Vermicomposting 101 - What Else Can I Give my Worms?

[wrigglerman]

I have been using cow manure and leaves for my worms to turn into vermicompost and so far I have good results.

What about suggestions for other materials that I can feed to my worms?

Kitchen scraps, litter materials, mud press, etc. I want to hear if you have been using any of these materials so that I can use them also. I don't have the luxury of time to test these materials if they will do.

And am still in the process of building up my worm population.

[vermigiant]

I just harvested one of my vermi bins filled up with cattle manure. Worms were separated already and compost is now in the process of being air-dried.

I have another bin filled with chopped corn cobs with kernels. These corn cobs take a long time to be converted into compost. I just add kitchen scraps twice a week which can go pretty quickly.

[mistermaster]

My concern is about kitchen scraps----would you add them as soon as you have them or gather it in a separate container to change color or consistency before mixing in with the worms?

I am mostly referring to peelings and stems of vegetables such as potatoes, cucumber, brocolli and cauliflower.

[Edward12]

I also mix scraps I collect from my kitchen but i freeze them for 48 hours after which I put it in a container and leave it for a week or so until it has started to decompose. In a week's time, I already have scraps which I'm ready to mix in the worm bin. I may add stale bread and biscuits and mix it with the decomposed kitchen scraps and feed it to the worms. The worms are eagerly devouring these scraps now.

[Edward12]

I got this from a post I made on the thread indoor composting...I hope this will help you decide on what to give your worms.

Originally Posted by Edward12

If you placed a half pound of worms in your bin you may add a quarter of scraps daily but be sure to avoid overfeeding. If you have more scraps, freeze them. If you have enough time, you chop the scraps into smaller pieces. It will take lesser time for the worms to convert that into compost.

Foods that your worms will love include:

fruit and vegetable peelings and scraps
leftover vegetables (cooked)
Eggshells which can be grounded
Legumes and nuts without salt
coffee grounds and teabags
rice and pasta (plain)
olive oil, soybean oil and other vegetable oils

they don't like to eat these stuff:

salt and salty foods, vinegar
alcohol
meat, dairy, animal fats
citrus
onion peels
fruit pits
rotten fruits

[krissy]

You can also give your "wigglies" egg cartons and pizza cartons which have been shredded and soak in water to soften it first.

Egg shells can balance the pH of your compost, be sure to pound them first before adding to the bin.