Get Your Composting Worms to Digest Faster

[@patriciarussell8450]

Peat moss, Coffee grounds, ground egg shells, cornmeal, oatmeal, pumpkin, arugula leaves. Put scraps in the freezer overnight before feeding. Freezing breaks down and turns everything to slush, worms have tiny mouths so Slurpee's for their diet would be a comparison. Good video ☺

[@pradhumansharma9770]

I didn't really know about this roughage they need😅. Can i add tea leaves? Indian households don't drink Coffee as common as Tea

[@tubhair]

Don't have time to get to your compost chores right now? Freeze it! The cells expand and break up making it readily accessible to be consumed. Just keep throwing all your scraps in a gallon Zip Lock bag and freeze it until you free up some time to get to it. Dump it into a Ninja or whatever and purée it. At this point you can add grit and you have a complete meal. Now fill up some ice cube trays, refreeze, and pop out as needed. Get your Zip Lock bag and start over.

[@CuriousinNY]

James Rossi do you have to bring the frozen veggies to room temperature before adding to the worm bin? I'm new at this and just started this. Also, I don't drink coffee so can I use corn meal or other different flours that are getting close to their expiration dates?

[@tubhair]

Linda Johnson .Good morning! I'm relatively new to this also and am not an expert by any means, but here's what I know. Small sections of frozen food are fine to add. I wouldn't add big frozen chunks though. There are many forms of grit. Crushed egg shells are great. Also sand, good garden soil and rock dust. Remember that with grit a little goes a long way. It should only be about 5% of what's in your bin. Add a small amount every 2 weeks or so. Never add any food that has started to mold. Although bread is great for your regular compost bin, keep it out of your worm bin. And don't forget to GENTLY stir up your bin every now and then to keep it loose and airy. Hope this helps, stay well.

[@CuriousinNY]

Thank you James, your reply does help.

[@tubhair]

Linda Johnson I forgot the most important thing. Don't over feed! This can't be stressed enough. Better to go under than over.

[@kma5699]

why cant you add food that has mold on it? Isnt the idea that bacteria is what consumed the food and not the worms themselves and that the worms actually eat the bacteria (ie. mold)?

[@mattuk1310]

Ive been composting w/ worms for about 5-6 yrs started out w/ tubs like you have moved up to a worm factory 360 w/ 9 trays for red wigglers & an old wooden planter that had a rotten bottom & stapled some type of construction woven material to use for a bottom so water drains and worms don't dig down to escape. i started using fr night crawlers As far as food I used Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth to help w/ insects (helps w/ Rollie pollies and mites ) & it doesn't hurt the worms. along w/ kitchen scraps I blend up egg shells, oatmeal, & corn meal to feed them i rake up leaves use seasoned horse manure & straw also shred up old bills newspaper & egg cartons for bedding to start out new neutral trays THANKS FOR SHARING

[@timbarnett9114]

Mat Tuk

[@kma5699]

Mat Lok

[@CBKConcepts]

Thank you Mat for mentioning diatomaceous earth. I was wondering if that would be good for them or would it hurt them. No one else had mentioned it yet. That I have,Thank again.

[@mystic432101]

My Worm Factory 360 came with a bag of pumice, so that is what I mix in with the bedding every time I start a new tray. It ranges in size from almost sand size to a little bigger than pea size. They definitely consume it because it is totally gone at harvest, even the larger pieces. I also add the eggshells and coffee grounds. Great episode!

[@frogman1055]

Like you, I use used coffee grounds from Starbucks or donut shops, washed, baked and then blended eggshells in my Nutribullet. Sometimes I buy and use some all natural brand new and unused crushed walnut, pecan, almond or peanut shells (primarily used in bead blasting for removing of paint, rust or corrosion) on very thin metals or delicate items such as fiberglass or glass etching surfaces, in which I again blend the nut shells again in my Nutribullet. I also use the very fine dried white beach sand that I shovel up in buckets for free (the sand farthest away from any salt water) of course I sift out all foreign matters, clean, wash and allow to dry in the sun. Remember, beach sand has been naturally eroded for millions upon millions of years by mother nature. Also beach sand has just about all the minerals and trace minerals his planet has to offer from the glaciers, mountains, valleys, creeks, streams, ponds, rivers and it all ends up in the ocean. In addition, the mega trillions of living and dead organisms, including animal, fish, coral, plants (seaweed/kelp), etc. , etc., etc., all finally gets washed up onto the beaches of the world. So beach sand really? Think about it. My worm castings are priceless. By nature they naturally live in dirt/soil, so yeah why not have a little sand in your soil? Plus it provides good drainage and filters out impurities you might have in gardens. (PLANTS LOVE IT).

