[Spr0ut]

This may prove to be a complete waste of time or a fascinating way to add another magical nutrient to the allotment menu.

Has anyone started a worm farm off? How many red-worms did you start out with? I collected about 50 this morning under pots and slates around the garden and will collect a further 100 or so down the allotment tomorrow. Do you think that will be enough to start things off in a small bin about 2x2x3 feet?

[Trillium]

I've done some mini farms and plan to make a bigger one this year. There are loads of good videos and articles online, especially the does and don'ts of a healthy wormery.

Normally the larger worms like European nightcrawlers or red wigglers are used because they can quickly plough through compost faster than regular ground worms.  If you want the bigger worms, they're usually available online and will quickly develop a big colony for you. But groundworms will work, just slower because you cannot overfill their area with compost. Too much rotting compost will kill groundworms.

Worm castings (manure) are very rich and should be used sparingly, so there's no need for huge containers of them unless you plan to sell the castings.

[ConfusedGardener]

The only thing that puts me off having a wormery is that during a cold winter they need to be moved indoors. Unless a shed or outbuilding would be adequate, it wouldn't be practical for me to do that.

[shedmeister]

We have a wormery in our kitchen and it does not smell at all.
It takes all the veg waste throughout the year.
I use red wrigglers bought off flea bay and they breed very well. The casts are super growing fuel and the worm wee is a brilliant liquid fertiliser diluted ten parts water to one part wee.
You can also make a fertiliser tea from the casts.

[Spr0ut]

Red wrigglers duly collected from my allotment compost heaps along with some of the compost so they don't feel too estranged in the new abode. Looking forward to some Worm Tea.