to get used to their new home and it will also take time for them to produce the liquid. The liquid has to be diluted before we could use it, on a ratio 1:10.
We tested our boxes to see if it was waterproof overnight. It did not leak so we knew it was safe to go ahead.
The wormery needs to be placed in a warm dry place. Too much sun could overheat the worms.

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We looked up pictures on google of different types of wormeries and how we could make one in a classroom setting.
We read this article about how the wormery is supposed to have different layers which got us thinking about our own wormery and its design.

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Composting using a wormery is an ideal way to turn kitchen waste into a rich compost for your garden soil. You can convert an old style waste bin into a wormery by following the instructions given below. A wormery is a closed system which eliminates any potential problems with vermin.

What are the benefits of composting using a wormery?

its a great way to recycle organic waste into excellent compost for enriching your soil, using in containers and grow bags.

it reduces the amount of rubbish you send to the landfill each week (by as much as 50%) thus saving you money and reducing pressure on the environment

it reduces the amount of peat you use leaving it in the bog where wildlife depends on it and saving you money on compost

it gives you the satisfaction of doing some practical recycling at home and getting in touch with nature.

Can I make my own worm system?

Yes, you can make your own system by buying a suitable plastic container. This should have a well fitting lid, holes drilled along the base to allow excess water and organic leachate to come out of the bin, be big enough for your needs (60-90 litres), strong enough to take occasional knocks and the weight of the compost, and allow for relatively easy emptying once the bin is full. An ordinary black plastic rubbish is ideal.
Making the worm bin

1. Drill holes near the bottom of the bin to allow any excess water to escape.

2. Put some gravel in the bottom to allow for drainage.

3. Place a sheet of perforated heavy-duty plastic on top of the gravel.

4. Put a layer of 'bedding' on top of the plastic for the worms. This can be one of or a mixture of the following materials: moist leaf mould, moist shredded paper, strawy manure, rotted compost.

5. Finally add the brandling/tiger worms on top of the bedding. These can be obtained from any of the suppliers listed below (expect to pay around €50), fishing tackle shops, heaps of rotting farm manure or working compost heaps. If you know of someone who has a worm bin, maybe they have enough to spare to get you started. You will need at least 250 gms to begin.

6. Finally, cover the worms with a sheet of wet newspaper. This acts to retain moisture and heat.

A bin of this construction would be enough for the waste of a 2-person household and is an ideal way to get a feel for how to vermicompost at the start. Once you have got the hang of the process you can add additional bins or scale up to larger containers.

What about pests and vermin when I vermicompost?

Provided you do not compost large quantities or rotting meat material, and you use a sealed container there should be no vermin problems. Put a lid on the bin to keep the flies out.

Do I need to look out for anything in particular when I start my bin?

In the beginning, cover the waste with wet newspaper to keep in moisture and prevent the organic material from drying out. Water the surface of the mixture if it gets dry. As the bin fills with organic compost there is less chance of it drying out, so the newspaper can be removed. When first feeding the worms put the food in one corner of the bin, so they have somewhere to move if they do not like the food. Be careful not to overfeed the worms. As their population increases you will be able to increase the amount and frequency with which you feed them. In general, you should see newly added soft green material eaten within a 2 week period. Tougher plant materials may take a bit longer for the worms to digest.

Should the worm bin be located in any special location?

Worms like to be kept warm so keep the bin away from the cold winds and frosts, ideally situating the bin in a sheltered spot that is sunny for only the early part of the day. Avoid very sunny locations as to much sun could overheat the bin which will cook the worms. If you want your worms to keep on making compost during the winter, it may be necessary to locate them in a shed or garage where temperatures do not fall below freezing. As the weather get colder keep an eye on the bins to make sure the worms are still active and breaking down the organic matter. You may have to slow down the rate at which you add food or you might want to throw an old blanket or towel over the bin to keep it warm. A build up of too much food may result in it putrefying and the bin will begin to smell.

How much material can I feed my worms each week?

It's claimed that worms will process half their own body weight in organic matter each day. So 1kg of worms will process 1/2kg of organic waste per day. However, the rate of organic matter breakdown is also very much related to the conditions the worm bin is exposed to. In cooler winter weather the processing rate can be slower, while in the summer the worms turn over organic material very quickly. The amount of airflow in the bin is another factor that is important - worms are living organisms and need air, so opening the bin regularly is important (this will happen anyway as you add fresh organic material for them to break down). It is best to get a 'feel' for your own worm bin. Watch the food you put in, and when it has nearly gone, you can put more in. Over time, the feeding rate will become faster as your worm population increases. Feed your worms little and often.

What can I compost?

Virtually any organic waste can be put in the worm bin - but, for various reasons, some materials are best dealt with in other ways. The main ingredients will tend to come from your own house. It is important to have a mix of materials and will you learn with experience. A separate bin in the kitchen to collect compostable scraps would be helpful. Anything not of living origin will not compost (i.e. metal/glass/plastics). Avoid orange peel (citrus fruits), perennial weed roots and weed seeds, and grass mowings. Small quantities of meat scraps may be added to the bin, but avoid large quanties of meat that have gone off and may have become colonised by maggot larvae. If these are added to a bin, the maggots will continue to grow and develop into flies.