[@dfanman1]

Thanks for the video, for bedding I use rinsed peat moss and coconut coir, I prepare them separately with the peat moss which is acidic by nature, for every two gallons of peat I put in 6oz of garden lime 4oz of DE. I just rinse the coconut coir and mix with the peat in equal amounts. Here is what I feed my worms, mostly I just feed them the pulp from my juicer, I freeze it first which makes it break down much faster. When I am short on kitchen scraps I dissolve 1 cup of rabbit pellet food in 3 cups of water and let it expand then I squeeze out all the excess water mix in a tablespoon of molasses, they go nuts for it. I don't add anymore food until the last bit I put in is gone but, sometimes when it's almost gone I'll wet the surface of the bedding and sprinkle some Purina worm chow on top and I cover with moist news paper, they love this stuff too.

[@markblairharley2890]

Diatomaceous earth kills pests with exoskeletons and with segmented bodies ie Worms Crushed Dolomite is a type of limestone That doesn't kill worms Lightly sprinkled over bin Then watered in This increases the Ph slightly to kill pests But it does not kill the worms Do not use garden lime as this does kill worms

[@lcrread]

At work, we have several coffee machines around and I provide a plastic container with a note on top, "Coffee Grounds Only". I have several extra plastic containers to replace and take the rest home for my compost and worms. I don't eat eggs, buy my family eats them and trying to get them to save those egg shells. Quite a few times, I ended up digging the garbage for them. Agh! I blend the egg shells, corn meal, and some rock dust. Toss in some coffee and the special blends. ;)

[@TheSeedsOfXanxadu]

Nice one man! One thing that I have added in the pass was rabbit manure. The worms. Whats cool is they break down the manure making it more available for the plants faster. Kinda like a double composting if you will.

[@kikilebl]

Thanks for the suggestion about coffee grounds. I went to Tim Hortonsone night and left a 5 gallon bucket. I came back the next morning and it was filled to the top with coffee grounds.

[@RelentlessHomesteading]

Had my worm farm over a year - still going, growing and pooping like gangbusters. I use DE (diatomaceous earth) adding it regularly with the food. They seem to really dig it. Started originally using it as a top dressing over the bedding, to keep down the gnats (found Bti bacterial works great to control gnats, and little yellow stick traps in the lid). Another interesting thing they seem to really like ( based on putting it separately then checking where they are what they are eating the most of) is dried roof moss. Up here in PNW we get a alot of it. Often I kill the moss with a zinc mineral product - and brush off the roof at end of the summer. I was of course concerned that this Zn would bother the worms, but instead they go right for these little moss curls. I also periodically add rock dust to the bin - helps both the worms and the finished compost.

[@kevintimothy5876]

I also use coffee grounds but didn't realize that it was a nitro source - I always classified the grounds as carbon. Love your videos, sir.

[@kennethcain220]

Recently started my first worm bin and it's doing fantastic... I use coffee grounds and egg shells as well. I've also added a little azomite and green sand. Keep up the good work!

[@MIgardener]

GREAT ideas!!! I love greensand, and I also like AZomite. But my new love is glacial rock dust. 1/2 the price, and nearly the same effect.

[@rackashot]

***** Yes! I use Glacial rock dust as well as coffee grounds and eggshells. More minerals!

[@kma5699]

where does one buy glacial rock dust? I've only recently found out about Azomite and bought a few 40# bags of the stuff for like $50 which is expensive for what it is. How much is glacial rock dust?

[@RonGay58]

I,m just starting a Worm Factory 360 and plan on using egg shells. I've been feeding them to my chickens. I run them through n old meat grinder and they come out really fine. should work great for the worm bin.

