Question 1

Why am I not getting any worm juice?

Accepted Answer

Usually a lack of worm juice is one thing… You are not adding enough waste into your wormery. After all 96% of vegetable waste is water and so if you are adding waste there will be liquid draining. It’s not good to add a glut of waste at once for your worms – they need regular feeding so adding waste every couple of days will work best for your worm and your liquid feed production.

Question 2

How to know if my wormery is too wet

Accepted Answer

You will soon see if your worm composter is too wet – it looks visibly sodden. To check pick up some of the made compost/bedding and squeeze… It should have the consistency of a wrung out sponge. If water leaks out between your fingers – then it’s too wet. (If it’s dry and crumbly… it’s too dry.)

Question 3

How many Subpods do I need?

Accepted Answer

The average family generates 7kg (15lbs) of food waste a week, just for reference.

We have designed the Subpod to be used for a family of up to four people, processing around 15kg (33lbs) of organic waste per week.

It will take from six weeks to three months to get your Subpod working at this capacity, depending on the season and how much you feed it. The worms need to settle in and build up their numbers.

Subpod is modular, so If you have more than 30L/15kg of waste per week, you can choose to connect two or more Subpods and create a bench seat, or install in separate garden beds.

Question 4

What is a worm blanket? What is it used for?

Accepted Answer

Worm blankets are made of a water-absorbing, air-permeable and light blocking fabric.

Question 5

What can be composted in Subpod?

Accepted Answer

You can compost a lot more in Subpod than in other worm farm systems. You can compost food scraps, including citrus, onions, and after four months of active use, even small quantities of meat, fish, dairy, and spicy foods.

Carbon items such as paper and cardboard, lawn and garden clippings, and a whole lot more can be composted in Subpod. You CANNOT compost non-organics such as plastic, tin cans, cigarettes, and such.

Question 6

Do you have to reintroduce new worms after you empty the compost?

Accepted Answer

When you empty your castings and compost, the worms will not be with the castings, but where the food is, on the other side of the Subpod divider.

When the system is getting full, stop feeding one side. After two weeks, most of the worms will move to the other side where the food has been added. This allows for easy harvest of the castings from the unfed side.

Question 7

Does Subpod attract pests and rodents?

Accepted Answer

No it shouldn’t. Subpod’s built-in ventilation panels have small holes that keep out bugs, pests and rodents, whilst allowing air to flow in. Just make sure the ‘worm holes’ in the sides of the Subpod are covered with soil so nothing can sneak in.

Some pests are attracted to the smell of rotting food. By keeping a healthy Subpod, your food won't rot, it will instead be composted by your worms and microbes.

Keep your food scraps in a sealed container/caddy to make sure bugs don’t lay eggs in your waste before you transfer it to the Subpod.

Question 8

How do I keep ants out of the Subpod?

Accepted Answer

Ants are attracted to dry conditions, so this is usually an indicator that your Subpod is too dry.

Question 9

Can we leave the Subpod if we go away on holidays?

Accepted Answer

To keep the worms happy while you’re away, buy a pumpkin (or use one that is starting to rot), cut it in half and lay the open sides face down on the top of the bedding of the Subpod.

Then add a generous layer of dry carbon, either shredded newspaper, coir (coconut husk), wood shavings, crushed dried leaves or dried (brown) grass clippings on top of the pumpkin, and place the worm blankets over everything.

Question 10

My wormery is too wet

Accepted Answer

If your wormery is too wet, there are a few things you can do to address the issue:

Add dry bedding: You can add dry bedding, such as shredded newspaper or dry leaves, to the wormery to absorb excess moisture.

Add more food: By adding more food, you can absorb some of the excess moisture.

Increase ventilation: Ensure that your wormery has proper ventilation. This can be done by adding holes or vents to the lid or sides of the wormery, or by propping open the lid.

Remove excess water: If there is standing water in the wormery, remove it by using a syphon or a cup.

Check the drainage: Make sure the drainage holes are not clogged and that the wormery is not placed on a surface that does not allow water to drain away.

It's important to keep in mind that worms need a moist environment to survive, but an excess of water can lead to anaerobic conditions that are harmful to the worms and the process. Keep an eye on the moisture levels and make adjustments as needed.

For more help with your wormery and frequently asked questions pop on over to https://www.wigglywigglers.co.uk/pages/wormery-faqs. Or if you’re keen to get started or order a wormery please visit https://www.wigglywigglers.co.uk/collections/worm-composting