What should you feed worms

Is it advisable to use old left over grated food scraps or should I always use freshly grated food scraps? Do you even advise grating the food scraps? I was just wondering is it ok to put dead flowers in the worm bin. I got my wife some roses and carnations with green ferns and was wondering if it is ok to put them in the bin. I have read that you can put leaves and small amount of grass clipping but I am not finding anything on flowers.

The moisture level of the bedding in your worm bin should be comparable to a wrung-out sponge, that when squeezed emits a drop or two of water. If it is not moist, you may need to add water from time to time to sustain the correct moisture level.

I would not recommend adding these for the reason that you mentioned. These are far too salty for the worms to eat and thrive in. Have a great day! I am starting my first full vermiculture bin and and very appreciative of all of the wonderful information that you have provided on your site, thank you. Hey there, Is it true that worms do not like potato peels, this seems strange to me somehow.

Also will they be ok with food scraps that are high in sugar, like my desert leftovers, pastry etc? Well got Rabbit and I started dumping the straw and pellets in the scrub in the yard.

I realized that worms are everywhere in it. Should I leave it just on the ground? It will be snowed on this winter? What do they do in the winter? How would my teacher be able to get loads of soil in 1 day for worms ad feed them as well I mean do the students feed them or what? I got a Worm Farm and started with red jumpers and about crawlers. I thought that pureeing the scraps would make it easier for the worms to eat. I just ordered about African night crawlers to add when they get here in a week.

Any suggestions before I kill these off as well? I want to test what worms will eat with students. I want to put in some fruit scraps which it sounds like they will eat and some jelly beans which I am hoping they will not eat.

Would putting in a jelly bean or two be harmful? Can I feed my worms toilet paper? I think toilet paper is bleached with chemicals and might be harmful to the red wigglers, no? Yes — mold is good! Worms do not have teeth, so the mold helps to break down the food, making it easier for the worms to eat. I would be cautious about using flowers in the bin. In Australia, there are no limits on pesticides on commercial flowers.

These would not be a good food for worms in a bin. I see many good questions. Some are ones that I have a well. It would be very helpful if someone from the company would answer them. Just a line or two would often be enough. I have tons of English walnuts I have been hulling.

Would it be ok to feed the hulls to the worms? I am concerned about tannins and the Ph level. We do not recommend that you add black walnuts to the vermicompost bin. They have a phone number and are eager to help with any questions.

I recently orderd 1, redwiglers n they came in day 3 of shipping. They were so lively that some would try their best to crawl out of my stirophom cooler for 3 days. I just kept flicking them back in n waiting the first day for about 6 hours. They just kept trying even though I had a light shinning directly on them.

Very appreciated. They are the most active at night it seems also after feeding. Alive and well! They are a lively bunch. Where can I find best instructions on harvesting worm castings? How to harvest, when to use them, how long will the castings keep before using? My bins are happy and thriving! I am getting ready to use their castings in my garden! Houseplants have seen the benefit already! My red worms.

What do I need to do. They get all my vegable scraps. You should try and optimize worm farm food for their consumption. Worms do not have any teeth.

This means they need to wait until the food begins to rot or break down so that it is soft and wet enough for them to eat. Salty foods, citrus, spicy foods, oils like those found in salad dressing , prepackaged foods with preservatives, meat and dairy products because they attract flies and can cause the vermicomposter to smell.

This is a popular question among many first composters or organic gardeners. It is more technical than that. These terms are functions of the C:N Carbon to Nitrogen ratios in all once living creatures, plant or animal.

Browns to feed worms in a worm bin. Browns are high in carbon or carbohydrates , thus they are organic carbon sources. These foods supply the energy that most soil organisms need to survive.

Carbons also help absorb the offensive odors and capture and help prevent most of the organic nitrogen in the piles from escaping by evaporation or leaching. Carbons are also essential in the faster formation of humus from the organic matter in a composting process.

Greens are high in nitrogen or protein , thus organic nitrogen sources. To feed your worm farm, you'll need to give them a good balance of food to keep them healthy.

Give them vegetable and fruit scraps, like apples, bananas, and lettuce. 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. Always cover the food with newspaper strips or burlap to keep it moist and dark, which worms like.

There is no set schedule for feeding worms, but you should add food when their last meal is almost done. For tips on how to provide your worms with organic bedding that they can also eat, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No. Log in Social login does not work in incognito and private browsers.

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Download Article Explore this Article parts. Related Articles. Article Summary. Part 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. 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. 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. You can include wood ash, such as from a fireplace or smoker, as well as sawdust from untreated wood , too.

Provide organic matter for bedding. Leaves, grass clippings, black peat, and coconut coir, in addition to shredded egg cartons, paper, tissues, paper towels, and cardboard are examples of good organic bedding choices that will break down and serve as a food source for your worms.

Avoid feeding worms meat, grains, dairy, and oils. Meat, including beef, pork, and chicken, or bones, as well as dairy products, like milk, cheese, and yogurt, are not suitable worm foods. Grains, such as bread, cereal, and pasta, should not be fed to worms, either.

Foods with preservatives, such as packaged snacks and desserts like chips and cookies , are not good for your worms. Beverages containing preservatives, including soda, should not be added to the worm bin, either.

Salty and spicy foods, like french fries, pretzels, nuts, peppers, onions, chiles, and garlic, should also be avoided. Provide an equal amount of green and brown foods. Both types of food are important for worms. Green food, like lawn or food scraps, is high in nitrogen while brown food, like paper, cardboard, and sawdust, contains plenty of carbon. Give equal amounts of these foods.