[@survive_thrive]

I sieve potting mix to make a fine particle propagation media for seed raising. This is sieved mix is also what I use for my worm farms. They seem very happy. Using this and rabbit manure they multiply like crazy!

[@OneYardRevolution]

I'm with you Luke - crushed egg shells, lots of used coffee grounds, and absolutely no boulders!

[@MIgardener]

haha definitely no boulders! Thanks for watching.

[@MIgardener]

BouncingFaces Happy worming to you as well! thanks for watching!

[@nikitaw1982]

What are boulders?

[@bm8292]

@@nikitaw1982 look up the dictionary!

[@dianelakata1308]

Bake 5 minutes? I bake them for about an hour before I grind them up For sterilization and drying. Am I overdoing it?

[@annelismith6195]

Grate information, thank you.I just started my first worm compost in April. I have taken it very slow feeding them little of scraps and oat meal. They seems to like what I´m doing. I am little unsure of the dampness, but they haven't crawled away. I´m learning. I´m in Sweden by the way.

[@jackbax8514]

Besides the coffee grounds, eggshells, and sand, I will occasionally use ground oyster shells, diatomaceous earth, and fossil flour.

[@lushpuppy21]

I am very happy to say this spring I will be starting my very first diy worm bin. I have been wanting to vermi compost for years but the price of the worm factories have been a deterrent. Thanks to your videos I now feel empowered to start my own and reap the benefits. Thanks for the videos. Keep it up.

[@MIgardener]

Tasha TakeATimeOut Glad you are starting you own! Woohooo! Give it a try, and make sure to let me know how it does for you!

[@mrJhangfk]

+MIgardener | Simple Organic Gardening & Sustainable Living : I bought biard Eco Worm composter which is exactly similar to Worm Factory 360 model and cost less than half price. You don''t need to buy commercial composter, make your own using old tinted plastic storage container or 5 gallon tinted bucket. I used dustbin 25 gallon, Storage containers and baker 5 gallon buckets for worm composting. DIY composter will cost you either free or no more the $10.00.

[@heavymechanic2]

I used to grind up egg shells in the blender. Others have suggested rock dust or green sand. Now I am planning to get some Oyster Shell powder as a calcium source to add to the garden with the castings, its also sold for chickens in a larger form.

[@juliankirby9880]

I go to Joe's Crab Shack, and Red Lobster to get crustacean shells. I put on latex gloves, pick out the larger pieces and grind them down; I mix them in at 1 tablespoon per 8 ounces of feed. the Smaller bits that may have meat get frozen and slowly added to the bokashi bucket. the shells add calcium, trace elements,and are made of Chitin. I add them in very low dose to the worm bin because I also add egg shells. Another source for coffee grounds and eggshells are friends/ relatives! my dad drinks 2 pots a day, at my grandma's they drink 5+ pots a day, my best friend works at a local grocery, between all the stores in the chain, the employees drink 5-8 cans a day! we all have access to so much compostable matter!!!

[@MIgardener]

Great idea!!! I love that idea.

[@juliankirby9880]

I am Glad you do! I hope it helps everyone!!

[@thuffman44]

Bokashi, Bokashi, Bokashi... I'm happy to see mention about this .. With worm bins and Bokashi buckets, there is no limit to the amount of stuff you can compost.. And the quality is superb !

[@yonglycheng212]

I use decomposed wood from the forest. I have seen worms so happy with that, so how do u think?

[@martysgarden]

It's a wonderful material, are you still using it?

[@10yearvet]

Good video. My worms get plenty of coffee grounds and egg shells. Of course, I didn't know until 2 months ago I was feeding them grit nor that they needed it. We save all of our vegetable scraps and puree them. They appear to like the squash the best.

[@murrayrunge5602]

With my birds that also need roughage, there is special washed sand with added vitamins i sometimes use that when i haven't any egg shells accumulated and from my rabbits i put dried droppings in a 5 gallon pail and use paint mixer to powerdise and sprinkle on top of bed and mist with water I find also that a layer of compost added occasionally with shredded cardboard gives nice place for worms to lay eggs.. I always cover my bed with hay again to keep in moisture and keep out the light. I freeze my food scraps and only feed every 2 or 3 weeks and now i have 3 bins going. I try and feed each one different to experiment.

