what to feed vermicomposting worms

• Browns: the bedding and shelter for the worms to live in. They will also eat this too.
• Greens: garden waste and kitchen scraps for the worms to feast on.
• Water: typically, the kitchen scraps provide all the water that is needed.
• Air: air holes in your vermicomposting bin along with loosely packed material are necessary.

Full Answer

What do you feed vermiculture worms?

When vermiculture feeding, basically go “green.” Worms will eat almost anything that you would put in a traditional compost bin such as coffee grounds, crushed eggshells, plant waste, and tea leaves.

What do composting worms eat?

Composting worms are hungry for your kitchen left-overs, garden waste, and coffee grounds! The best foods for worms come from plants. This includes grains, fruits, vegetables, and beans.

How to get started with vermicomposting?

After you gather your supplies: a bin, shredded newspaper or leaves, and red wiggler worms, all you need to do is start saving food scraps to feed them. Now that you have the facts you need to get started with vermicomposting and care for your worms, nothing should stand in your way.

What can I put in my vermicomposter?

Leftover cereal grains are great worm food. So are coffee grounds and tea leaves. Cooked rice is great too. I generally avoid adding meat or dairy products to my vermicomposter. This isn’t because the worms won’t eat them. It’s because they tend to smell really, really bad before they’re consumed. For these, stick to bokashi composting.

What is the best thing to feed your worms?

You should also add eggshells or coffee grounds, which are a great source of nitrogen. Add wood dust, and pet or human hair to the soil, which your worms will eat to get carbon. Cut the food scraps up into small pieces before putting them in the worm bin, which will make it easier for the worms to break them down.

What can composting worms eat?

Compost worms benefit from a balanced diet. They will eat most normal kitchen fruit and vegetable scraps. Avoid feeding the worms large quantities of meat, citrus, onions and dairy foods. Some processed food also contains preservatives, which discourage the worms from eating it.

What should you not feed vermicompost?

Items you cannot compost in a worm bin:Lemon, lime, orange or other citrus peels and juice (in excess this will make the soil too acidic)Onions and garlic (a good rule of thumb is if it makes you smell, it makes your worm bin smell)Meat, fats, grease, bones or oils (no butter, lard, stocks, soups, etc)More items...

What to feed worms to reproduce?

Worms' number one favorite bedding material for reproducing is paper. Well, paper and cardboard to be more precise. The reason for this is up for debate. Some people say that carbon-rich foods stimulate cocoon production.

Do worms eat banana peels?

Bananas are a great and inexpensive snack for both us and our worms. Those peels are desirable to compost worms no matter what shape they're in. They'll make short work of what otherwise would have taken up space in your trash.

How often should I feed my worm farm?

Depending on the size of your bin, feed the worms from once a week to every two days with about a cup (240 ml.) of food. You may want to keep a journal regarding how quickly your worms consume certain things so you can adjust timings, amounts, and varieties. A stinky worm bin may be an indicator of overfeeding.

Can I feed worms oats?

Fruits and vegetables (uncooked or peels) – you can feed your worms any variation as long as it's not citrus based (you'll have to stay way from lemons, oranges, pineapples and all that since it has high acidity levels) Starchy food wastes – these can be in the form of bread, oatmeal, and pasta.

What do red wigglers like to eat?

Red worms love fruits and vegetables from your kitchen and garden. Save your left-over, spoilt organic matter, peelings, and cores for the worms. They also like tea bags, bread, pasta, grains, shredded black print newspaper, coffee grounds, and hair. Avoid meat, dairy, oils, and acidic foods.

Can worms eat cooked rice?

Bread, rice, pasta, processed foods - you can add the odd crust or bits of cooked rice off the dinner plate, but don't add lots of starchy foods. Worms don't like them and they may go off or attract pests.

Do worms eat eggshells?

eggshells - worms simply can't eat them. They will still be there when you remove the worm castings, and you'll have eggshells in the garden. Eggshells are good for the garden, so if you crush them up, and put them in the worm farm, they'll end up adding calcium to your soil.

What is the best food for red wiggler worms?

Best Foods to Feed Red Wiggler Composting WormsVegetable scraps: apple cores, peels, carrot tops and wilted lettuce or trimmings. ... Non-citrus fruit work best, such as watermelon rind, strawberry tops, old blueberries, etc. ... Used tea. ... Coffee grounds and filters. ... Dried leaves.More items...

Do worms like potato peels?