What materials can I put in a worm bin?

Kitchen and household scraps - Old fruit and vegetables,
cut flowers, tea leaves, coffee grounds, crushed eggshells, etc

Dog and Cat droppings - This type of animal manure may carry parasites

Paper & Cardboard - Small amounts, torn up (avoid
magazines and colour inks). Mix well with other items

Man-made fibres - These will not rot

Grass cuttings Caution - High in nitrogen and a good
"activator", but care must be taken not to overwhelm
the compost bin with grass as it can turn into a
slimy mess. Mix well with other materials. Do not add
more than 2 handfuls of grass clippings to a
70-90 litres worm bin at any one time

Materials sprayed with weed killers - The residues may remain in the heap

Leaves - Add a little at a time. If there are l
arge amounts these are best made into leaf mould in a separate heap

Hair - From the family pet, or the family, moistened

Material infected with diseases - Composting may not kill these diseases

Wood Ash - Provides potassium and lime

Are there any other potential problems?

Avoid too much acidic material such as lemon and orange skins can be hard for the worms to digest. Adding egg shells to the mix on an on-going basis will help keep the pH balance. Be careful how much food you add: too much may heat up the bin and drive the worms away, leaving the food to putrefy and the bin will begin to smell which a well run bin does not.

Where do I get the worms?

The worms needed for composting are known as tiger or brandling worms. They can be obtained from fishing tackle shops, from someone else that has a worm bin or from an old compost heap. They are smaller than true earthworms and they tend to have yellow bands between the segments at the "tail end" of the worm. For useful addresses, see list below.

Can I use garden earth worms in the bin?

No, earthworms are a different species and they are not adapted to living in fresh organic material like the tiger / brandling worms. In a worm bin they will die after a short while.

What are the little white worms I sometimes see in the worm bin?

The tiny white worms you see on the food on the surface of your bin are called Enchytraeids. They are also called 'Potworms' or 'White Worms'. They won't harm your bin or the compost worms. They are actually composters too. If you get a lot of them its an indication that the bin is slightly acidic. Consider adding a sprinkling of lime and you'll notice them gone in a few days.

How many worms do I need?

If you don't add too much material at the start and let the population of worms in the bin increase naturally you could start with as few as 100 worms. The trick at the start, however, is not to overfeed the worms. Ideally for a 70-90 litre bin it is recommended to use 250 gms of worms.

What about the liquid that starts to come out of the holes at the end of the bin?

The brown watery liquid coming out the holes at the end of the bin results from the break-down of the vegetable matter in the bin which can be as much as 95% water. The liquid is rich in minerals and nutrients ideal for plant growth so don't throw it away. Place your bin on 3 red bricks or wooden blocks over a tray to collect the liquid. Scoop it out and store until you want to use it. Dilute it one part to 3 parts water and use it to feed plants in the garden or containers.

Once the bin is full what do I do?

This means it is time to harvest your compost. Get a couple of empty buckets and transfer the top six inches of fresh kitchen waste to the buckets along with all the worms. The deeper you go into the bin, the more brown and decomposed the compost becomes. Once you can't identify individual waste any more, you are into compost. The compost will improve if left for a few weeks or months in a plastic bag. As you transfer the compost to the bags collect as many of the worms as you can and return them to the fresh material from the surface of the bin. They'll provide you with a population to start a new bin.

What can I use the compost for?

Vermicompost is a gardener's dream and very fertile material. It can be used for just about anything in the garden or container gardening but it should not be used for seedling germination as it is too rich. In general, it is better to mix it with leaf mould, cóir or shredded wood compost to make material suitable for potting on container grown plants or as a rich mix for tomatoes, cucumbers, beans and window boxes. If you have a lot of material, it can be used to enrich soil in the garden or vegetable plots.

What about worms in the compost once I use it?

They are not a problem and in fact if you store your compost for a while in a plastic sack you'll find that the number of worms decreases quite dramatically (presumably the result of fresh food material being absent).

Text, Photographs and Images © Irish Peatland Conservation Council, Bog of Allen Nature Centre, Lullymore, Rathangan, Co. Kildare. Email: bogs@ipcc.ie; Tel: +353-45-860133.

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Composting using a wormery is an ideal way to turn kitchen waste into a rich compost for your garden soil. You can convert an old style waste bin into a wormery by following the instructions given below. A wormery is a closed system which eliminates any potential problems with vermin.

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We explored different materials that we could build our wormery in. We looked at using a large 5 gallon water bottle, as you can clearly see the layers. On further research we decided against it as the plastic would not with stand all weather conditions and we wanted to be able to adapt this for use in different settings such as apartments and classrooms. While researching we also found that the worms produce a liquid while composting which is very valuable as a fertiliser in the soil.
Because of this, we looked at using a small set of drawers . With this design you can see the layers and pull out the drawers to access each layer. This design was difficult to create as it was proven difficult to find a set of drawers that was big enough to hold everything, but small enough to transport.

