what to feed worms in compost

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). Compost worms love bananas and banana peels,...
• Green leafy vegetables (e.g., romaine)
• Pumpkin and squash
• Pulp from juicers (avoid citrus)
• Crushed egg shells

Full Answer

What are some of the best worms for composting?

Therefore, they can digest food faster if it is:

• Soft
• Cut into small pieces, with a knife or food processor
• Somewhat moist
• Buried in the bin – just below the surface for Red composting worms

What is the best worm for composting?

• They grow to be 3-8 inches long, and are 2 or 3 times bigger than their smaller cousins, the red wigglers (Eisenia Fotida).
• The euros are certainly better for larger foods that aren't as broken down, or for leaves and other tougher material that has not been pre-composted.
• Can be successfully introduced to most garden environments. ...

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.

How to get worms into your compost?

Worm Composting: How to Get Started

• Worm Composting Basics. A worm-composting environment breaks organic matter down faster than a traditional compost heap. ...
• The Right Worms for the Job. Red wiggler worms are one of the best species for vermicomposting. ...
• Making Your First Worm Bin. ...
• Setting Up the Worm Bin. ...
• Acclimating the Worms. ...
• Maintaining the Worm Environment. ...
• Harvesting Worm Compost. ...

How often should I feed my compost worms?

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.

What can you not put in 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...

How much should I feed my compost worms?

Supposedly, the rule of thumb is that compost worms will eat half their weight in food every day. Meaning, if you have a pound of worms, they will eat up to half a pound of food every day, or 3.5 pounds every week.

Do composting worms need food?

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.

What is the best food for worms?

The Best Worm Foods for Your SoilFruit peels (not citrus)Melon rinds.Carrots.Coffee grounds.Teabags (check if biodegradable)Bread.Cereal (unsweetened)Pasta (plain)More items...•

Will 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.

Is oatmeal good for worms?

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.

Do worms eat grass clippings?

Grass clippings are a great addition to a traditional compost pile and worms will eat these as well in their natural setting, but in your vermicomposting system, they will heat up the soil and can kill all of your worms.

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.

How do you make homemade worm food?

0:322:43Worm Chow - Make your own! - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipBut a little bit of sugar is really good for the microorganisms. And the bacteria that's inside yourMoreBut a little bit of sugar is really good for the microorganisms. And the bacteria that's inside your web and it helps break down the food a lot quicker when there's more microorganisms.

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 you keep worms alive in compost?

How to Keep Compost Worms Happy and HealthyAdequate Feeding. Ensure that worms have enough kitchen scraps, but don't overfeed them. ... Feeding the Right Food. Even compost worms need a healthy diet. ... Ensuring the Right Conditions for the Compost Bedding. ... Remembering to Harvest Worm Castings. ... Maintaining the Right Temperature.

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?

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.

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 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 is worm farming?

Worm farming is a great project for anyone who likes to get their hands a little dirty. The end result is nutrient rich worm castings that your garden will absolutely love. The key to a successful worm bin is to just take things slow, feed your worms sparingly with a proper diet, and be patient.

Why don't you put meat in worm bins?

(You don’t want to put these in your normal compost pile either for the same reason.) Don’t put meat or dairy in your worm bin because these will go rancid.

Do composting worms eat fruit?

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. They especially love the fruit.

Can you put citrus in a worm bin?

You should avoid putting citrus fruits in the worm bin, as well as garlic, onions, and peppers. Composting worms will avoid these at all costs due to the high acidity. It’s best to reserve these items for your regular compost pile.

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 do red wiggler worms eat?

Red wiggler worms feed on the microbes that feed on decomposing matter. Since worms don’t have teeth, they’re not really munching on the food itself. That being said, we still talk about what food the worms like to eat. There are two parts to their diet…nitrogen and carbon materials.

What are the two parts of worm bedding?