Vegetable Waste Carrot peelings, potato skins, broccoli and cauliflower stalks, lettuce, kale, even onion peels (in limited quantities) are perfect for the worm bin. Vegetable waste like this isn't prone to overheating your bin either, so this is another low-maintenance food.

What to feed worms?

Some “DON’TS” in the feeding of worms are: 1 Do not add salty or oily foods 2 Do not add tomatoes or potatoes 3 Do not add meat or dairy products

What do worms eat?

Worms will eat any of the following: Pumpkin. Leftover corn cobs. Melon rinds. Banana peels. Fruit and veggie detritus. However, it is best to avoid putting citrus, onions, and garlic in the worm bin. Onions and garlic will eventually be broken down by worms, but the odor in the interim may be more than you can handle!

How much food scraps do worms eat?

One pound of worms (about 1,000 worms) will eat about ½ to 1 pound (0.25-0.5 kg.) of food scraps per day.

Can you feed worms hot manure?

Don’t feed the worms pet waste or any “hot” manure. “Hot” manure is un-composted animal waste and its addition may result in heating the bin too much for the worms.

Can worms eat tomatoes?

Worms will eat tomatoes but make sure to break down the seed or you will likely have some tomato sprouts in the bin. No big deal, however, as you can just pull them out. The same may occur with potatoes and their eyes spouting before the potato is consumed.

Can citrus kill worms?

Citrus pulp or any highly acidic fruit added to the worm bin in large quantities can kill off your worms, so be aware and only add small amounts or just add the citrus peels without the pulp. When vermiculture feeding, basically go “green.”.

What are some good worm food?

What about other kitchen scraps? Leftover cereal grains are great worm food. So are coffee grounds and tea leaves. Cooked rice is great too.

What do worms need to digest food?

The eggshells and azomite provide the essential grit that the worms need to digest food. They don’t have teeth, so this grit is absolutely necessary! Eggshells also provide a calcium boost which helps the worms to breed. Azomite provides ample trace minerals.

How much food do red wigglers eat?

Most red wigglers or European nightcrawlers will eat almost anything. The average worm will consume half its body weight in food and bedding per day. If you start with a pound of worms, they should eat a half-pound of food and bedding per day, and so on.

What to put on worm bedding?

The rolled oats, cornmeal, and alfalfa work together to plump up your worms quickly. The finer this mix is powdered, the quicker your worms will eat it up and fatten up. Moisten your worm bedding and then sprinkle it over the bedding surface.

Why use an urban worm bag?

Using an Urban Worm Bag gives you plenty of surface space, excellent depth, and provides that all-necessary air to keep your bin from getting too soggy.

What do red worms eat?

These red worms are feasting on cow manure. Source: rosepetal236

Why do worms need grit?

Remember, grit is necessary to speed their digestion process so they can eat more and break down your waste products. Be sure to add a handful whenever you replace the bedding or remove compost. So when you’re torn on what to feed worms, feel free to refer to this list for inspiration.

What do worms eat?

Do feed your worms organic fruit and vegetable waste, including the rinds, cores, and peelings of your favorite fruits and vegetables. Feed them crushed eggshells, coffee grounds, and coffee filters (as long as the filters are unbleached), teabags, and aged manure from vegetable-eating animals, such as rabbits, horses, and cows.

Where do worms get their nutrition?

In fact, your worms’ main source of nutrition comes from the microorganisms that grow in abundance on organic fruit and vegetable waste. That’s why instead of devouring the scraps that you throw in to the soil immediately, your worms will wait around until microbes begin to flourish on the surface of the food scraps.

What is vermicomposting bin?

Vermicomposting is an easy, affordable way to reap major rewards for your garden. The bounty of your vermicomposting bin doesn’t stop at compost and the compost tea. The waste the worms leave behind, which is called worm castings, are excellent to feed your potted plants. Used as a soil amendment, worm castings can bring soil that is lacking in nutrients back to life and get it prepped for a season of incredible growth. Worm castings are full of nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, and humic acids that help improve soil structure.

What is worm compost?

Worm composting, also called vermicomposting, is a great way to use kitchen scraps to create a nutrient-rich compost to feed your garden and keep it producing year-round. In a large container, simply shred some newspaper and leaves from your yard to create a nice loose base, then add in red wiggler worms, officially known as Eisenia fetida, ...

What are worm castings?