[@kadambali1]

Hi migardener.. I use left over tea powder after extraction for my vermicompost, since it is always available at my home. I grind all the vegetable and fruit waste along with tea powder and feed it to the worms.

[@stanrogers8258]

Hi there, I am new to worm composting and also from Michigan (battle creek). Just started first bin last week and it has been going great so far. I made a flow through system and so far my biggest problem has been keeping the moisture where it should be. Thanks for the great video, I subscribed to your channel and I excited to continue the adventure. I use egg shells and small amount of sand.

[@MIgardener]

+STAN ROGERS Flow through bins are hard for that. They dry out a lot. Keep the moisture even by adding newspaper and other things that are absorbent.

[@MrSidMan]

If you want coffee grounds, I've gone around local Starbucks and other coffee shops to collect them. Call ahead of time and let them know you will be by later to get their used grinds for the garden. Great compost building material for free.

[@umomiekiller]

i have been mixing green sand hoping it wasnt to fine, but it sounds like the finer the better!

[@GardeningWithPuppies]

Yep. The boulders don't go over real well. lol. Thanks for the tips, Luke.

[@MIgardener]

hahaha nope! thank you for watching, have a great weekend!

[@brucesnyder939]

Get a bag of crushed oyster shells. Very cheap. Get a spice or coffee grinder then you can make them into powder. Grinder will also turn egg shells into powder.

[@everythingsunflowersandmor2631]

love your videos!! This is my first year with my worm bin and it's going strong! I use food scrapes, recycled paper, coffee and eggshells.

[@alexandrahauber8145]

This is a very interesting and informative video. We run our Wormfarm since end of February, last week I took my first wormcasting. I´m very happy how it works. We also have chicken, and now we have use for the eggshells as well. Win-win. Greatings from germany :)

[@MrSidMan]

We got a lot of old sea shells in our yard thats by an old canal. I grind these up and use for grit. Also, might try some Azomite

[@redxxxxxxx]

Sprinkle on a little dolomite lime ,azomite,diatomaceous earth,oyster shells,or green sand all great for worms and garden

[@berrymccoyllc35]

potato peals, carrot scraps, oinion scraps, banana peals, ears of corn, egg shells, tomatoes, lettuce, pineapple, cantelope, watermelon, strawberries, figs, alvacados, papaya, squash, apples, pears, grapes, mangos, tangerines, tea & coffee grounds, leaves, grass, and hay.

[@Agamimg360]

I'm making a new warm farm for next year out of a couple 55 gal. plastic drums, It will be a flow through design with PVC pipes as under pinning of the compost mass with screws through them and air holes in them to aid in air penetration. I'm using plastic barrels because they don't rust and if I get cavitation of the materials above the body of my compost in the drum I can just give it a tap to get it flowing again and I think that with the drums shape it wount get into this situation in the first place.

[@pietervercammen1713]

my rabbits their bedding is wood or straw bedding. do you think I can blend that and give it to my worms?

[@josephvandyck5469]

Up here in the UP I have always used corn meal as a food and grit for my worms and night crawlers...but then I have also always added coffee grounds and egg shells...I just never microwaved them of smashed them very fine...that is a tip i will always use from now on...Thanks.

[@MIgardener]

Joseph VanDyck great! I am so glad you enjoyed this video. I am also even happier to see you are from Michigan! The UP is simply amazing.

[@antoniovenezia2988]

Mostly feed them almost finished compost or leaf mold, barley, kelp, neem meal, alfalfa and basalt dust with some food scraps mostly for the water content

[@pennyoflaherty1345]

I was given extremely fine grit for budgies & canary's. The worms seem to like it. Thanks for your video✌️

[@holokai21]

Here in Hawai'i I have been using U'lu(breadfruit).And the Red wigglers really concentrate on the U'lu(each piece has a huge concentration of worms!!!!!!!!).

[@Jeh110]

I use oatmeal when I am out of clean saw dust. Also, I used to always crush my egg shells before putting them into the bin, and one time, somehow, egg shell halves got in. and when I opened the bin to feed my worms, the half shells were full of worms. There was something about these shells the worms LOVED. So, I no longer crush the egg shells.