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We then looked on the internet for alternate ideas to using a 5 gallon bottle. We found an article using three heat treated plastic boxes.We found that this design would work best for us as is easily transportable and small enough to carry on the bus. It would fit into a classroom or school yard without taking up too much space and the boxes would withstand many years without having to be replaced. This design also had a tap at the end to release the liquid.

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I didn't want to pay loads for a wormery so built my own from storage containers from the ASDA and basic DIY bits from B and Q. It takes a couple of hours and some basic DIY skills.

Step 1: What You Need

Parts need to build:
3 x Plastic Storage Boxes
1 x Plastic Storage Box Lid
1 x Waterbutt Tap
2 x Spacers (I used cut up drain pipe) Bricks will do
Split Pins
Fine guage mesh (I used 6mm) enough to cover bottoms of 2 boxes

Tools For the job.
Drill + Bits (25mm Spade,10mm and 4mm)
Jigsaw (My motto is 'never work harder than you need too') hand saw would do
Marker Pen
Tape Measure
Glue
Knife
Tin snips or something to cut the mesh

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Step 2: Bottom Box

The bottom box collects the worm juice produced as they eat. This is great liquid feed but strong dilute 10:1.

To get the Juice out I installed a tap in the middle of the bottom box by drilling a 25mm hole with the spade bit. Then the tap can be installed.

Then to create a collection area and stop your worms drowning, I added to spacer blocks glue in these are square drain pipe about 75mm square, but bricks will do.

Step 3: Worm Boxes

I made two of these, if you have lots of food waste then make more.

The boxes are marked on the bottom and two areas are cut out using a jigsaw. Then smooth the edges with a knife or sandpaper.

Step 4: Adding the Mesh

For each box:

Cut the mesh to size using tin snips.

Then lay the mesh into the bottom of the box and using a marker draw six dots where the split pins will go.

Then remove the mesh and drill 4mm hole on these dots.

Placing the mesh back in, push the split pins through the holes ensuring one leg goes either side of a piece of the mesh and open out underneath.

Step 5: Adding Worms

Place you completed wormer out side in a sheltered spot, on some blocks so the tap is usable.

Place on of the worm boxes in the bottom box a rest on the spacers. Then place a sheet of damp newspaper over the bottom to prevent you worms falling through.

Worms need beding you can buy this or use a mix of soil, compost and shredded paper.

Now add your worms you need tiger worm sold over the Internet or in bait shops and about 250g of them(the do multiple quickly is happy).

You can now start to feed your worms, once the first box is full add the next and the worms will move upwards once they have finished with the first.

Important! remember to drain off worm juice regularly.

Step 6: Keeping Worms Happy

Worms will eat almost anything that will decompose

Fed on kitchen scraps but not too much of one thing and little and often

Large quantities of citrus peel, seeds, meat and fish are best avoided

Keep container covered to avoid fruit flies

Don't allow the bin to get too hot or dry out

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Wormery (Worm Composter): I didn't want to pay loads for a wormery so built my own from storage containers from the ASDA and basic DIY bits from B and Q. It takes a couple of hours and some basic DIY skills.

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Before beginning we looked around our houses to find resources that may be useful before purchasing anything. We couldn't find any plastic boxes that were heat treated or large enough for our wormery. Claire found a tap at home from a home-brewing kit that would fit perfect into our wormery. we also had some mesh that was used to make a bird cage which was big enough for the worms to climb through but small enough that the composting materials would not fall through. Katie had some plastic pipes that would be perfect for use as spacers. all of this limited our spending costs. Sara has a big garden so she went digging for the worms!

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Our finished product

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Our progress

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From research we learned that worms work well in the dark. They need space to move around and they cannot be compressed.
Also, we needed to drill holes to let the worms breathe.

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Overall, we really enjoyed making the wormery. We didnt realise how much time and preparation it would take to plan and make our product.
In the future, we all agreed that we would like to make a wormery in a classroom setting as we noted the benefits and enjoyment of designing and making it.

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Firstly, we drew a chest of drawers as our wormery but then realised we did not have the resources and thought it would be difficult to use in a classroom. We then thought of the idea of using clear plastic boxes and drew what it might look like.
We also thought that if we were using this in a classroom environment it would be more beneficial to use the plastic container so the children can see inside. This would mean that they can see the layers involved in a wormery and possibly see the worms.
We understood that worms prefer darkness we could cover the middle layer with black paper or put in in a dark corner of the classroom. This allows the worms to have their dark area but could give the children a chance to see the worms in the other sections.

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By the end of this project we want the children to learn and understand that:
1. Designing and making can be cheap and affordable.
2. How composting can help the environment.
3.  There are interrelationships between natural features and the lives of plants, animals and people.

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1. What is a wormery?
2. How do we make one?
3. What is composting?
4. What materials do we need?
5. How is composting beneficial to us and the environment?
6. What are the key elements of a wormery?/ What do worms need to survive in a wormery?