Worm castings are full of nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, and humic acids that help improve soil structure. After you gather your supplies: a bin, shredded newspaper or leaves, and red wiggler worms, all you need to do is start saving food scraps to feed them.

How often do red worms multiply?

In fact, red worms are known to double their population size every 90 days. If you started with far too few, it’s okay to purchase more and add them to the mix.

Can you put old kitchen scraps in the compost bin?

A word of caution, however— don’t just throw any old kitchen scraps into the compost bin and hope for the best. Keep reading, and let’s dive into what you don’t want to feed them. Do not feed your worms fatty or processed foods, such as meat or dairy products. These types of kitchen scraps will cause strong odors when they decompose ...

How to feed worms?

To feed, place food waste in a small pile in one corner of your bin and cover it with a similar volume (though much smaller weight) of shredded newspaper. The newspaper acts as a balancing carbon source and helps keep fruit flies away since flies cannot burrow to the food once it is covered. The next time you feed, you may choose to pick a different corner so that over time each area of the bin is generating castings. When feeding the DPW 10-ga llon Rubbermaid bin I feed in a 2-inch wide row at one edge of the bin; I will later push all partially eaten material over by 2 inches to clear a new 2 inch row for the next feeding.

How to get worms to eat food faster?

Chop all food with a knife or in a food processor . Remember that food is broken down by microorganisms which are then eaten by worms; the more finely chopped food waste is the greater the surface area for microbes and the faster they will colonize. The worms, in turn, will process the material much faster.

What happens when oxygen levels are low in a food decomposition process?

If oxygen levels are low, anaerobic processes will take over and cause chemical reactions and strong odors that will stress or kill your worms and make the bin unpleasant to be around.

What happens if worms can't eat?

If worms cannot eat their food quickly enough it will rot and the oxygen level in the bin will drop (see Troubleshooting) and your worms will die. Feeding can be done in daily increments or in larger weekly amounts. Do not attempt to feed more than a week’s worth of food at once, as it will rot before the worms can get to it.

How much do worms eat?

Worms absolutely love melons, cantaloupe, and pumpkin. Healthy, warm, active worms will eat about half their weight per day. If you start with about 1 lb of worms in a small kitchen bin, expect to feed no more than 3.5 lbs per week. It is perfectly fine to underfeed worms, but very bad to overfeed. If worms cannot eat their food quickly enough it ...

What is the purpose of bedding in vermicomposting?

It serves 3 purposes: Acts as a carbon source to balance the nitrogen in the food (too much nitrogen will produce ammonia).

What do worms eat?

As discussed in the Materials and Setup section, worms require a very specific diet. They will eat fruit and vegetable scraps, but not onions, hot peppers, or citrus. Remember that worms are basically one large mucus membrane, so anything that is painful for your eye is extremely uncomfortable for them.

What do composting worms eat?

This includes grains, fruits, vegetables, and beans. Plant matter is filled with nutrients and vitamins that worms need.

How do worms digest food?

Worms do not have teeth. Their little mouths take in the food. Therefore, they can digest food faster if it is: 1 Soft 2 Cut into small pieces, with a knife or food processor 3 Somewhat moist 4 Buried in the bin – just below the surface for Red composting worms

What happens if a worm bin is too acidic?

If the bin becomes too acidic, there will be a bad odor, and the worms’ healthy could be compromised. Do not add citrus peels, pulp, or juice (orange, lemon, lime). Also, pineapple is too high in acid. Large amounts of tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato juice are not good. Very small quantities of these foods will not make a difference.

Can you put toxic items in a worm bin?

Discard the water. Do not put toxic items in the worm bin. Worms are living creatures and they could die. Sawdust from pressure-treated wood is toxic. So are plants heavily treated with pesticides and herbicides. Carbon paper and carbonless paper are off the menu. So is office paper, because it is bleached white.

Can you put animal products in worm bins?

How Animal Products and Greasy Foods Ruin the Composter. You should never add meat, animal products, dairy products, or greasy, oily foods to the worm bin. The oils, meat, and milk become rancid as they decompose. Rotting oils cause a powerful and unpleasant odor.

Do worms have teeth?

Their excrement, called “humus,” contains digested nutrients and earth-friendly bacteria. Humus makes an ideal fertilizer for growing new plants. Worms do not have teeth. Their little mouths take in the food. Therefore, they can digest food faster if it is: Soft. Cut into small pieces, with a knife or food processor.

Can grass clippings kill worms?

