A Worm Farm & Compost Corner

I'd like to make more compost (wouldn't we all?). Now that I'm chicken-free  the 2 runs are ripe for development. Both are shaded so not the best spots for veg/fruit growing - however, maybe I could "grow" compost there instead? 

I have 2 intact wormeries and another one that needs a lid and tap.  Only one has worms in it - but there are worms in the Hotbin that I've been picking out and adding to the wormery. My first step, I think, is to move the wormeries together - putting them on a raised platform/pallet so that the worm juice can be drained off. 
The second step is to be more proactive in collecting compostable material. Less Chop & Drop, more Chop and collect for the worms. 

Is there any benefit in having a conventional "dalek" bin nearby to dump fresh prunings into, before topping up the wormeries? Or putting it in a dustbin?
Should I have containers for coffee grounds, sacks for horse manure and for shredded paper, wood chip, grass cuttings or, in my usual way, bung it all in without a lot of success. 

All advice welcome but don't mention building a 3 bay pallet compost bay - been there, done it and not doing it again. Too much like hard work, turning it.

In case you're wondering, the Hotbin will stay in the GH for convenience.

No advice from me, although I did look at hot bin prices this morning and frightened myself. Never had a wormery. I'm sticking with the 3 Bay + kitchen veg waste system that seems to work for me. Everything but weeds go into it, without too much care and consideration.

Got my wormery - but not got worms.
Keep reading conflicting info about “must have special worms - not ordinary garden worms”.
However the “proper” worms are pretty expensive.
Worried that if I put ordinary ones in they will die - and don’t want to do that!
The blurb I’ve read says that garden worms go down and die at the bottom whereas the special ones stay up the top going good things.
Absolutely confused by it all.

If you have any angling shops nearby you can buy worms there, FEW.

Will be watching the advice you get with interest. I also plan on improving my compost making. I’d kill for a hot bin   . Unfortunately a couple of other things are taking priority at the moment     . I had a wormery never really got on with it. But now I’m a little older, a little more organised and a 100% more interested in my garden, I’d give one another go. 




Seriously I would kill for a hot bin   .

I've never had a wormery and somerimes wonder at the mystique associated with them?

I dump organic waste including weeds in a corner of the plot and the brandling worms just appear? Like wise with hoss muck mulches, the worms just appear?

If I dumped the organic matter on a hill, the run-off below the hill would be the same as having a wormery surely?

I've never had much luck with compost making, however I do it. The Hotbin is good but I don't think its as good as the adverts say. I do get lots of liquid from it though and that's what I fed my tomatoes with last year. I'll have more stuff to compost now as a lot of the green veg waste used to be fed to the chickens.
I've tried 3xpallet bins, daleks, wormeries, hotbin and dumping it in heaps.
Not sure what amount of "run-off" you expect, Vinny but I don't think it would run very far.

I really like my wormery as it's a good way to deal with kitchen scraps without attracting rats to my suburban garden and therefore upsetting my neighbours. It wouldn't be an issue if I had a bigger garden that didn't join up with anyone else's, but I definitely don't want to be that neighbour!

However, they don't eat seeds so vermicompost can result in lots of things trying to sprout left right and centre! I have a compost heap at the top of my garden, but it doesn't get hot enough to break down seeds (or indeed most of the woodier vegetation I have put on it...) I'd be very tempted by a hot bin if they weren't so pricey, as it would be a good place to put things that won't go in the wormery and don't break down quickly on a cold compost pile. However, the price definitely makes me pause. I'm wondering if I could get hold of the materials to try and make one, but I suspect I would never quite get round to it.

I'm another in the compost making improvers group. I do the usual veg scraps plus green bits into daleks with bits of card etc. Starting a long term bin now with woodier bits in it and composting everything I can get my hands on. I'll start paying attention to the comfrey to get it into the bins rather than leaving it all year. Going to ask at the local cafes for coffee grounds etc. There's a giant rain barrel (big big black plastic barrel with screw top) left on our plot that is actually not allowed on the site that we'll cut in half to make compost bays, I think.

I looked into wormeries but I think a bokashi bin might be the best supplement for what we have. We try hard not to waste food but we do end up with some odds and ends from the little ones at the end of the day.

My paths are turning to compost from wood chip, so that'll be in the daleks soon. Buying in a mountain of cow muck soon so that may be piled up or applied to beds, depending upon state on arrival. I think I mentioned elsewhere that we want to get more on the no dig side of things so definitely need to step up the compost situation.

This is just spooky!
I’ve just had a reply on Facebook to a comment I made 3 years ago!

   

I’m tempted to reply with yes please, I’d love you to send me a hot composter, thanks     .