What to Feed Composting Worms

Composting worms produce rich soil, but they need to the right ingredients to do it.
It's important that your compost bin has the right mix of "greens" and "browns" for the worms to eat.
There are also many table scraps that you should keep out of your bin, like onions, peppers, and meats.
This video breaks down what to feed your worms and how to feed them properly to ensure they are healthy and productive.

[@InsideTheSoil]

Thanks

[@newone3614]

The egg shells are raw or boiled?

[@timmcilraith8762]

Can you add biochar or yeast to the food scraps or the soil to help the worms ?

[@gschultzy]

Yes, but both should be done in moderation (no more than 5-10% of the volume of what's already in the bin).
Biochar can raise the pH of the bin, which could be bad for the worms if too much is added. It usually functions as grit for the worms, similar to eggshells and sand.
Yeast is also fine in moderation, though you may want to deactivate it first by throwing it in the microwave for a minute.
If in doubt, I find it helpful to start a small testing colony for these purposes to see how the worms react to new ingredients.

[@thebigshmoog]

Dryer lint? Only if your laundry is all organic based... You don't want nylon or polyester, those are now micro plastics and wouldn't want to add that to my garden

[@gschultzy]

You’re right, good call!
Everything I own is cotton, so I didn’t give that one a second thought. Whoops!

[@ireneuszpilarz9560]

Cirrus?

[@gschultzy]

I have seen some people add citrus peels to their bins in small quantities, but you want to be careful about managing the PH of the compost. Acidic foods like citrus and tomatoes can throw off the balance and create unfavorable conditions for the worms.
A few pieces here and there are probably fine, especially if you grind them up first, but I wouldn't throw all of the leftover rinds from making lemonade into my bin.

[@ireneuszpilarz9560]

@@gschultzy my experience whit orange peel has been very positive...

[@gschultzy]

@@ireneuszpilarz9560 Glad to hear it! Thanks for sharing your experience.

[@glennlewman4186]

Does anyone feed rabbit droppings to their worms?

[@gschultzy]

I had not ever heard of that, but since they're herbivores, it makes total sense.
Looks like there are quite a few people on TH-cam saying that "bunny berries" are an excellent addition to your worm bin - th-cam.com/users/results?search_query=rabbit+manure+as+worm+food
Hope that helps!

[@BlueMountainWormsInc.]

Great info from a worm guy! Thanks for the great info!

[@gschultzy]

Thanks "Big Worm"!
😉

[@skullrose8985]

Thankyou for breaking this down in simple terms..there are so many different ways of composting..
Our first attempt we made compost but it ended up the consistency of a thick mud,we started changing what we were putting in it & we didn't have it in a decent container,it was kept it tarp..
But we have started a new one now..
My friend has got an allotment & they have a manure pile,you should see the amount of red worms in that,it's been composting for over a year..
Thankyou for sharing your knowledge & helping others,appreciate it.
Have a good day & Take care ☮🌱💜🌻☮🌱💜🌻

[@gschultzy]

Glad it was helpful!
Sounds like that first attempt may have had too much water.
Hope this round goes better!

[@vzero_snexfur885]

Thankyou can I ad worms directly to garden I just did a new garden outdoor my garden was very Rocky before removed all the rocks I added in my soil a bag of worm casting I have a medium size garden ... I wanted to buy red worms into my garden in some spots where my vegetable seeds didn't grow

[@gschultzy]

@@vzero_snexfur885 Yes, you can add worms right to your garden. You'll just want to make sure they have plenty to eat if you want them to live a long time and continue producing castings. The bag of soil may not have what they need, so you'll want to consider adding greens and browns from time to time.
Here's a video with a pretty cool design for doing just that - th-cam.com/video/h9POpm-9x6A/w-d-xo.html