Dos and Don’ts of a Healthy Worm Bin
When you’re a beginner with worm composting, it’s important to know what you should and shouldn’t feed your worms! The wrong food can be harmful to your worms, make for a stinky bin, and your worm castings won’t be as nutritious as they should. The right food is the key to a lush garden and happy worms. Below is a great little list to keep in mind so you can always remember the dos and don'ts of a healthy worm bin: First I wanted to mention that if you want one resource to go to- I wrote The Kitchen Composter ebook just for you!
Anyway, back to the Do’s and Dont’s.
Do Feed
Coconut Coir
Coffee Grounds
Egg Shells
Finished Compost
Fruit Scraps (most kinds)
Horse Manure (aged)
Leaves
Plain Shredded Paper
Shredded Cardboard
Shredded Newspaper
Tea Bags
Used Coffee Filters
Vegetable Scraps (most kinds)
These foods are the best for your worms, and result in the most nutritious compost for your plants and garden. Always be sure that you aren’t overfeeding your worms, though. They can only eat so much in a day, so make sure that you have enough worms to go through all your food scraps each week. Composting worms can eat about half their weight every day, so you’ll just need about two pounds of worms for every pound of scraps you have each day. Another thing to keep in mind is that the more you break these up before adding them, the better. Your worms will have an easier time eating your scraps if there is more surface area to work with!
Only Feed A Little
Bread
Cereal
Citrus
Garlic
Onions
Pasta (cooked)
Potatoes
The yeast in breads and cereals can create mold and stink in your worm bin, so make sure if you add some, that it’s just a little and not very often! Citrus, garlic, and onions should be fed sparingly too because they are very acidic and can actually burn your worms’ sensitive skin. Potatoes and pasta are very starchy, and this can create bad smells and ick in your worm bin as well. Always make sure that if you add any of these to your worm bin, that it is only in small amounts, and not more than once or twice a month.
Don’t Feed
Bones
Dairy
Fat
Greasy/Oily Foods
Human Waste
Meat
Non-biodegradables
Pesticide Treated Clippings
Pet Waste
Poisonous Plants
All of these should definitely be completely kept out of your worm bin! They don’t have the right nutrients for your worms or plants, and they can REALLY turn your worm bin into a stink bomb. Some of these can even kill your worms, and kill the beautiful garden you’re trying to make thrive! It’s also important to know that using human and pet waste can be extremely dangerous for you and your family. There can be several diseases and even parasites in these kinds of waste, so make sure they always end up in the trash and toilet where they belong.
I hope these dos and don’ts of a healthy worm bin help you keep your worms and plants happy and growing! If you have any questions or tips about how to keep a worm bin healthy, please comment below or shoot me a message! I’d love to have a conversation with you!
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