Question 1

My worms are eating the moisture mat, is this okay?

Accepted Answer

Your moisture mat is just there to encourage your worms to work in the surface of the waste and as it is biodegradable the worms will eventually eat it. If the moisture mat is disintegrating quickly you can add more waste.

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

Why have I got Fruit Flies in my Subpod?

Accepted Answer

Fruit flies can enter Subpod when you are adding your food waste. They can also get into the system before your food scraps are added to Subpod if there’s a loose lid.

The more thoroughly you stir your food waste into the bedding, the less likely you will have a problem with fruit flies and other insects. If you add more moist bedding (carbon), it’s easier to bury the food waste thoroughly. Make sure that the larger holes on the sides of your Subpod are below the soil line in your garden bed.

Any fruit fly larvae that finds its way into the Subpod will slowly diminish over time if the above techniques are used.

Question 4

Which worms are best for composting?

Accepted Answer

Our composting worms are mixture of species (mainly reds and dendras) selected for their composting ability. Available with or without bedding. These types of worms are productive at consuming organic leftovers. Common garden earthworms don't perform as well in the same conditions.

Question 5

How many worms do I need per Subpod?

Accepted Answer

You'll need a minimum of 1000 worms, but 2000 is better. If you really want to kick start your Subpod, you can add up to 4000 worms.

Question 6

How Do I Use My Worm Casts And Compost?

Accepted Answer

Using your Compost

The compost is very rich in nutrients and organic matter and can be used as an excellent medium to grow plants in. It is rich in soluble plant foods and its fine crumbly texture will greatly improve soil structure. It is not necessary to sterilise the compostbefore using it in the garden, its bacterial content comprises beneficial species which will not harm your plants. It can be

If you want to make your own potting compost try the following mix:

25% Worm casts
25% Coir or alternative
25% Perlite (or equivalent)
25% Sand

Liquid Plant Feed

Don’t forget that the liquid that you drain off from the sump

Question 7

Are composting worms - Earthworms?

Accepted Answer

The worms you need for domestic composting are still earthworms but are often termed surface litter worms: These include Eisenia Foetida (Tiger Worms), Eisenia Andrei or, Eisenia Hortensis (often known as a Dendrabaena Veneta) They are all reddy brown in colour and they live in the soil in the surface layer of decaying vegetation.

You will find them naturally on the floor of a forest or they often migrate into your compost heap. They are all UK native species of Earthworms.

Shop Worms and Composters

Question 8

What to do if there’s white mould growing in my bokashi bin?

Accepted Answer

This is good news. The white mould is actually a fungi and shows that the food waste is fermenting rather than putrefying. Fermentation is precisely what you want in your bokashi bucket. So, if you see white mould on your bokashi food waste, you can be confident that all is well in your bokashi bucket.

Question 9

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 10

Are your wormeries rodent proof?

Accepted Answer

The great thing about a tray system wormery is that a: It's off the floor so very unlikely to be attacked by rodents and B: Worms compost waste as you add it so they really help to neutralise the odours. We have had no problems with rodents with Urbalive or other tray system worm composters.