The "Go" List of items you should feed compost worms includes most raw/uncooked fruits and vegetables as well as the following items:
- Worms have a sweet tooth so most fruits are a great idea (just not citrus). ...
- Green leafy vegetables (e.g., romaine)
- Pumpkin and squash
- Pulp from juicers (avoid citrus)
- Crushed egg shells
- Coffee and tea grounds in small quantities (too many can lead to an acidic bed which can harm the worms)
- Shredded cardboard, egg cartons, and paper towels
- Most leaves (as long as they haven't been treated with pesticides or herbicides)
What are the best worms for worm composting?
What are the most common types of worms?
- The Red Wigglers. The most common worm that you will be told to get for your vermicomposting bins, red wrigglers, is native to several countries worldwide.
- Reg Tiger Worms. The first choice of vermicomposters, the regular tiger worm, has stripes across its body while maintaining a rust-brown color.
- African Nightcrawlers. ...
Why do you need worms in your compost?
Why do I need worms in my garden?
- Add nutrients to the soil. Plant residue such as fallen leaves and dead roots are food for the worms. ...
- Improves drainage. Over time, the soil in a garden can become compact. ...
- Mix the soil. Earthworms also help turn the soil. ...
- Improves plant health. With all the above benefits in place, the positive impact of earthworms on plant health is a no-brainer.
What food does a worm prefer in a compost bin?
Urban Worm Chow
- Spent Coffee Grounds. Some folks express concern over high acidity, but this is only true of unused grounds or the coffee itself in liquid form.
- Apple Cores. Another common fruit whose waste is perfect for the worm bin! ...
- Pre-Composted Manures. ...
- Vegetable Waste. ...
- Chicken Mash & Cornmeal. ...
What do you put in a worm compost?
- humus (that’s the dark spongy material that makes good soil the colour of chocolate)
- recycled nutrients
- billions of microscopic lifeforms which create a healthy soil ecosystem.
What is the best food for compost worms?
Top Five Best Foods for Your Worms#1 Leafy Green Vegetables. Worms love lettuce, kale, Swiss chard, to name a few of these vegetables. ... #2 Melons/Squash and Pumpkins. ... #3 Broccoli. ... #4 Apples. ... #5 SURPRISE: Pasta. ... Note: Worms can eat most fruits and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, used tea leaves, etc.
What should you not feed worm compost?
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 can you feed worms in a worm farm?
Feeding worms Most kitchen scraps are fine for the worm farm, including fruit and vegies, eggshells, coffee grounds, etc. Limit the amount of citrus and onion you add, and chop everything into small pieces. A small amount of leaves, weeds and grass cuttings.
How often should I feed my worm farm?
Under ideal conditions, worms can eat their weight in scraps per day. So if you have 1 pound of worms, you can theoretically feed them 1 pounds of scraps. However, we recommend you play it safe by feeding an amount they can handle every 2 or 3 days.
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.
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.
Can worms eat 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.
How often should I water my worm farm?
Once every week, pour about five litres of fresh water into the Top Working Tray, which will flood down through the lower trays, ensuring the entire worm farm remains very moist. The sudden 'flood' will not harm the worms. Adding water is especially important in the hotter months of the year.
Can worms eat orange peels?
Though some people think that citrus peels in vermicompost can be harmful to the worms, this is not the case. Citrus peels will not hurt the worms. That being said, you may not want to use citrus peels in your worm compost simply because many kinds of worms don't particularly like to eat them.
Is it OK to have maggots in my worm farm?
There are flies or maggots in the farm! Tiny little vinegar flies are occasionally present in worm farms (and compost bins) and are absolutely nothing to worry about. If larger flies or maggots are present, it is generally a sign that food (especially meat) is rotting rather than being eaten by your worms.
How often should you change worm bedding?