Additionally, green grass clippings generate too much heat as they break down. These high temperatures can kill your worms. Fertilizers and other chemical compounds might be suitable for soil. However, they are too strong to add to a worm bin. They contain chemical salts that cause harm to the worms.

What to feed worms?

The "No Go" list for feeding live worms includes: 1 Dairy, cheese, and milk products 2 Meat or other animal products 3 Cooked foods (due to oil and salt content) 4 Citrus fruits 5 "Spicy" foods like peppers, onions, garlic, and ginger 6 Tomatoes or tomato sauce (it's too acidic for worms) 7 Foods cooked with oils 8 Foods high in salt content

What foods are good for worms?

Meat or other animal products. Cooked foods (due to oil and salt content) Citrus fruits. "Spicy" foods like peppers, onions, garlic, and ginger. Tomatoes or tomato sauce (it's too acidic for worms) Foods cooked with oils. Foods high in salt content.

How to know if compost worms are processed?

You'll know the compost worms have fully processed the prior feeding when 1) the food is no longer visible on the surface of the worm bin and 2) the worms are not grouped together in a ball where you fed them. Rule #4: Don't bury the food!

What do compost worms like?

Worms have a sweet tooth so most fruits are a great idea (just not citrus). Compost worms love bananas and banana peels, grapes, melon, pears, berries, peaches, apples, and avocado (but not the pit or rinds)

How to kill worms in a bottle?

Remember in the last section when we talked about everything in moderation with worm farming? This is especially true with feeding your worms. Over-feeding, along with temperature, is one of the easiest ways to quickly kill your worm population. Think of feeding your worms like drinking a bottle of wine - you don't usually drink the entire bottle in 1 glass or gulp. You enjoy it in moderation over several glasses or days. Feed worms slowly and modestly and they will stay happy and healthy.

Do worms eat food?

Worms actually eat microorganisms that are feeding on the food waste, so they like soft food or food that has been cut into small pieces (this helps accelerate the decomposition process and increases the number of microorganisms for worms to eat).

Can you sprinkle worms over food?

It is ok to sprinkle a little of their original bedding (which should already be in the bin) over the food, but the food should never be buried and should be visible to your eye. Rule #5: See rule #1! Rule #6: After the first feeding, feed the worms 1/3 to 1/2 of their weight. So if you purchased 2 pounds of worms, ...

What worms are used in vermicomposting?

Red Wigglers ( Eisenia fetida) are the most common worm used for vermicomposting. They don’t like soil, instead opting to survive in decomposing leaves, manure, and other decomposing materials. This is why they thrive in a vermicomposting bin!

What do you need to make vermicompost?

Similar to composting, you need greens, browns, water, and air in order to make vermicompost. BUT, you need another very essential ingredient…worms!

What is Vermicomposting?

Vermicomposting is the fancy word for having worms as pets. Or, more technically speaking, intentionally using worms to decompose kitchen scraps and carbon materials like paper and straw.

How cold should a vermicomposting bin be?

Keep the vermicomposting bin outside in a cool, shady spot in the summer and a warm, covered spot in the winter. The temperature should be between 5-30°C. If you live in an area with a cold winter, move the worms to a garage or place a blanket over the top of the bin if it doesn’t get too cold.

What worms eat away?

Another popular option is red worms ( Lumbricus rubellus ). They like similar conditions, although you will find them further down in the bin and they may reproduce a tad slower than red wigglers. But they will happily eat away and create some worm castings for your benefit.

What does worm casting look like?

Worm castings look like very rich soil. You will see dark brown, teeny tiny bits of material. When you harvest them, you try to leave behind all the worms and take their castings in gratitude.

What are greens for worms?

Greens: garden waste and kitchen scraps for the worms to feast on.

How much weight do red worms eat?

Generally, red wiggler worms eat about half their own weight each day. Therefore, most suggest that composters order worms (in pounds) twice the amount of their weekly scrap weight. For example, a family producing one pound of scraps each week would require two pounds of worms for their composting bin.

What is composting in gardening?

Composting is an excellent way to transform organic scraps into valuable amendments to the soil. While large compost piles are effective, vermicomposting (using worms) is appealing to those looking to produce rich garden humus with very limited space.

Can you put worms in compost?

While some gardeners prefer a higher number of worms for quicker results, others choose to incorporate a smaller number of worms. Each of these scenarios will result in different outcomes which may impact the overall success and health of the worm bin.