GreenYes Archives
[GreenYes Archives] - [Thread Index] - [Date Index]
[Date Prev] - [Date Next] - [Thread Prev] - [Thread Next]

Re: [greenyes] Worms & Composting Nicky Scott
And you call yourself a Brit!  Of course I read your email, Nicky!  I loved
it.  I especially loved that British-ism "wormery"---we Yanks just call it a
worm bin.  I had had Shakespeare on the brain (see previous email) and your
lingo reminded me of Hamlet's line (to Ophelia) "Get thee to a nunnery!"
Just joking with you.
--Fellow Worm Enthusiast

on 4/24/03 7:39 AM, Nicky Scott at NScott@no.address wrote:

> What on earth does that mean!  I'm practically surrounded by my wormeries
> here!  Did you read my e-mail?  esp the bit about being a worm enthusiast!
> 
> Nicky
> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From:    Jenny Gitlitz [SMTP:jenny.gitlitz@no.address]
>> Sent:    23 April 2003 17:59
>> To:    Nicky Scott; greenyes@no.address
>> Subject:    Re: [greenyes] Worms & Composting Nicky Scott
>> 
>> Nicky,
>> Since today is my daughter's 1st birthday and Will Shakespeare's 439th,
>> all
>> I have to say is: Get thee to a wormery!
>> 
>> 
>> on 4/23/03 11:28 AM, Nicky Scott at NScott@no.address wrote:
>> 
>>> Hi
>>> I'm a composter in England (I co-ordinate community composting projects
>> here
>>> in Devon and Nationally am the chairman of the Network) and have just
>>> writtena small book on composting - it's not supposed to be a plug!
>> {however
>>> if you are interested it is only £1.95 or much cheaper in bulk see
>>> www.greenbooks.co.uk
>>> (It's called 'Composting for all' - by Nicky Scott pictures by Bob Gale)
>>> Anyway - the main reason for writing it was to help promote home
>> composting
>>> & to hopefully be something which could accompany a home composter bin
>> which
>>> most Local Authorities subsidise here.
>>> As i was wrtitng it I realised that the main concerns are what to do
>> with
>>> Kitchem waste - Ie all the things likely to attract flies and rats etc.
>> Also
>>> what to mix these things with.  You basically have to exclude these
>>> 'vectors'.  In my humble opinion it is usually best to first compost
>> these
>>> materials - and I mean everything - cooked food, oil, meat, fish, dairy,
>> veg
>>> scraps etc - you need to mix them with an appropriate carbon source -
>> the
>>> easiest is cardboard and paper - especially ythe unrecyclable stuff -
>> toilet
>>> rolll centres, kitchen paper- tissues etc etc - you can always bulk it
>> up
>>> with spoiled newspaper cardbaord packaging of all sorts - rip- tear and
>>> scrunch it up to create airways etc.  It will absorb liquid and provide
>> air
>>> and carbon.  also add garden clippings, manures etc.  This material can
>> go
>>> into a wormery but the problem is that you really only want to add
>> small
>>> amounts at a time - otherwise it composts.  IE it heats up and the worms
>>> like it cool! - the thing to do is to find a container that is vermin
>> proof
>>> - I use an old degassed chest freezer as a cheap convenient - insulated
>> box
>>> which I put a wooden grid in at the bottom to provide an airflow - you
>> need
>>> to create  slots covered with mesh (flies) both under and above the grid
>> and
>>> a 'chimney on the lid to draw up air.
>>> You can also make a 'standard New Zealand type bin but line it out with
>>> metal mesh to exclude rats - needs to be on the base too - and have a
>> lid.
>>> Another solution is to use a fermentation method - you can buy
>>> micro-organisms which ferment your kitchen waste like sauerkraut! see
>>> www.livingsoil.co.uk
>>> So whilst I am a vermicompost enthusiast too I am primarily a composter
>> - I
>>> also have several wormeries - made out of old dustbins mainly - but I do
>>> find precomposting through the hot phase the easiest way - then I feed
>> my
>>> worms with it.
>>> i could go on but must get back to work!
>>> Nicky Scott
>>> 
>>> 
>>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
>>> To unsubscribe, e-mail: greenyes-unsubscribe@no.address
>>> For additional commands, e-mail: greenyes-help@no.address
>>> 
>> 
>> --Jenny
>> 
>> Jennifer Gitlitz
>> Research Director, Container Recycling Institute
>> 
>> Home Office:
>> 2 Pomeroy Ave.
>> Dalton, MA 01226
>> Tel. (413) 684-4746
>> eFax: (928) 833-0460
>> Email: jgitlitz@no.address
>> 
>> Container Recycling Institute headquarters:
>> 1911 N. Ft. Myer Dr. #702
>> Arlington, VA 22209-1603
>> Tel. (703) 276-9800
>> Fax: (703) 276-9587
>> www.container-recycling.org
>> www.bottlebill.org
>> 

--Jenny

Jennifer Gitlitz
Research Director, Container Recycling Institute

Home Office:
2 Pomeroy Ave.
Dalton, MA 01226
Tel. (413) 684-4746
eFax: (928) 833-0460
Email: jgitlitz@no.address

Container Recycling Institute headquarters:
1911 N. Ft. Myer Dr. #702
Arlington, VA 22209-1603
Tel. (703) 276-9800
Fax: (703) 276-9587
www.container-recycling.org
www.bottlebill.org







[GreenYes Archives] - [Date Index] - [Thread Index]
[Date Prev] - [Date Next] - [Thread Prev] - [Thread Next]