There are two parts to their diet…nitrogen and carbon materials. The carbon materials make up the bedding, but it is also a food source for them. The nitrogen materials come from your kitchen. Worm bedding materials, clockwise from top left – shredded newspaper, paper bags, coconut coir, paper egg cartons, shredded cardboard.

How long to bake eggshells for worms?

You can use azomite, dolomite lime, zeolite, garden lime or finely ground eggshells. Bake the eggshells at 200 degrees for 20 minutes or until completely dry. I’ve also used the rock dust blend that comes with the Worm Factory kits. Sprinkle a light dusting of one of these over the food each time you feed the worms.

How to keep worms from breathing in dust?

I use eggshells with each feeding and then add a sprinkle of some rock dust over the whole farm once a month. Very lightly mix it into the top inch. Use a face mask to prevent breathing in the dust.

Can too much nitrogen kill worms?

Too much nitrogen based food can lead to anaerobic conditions in your bin which can kill your worms. It’s important to err of the side of too much bedding to avoid this. I add an equal amount of bedding material, by volume, mixed into every feeding.

Do you need to add water to a worm farm?

Most people do not need to add additional water to their worm farms. The water that is released as the food decomposes is usually enough. A worm farm should be damp like a wrung out sponge. If you live in a dry climate, you may need to add additional water.

Can you put cucumbers in a compost crock?

You can certainly put a whole cucumber in there, but it will sit for a bit before the worms get to it. Cut up the pieces into about 1″ chunks…no need to dice it finely. You can keep the food scraps in a compost crock until you’re ready to feed them.

What can be used as worm waste?

Any vegetable waste that you generate during food preparation can be used: potato peels, grapefruit and orange rinds, outer leaves of lettuce and cabbage, celery ends, and so forth. Plate scrapings might include macaroni, spaghetti, gravy, vegetables, or potatoes. Spoiled food from the refrigerator, such as baked beans, moldy cottage cheese, and leftover casserole also can go into the worm bin. Coffee grounds are very good in a worm bin, enhancing the texture of the final vermicompost. Tea leaves, even tea bags and coffee filters, are suitable.

Why do rabbits put worms in the bin?

Some people who raise rabbits build a bin underneath the rabbit hutch for the worms to eat the manure and wasted rabbit feed. If you do this, be sure and add an absorptive bedding to the bin and watch for concentrations of urine. You many need to dilute the urine so that ammonia does not build up.

What is the best way to speed up decomposition of meat?

Daniel Dindal of the State University of New York at Syracuse suggests adding a good carbon source (such as sawdust or extra bedding) to meat and bones to speed up decomposition time. He finds that if meat is chopped, ground, and thoroughly mixed with the carbon source, rodents won’t even be a problem.

Can you feed compost worms salty food?

The Perfect Diet for Compost Worms. You should not feed your compost worms salty foods; it will cause them to shrivel up and die quickly. “Worms Eat My Garbage” by Mary Appelhof and Joanne Olszewski has helped over 200,000 people start their own worm composting systems. Worms Eat My Garbage (Storey, 2017) by Mary Appelhof ...

Do worms need nitrogen?

There are some advantages to putting some of these nitrogen-rich materials into your worm bin. Worms require nitrogen in a form they can use. Nitrogen is also required by the microorganisms that do much of the composting and that are, in turn, eaten by the worms.

Does citrus kill worms?

Excess quantities of citrus will kill worms. If your bin is small and you squeeze a dozen or so oranges for juice, I advise you not to put all the rinds in the bin at once. Lemons, oranges, and limes contain limonene, which is toxic to worms.

Can you put coffee grounds in worm bins?

Coffee grounds are very good in a worm bin, enhancing the texture of the final vermicompost. Tea leaves, even tea bags and coffee filters, are suitable. Eggshells can go in as they are. I have found as many as 50 worms curled up in one eggshell.

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.”.

Foods Thatcomposting Worms Love

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Exceptions to The Organic Materials

Otherthings to Keep Out of The Worm Bin

Conclusion