After worms are added, bedding should be kept moist but not soggy and the top 6 to 8 inches turned every 7 to 10 days to keep it loose. About every 6 to 9 months the old bedding should be replaced with properly prepared new bedding. To change bedding, remove the top 5 or 6 inches (where most of the worms are).
How do I know if my worm bin is healthy?
You can tell that your compost worms are happy and healthy by looking out for three signs:They reproduce. Worms can easily double their population every 90 days, given the right environment. ... They produce compost. Worms need to eat to produce worm castings. ... The compost does not stink.
What can't you feed worms?
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. These foods won't harm your worms, but they will avoid them and those scraps will break down and rot in the bin.
What kinds of materials should not be fed to the worms Why not?
What To Not Feed WormsMeats, bones, fat and anything oily or greasy.Dairy products including butter, sour cream, milk, whole eggs (egg shells are ok) and cheese.Canned sauces, peanut butter and other processed food.Citrus foods like lemons, limes and oranges.Onions and garlic.Spicy foods such as hot peppers.More items...•
Can composting worms eat potato peels?
Foods that Composting Worms Love Composting worms, or Red Wigglers, are not picky eaters. They will happily digest a wide variety of organic plant material into nutrient rich worm castings. I put old lettuce in there, rotten vegetables, potato peels, fruit, grass clipping, and leaves, just to name a few.
Can I feed my worms moldy food?
The molds that form on most vegetables are usually OK, but the molds on some fruit and bread can be problematic. If you're in doubt, try a small amount first and see if the worms are bothered by it. If not, then it's probably OK to use it, otherwise, you should put them into your backyard bin instead.
What to feed compost worms?
The "Go" List of items you should feed compost worms includes most raw/uncooked fruits and vegetables as well as the following items: 1 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) 2 Green leafy vegetables (e.g., romaine) 3 Pumpkin and squash 4 Pulp from juicers (avoid citrus) 5 Crushed egg shells 6 Coffee and tea grounds in small quantities (too many can lead to an acidic bed which can harm the worms) 7 Shredded cardboard, egg cartons, and paper towels 8 Most leaves (as long as they haven't been treated with pesticides or herbicides)
What do compost worms eat?
Compost worms love bananas and banana peels, grapes, melon, pears, berries, peaches, apples, and avocado (but not the pit or rinds) Green leafy vegetables (e.g., romaine) Pumpkin and squash. Pulp from juicers (avoid citrus) Crushed egg shells. Coffee and tea grounds in small quantities (too many can lead to an acidic bed which can harm the worms) ...
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!
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.
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.
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 to feed worms?
1. Feed your worms fruit and vegetable scraps. Worms will enjoy a variety of fruits and veggies, like bananas, pumpkin, apples, lettuces, eggplant, berries, squash, and greens. However, you should avoid feeding citrus fruits, including oranges, limes, lemons, and grapefruits, to your worms.
What to feed worms before feeding them?
Just make sure the eggshells are free of fats, like cooking oil or butter, before feeding them to your worms. Include hair, dust, wood ash, and sawdust. Pet and human hair, in addition to dust, like that which collects in a vacuum cleaner, can also be added to the worm bin.
How to feed worms after their last meal?
Feed your worms once their last meal is nearly gone. There isn’t a set feeding schedule for worms, so you’ll need to pay attention to how much they eat and how quickly. Check the worm bin each day and figure out how many days it takes them to eat the food you provide. When nearly all of the food is gone, give your worms more food. However, if there is food remaining in the bin and the worms aren’t eating it, avoid adding more food until the previous scraps are gone.
What to put in worm bin?
Add eggshells and coffee grounds to the worm bin. Coffee grounds are a great addition to a worm bin as they are full of nitrogen and have a neutral pH. Egg shells are also quite beneficial as they provide calcium for your worms.
How to feed worms with burlap?
Once your food or scraps are ready to be added to the worm bin, remove the newspaper or burlap covering. Place the food on the feeding tray or in the bin, but avoid burying it in the worm castings. Try to place the food in a different area each time you feed your worms.
How to keep fruit flies out of food?
Cover the food with shredded newspaper. Shredded newspaper, or burlap, should cover the food at all times. It keeps the bin dark and moist, which discourages fruit flies. Always replace the covering after feeding your worms, and add new materials if the top layer starts to break down or become mushy.
What do worms eat?
Worms will eat many things, including fruits, vegetables, eggshells, coffee grounds, leaves, grass clippings, paper, and cardboard ! However, there are also some foods you should avoid feeding your worms, like meat, grains, and dairy products.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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 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.
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 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 ...
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 do worms eat?
Don’t feed them anything other than that! But they will thrive on some things over others. All manner of vegetable and fruit peelings, eggshell, tea (bag and all) and coffee grounds provide a kings feast for worms.
What to do if you overfed worms?
1. Remove any rotting food from the farm (don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty, it’s all in the name of the healthy worm); 2. Gently aerate the bedding with a fork to give the farm a healthy oxygen hit; 3.
Why do worm farms fail?
Too much of one food item (fruit for example) threatens to upset the pH of your farm and degrade conditions. Try to feed your worms a good mix of different food items to balance out conditions. Your worms will be happier for it. In my opinion, overfeeding your worms is the number one reason why worm farms fail.
Is citrus a worm farm?
Citrus contains limonene, a substance toxic to worms in anything other than small quantities so be careful of disposing of rind in your worm farm; they don’t tend to like onions and foods from the onion family (leeks, shallots, garlic, chives); meat and dairy in all forms are a no-go zone; and pet poo is toxic and should not be fed to your worms.
Can overfeeding worms kill them?
Overfeeding can result in bad smells (because the waste rots before the worms can process it), attract flies and other pests, and ultimately result in death if the conditions become unbearable. Any of these issues might be enough for you to throw in towel and bring your career as a worm farmer to an abrupt halt.
What can I feed my worms?
As a general rule, if you’d compost it, the worms will love it, but with a few important exceptions:
Do I need to add anything other than kitchen scraps to keep my worms happy?
If the pH is too high you can neutralize it by adding agricultural lime .
How to feed composting worms?
If practical, cut the food up small using a knife or food processor.
What do composting worms need?
They need regular feedings of kitchen scraps and gardening waste. Composting worms quickly convert these scraps into valuable organic fertilizer. Feed composting worms too little, and they starve. Feed them too much, and they can’t keep up. Too much rotting organic matter can cause odors, mold growth, excess moisture, ...
How to get worms to eat food in compost bin?
Dig a small hole in the bedding against the composting bin’s wall. Place the food in the hole. Cover with bedding. In a day or two, check to see if the worms have found the food and started eating it. When the worms have made a good showing on this food, dig a hole next to it and deposit a new feeding.
How much can red worms eat?
In theory, red worms can eat half their weight each day. This number applies to a settled worm population under ideal conditions. Since worm bin owners start out with new composting bins, we will also start there.
How to feed worms in a bin?
Let them dig their own way in. This lets them make air holes and find their way around. Dig a hole and place a single feeding in one area of the bin. If you don’t know what they eat, see what to feed your worms. Cover it with bedding.
Why do worms feed in this pattern?
Feeding in this pattern makes the food easy for the worms to find. This method also helps you figure out how often and how much to feed them.
Why is my worm's pH low?
Acidity. A low pH can be caused by excess food and too much acidic food. Your worms are in real danger of dying. See our advice on bin acidity.
What is the best food for worms?
Citrus fruit, garlic and onions are moderately good worm food.
What happens if worm bins are acidic?
If the acidity of your worm bins bedding becomes very high it might force your worms to migrate out of the bin to avoid death.
Can worms live in compost?
In general worms can cope with nearly all garden- and kitchen waste you might offer them. Some products the compost worms can eat in large quantities and even live in them while others should only be fed in moderation . Especially acidic foods should be fed with care.