[@kacybw]

I'm with you. I've seen tons of baby worms in egg shell halves. My supposition is that they use the thin film in the egg shells as a source of protein to nourish the worm eggs. I think crushing the eggshells is a waste of time. What are the worms for after all? They'll take what they need and the eggshells always end up crushed in the final compost.

[@budpierce7443]

My Dad and I used to raise worms sense 1978 and he used to put marble dust or gypsum in the beds.

[@nathangardenfawkes2910]

I have very sandy soil where I live, so I just add a spinkle of soil to my worm farm, great video mate, Thanks :)

[@time4awin]

a treat for the worm,I blend up about a dozen of eggs shells, blend a cup of roll oaks and blend a half cup of corn meal(yellow) add all three togeather, place right on top of casting, spray a little water on it and cover with bedding,, the worms luv it

[@snookmeister55]

I'm adding charcoal/biochar, crushed. That should work well too.

[@MIgardener]

snookmeister55 Indeed! That will work very well.

[@Permaculturemama]

I have heard of using gritty cornmeal, and many people can get that for cheap.

[@TheZiggyman01]

only just started one last week. got about 20 red worms from my compost bin. after my worms escaped 1st time round i found them socialising over a rotting pile of leaves, added that along with rock dust, grinded egg shells and food scraps

[@aprilbatley9265]

I typically use crushed oyster shell flour

[@makhtar6769]

I was eggshell and dry them in the oven for 10 mins use a coffee grinder to powder it, and mix it with fresh wheat grain that I powder and Oats that I powder they seem to love it I make about 1kg as a time and this can last for for about 2 months, I have about 1kg of worms. does this seem right for them? plus I feed them the normal waste from kitchen all uncooked and mostly greens or fruits as i heard worm have a sweet tooth, they really do love any sort or melon i have noticed.

[@chaniatreides9513]

I just started with the worm bin,I gave mine, some old bell pepper slice, a tiny peice cabbage, coffee grounds, and some old news paper, oh and a small peice of old banana. I'm not really sure how much to feed or if they will like it.

[@blifamansmith3320]

Thanks for the info. I do as you do, add (ground and nuked egg shells) with coffee grounds as well as corn meal. They devour it. Surely though, even a NON coffee drinker or vegan has a friend / neighbor that drinks coffee. And as you said, sand is usually easy to come across. Great Video.

[@jhrhiggi]

Your castings look stunning!

[@MariaLuciaGomezGreenberg]

Great ideas for making composting easier--thank you! I have been worm composting for 10+ years and making worm towers has worked well in my small garden. I have now started using irrigation valves, much easier to set up and they stay cooler in the summer because they are buried. I dig a hole, bury the structure and open lid as I need to put scraps in. I love it. I did have a huge problem a couple of years ago. I love papaya and because it was on sale, we ate papaya the whole month and I piled the peel and seeds on my worms. A month or so later, my worms disappeared--they were digested by something in the papaya, which is great for human digestion. Finally, a question--do you put cooked rice with worms? I seem to get maggots things when I do. Thanks again, M

[@talwaserman]

It's very good info , small comment.... sea sand contains salts that will kill your worms so, try rinsing the send several times before using it , also the egg shells should be crushed with an electric crusher to get to the required size like sand and coffee grounds. you should also wet the coffee grounds before adding them to the worm container . i add the coffee grounds to the good that i crushed in a blender so it is mixed very well :)

[@MIgardener]

Tal Waserman I don't even use ocean sand :) I use beach sand, here in michigan all of it is regular un-salty sand. but yes, for people using ocean sand, good idea!

[@alanrothsman1751]

I believe if you offer your worms egg shells cleaned and microwaved (what isn't better after being microwaved...) and egg shells that have not been cleaned, you know the eggs you just ate raw or cooked they will be in the egg shells with egg left on them for the protein, might not smell as nice but man alive they love the stuff. Do a test, see what happens, also saves you time and money, your worms will thank you.

[@datadev1]

Going to add washed and dried peanut shells run through the coffee grinder. Already using coffee grounds and egg shells.

[@MIgardener]

dried peanut shells is also another great idea!

[@jamesbrownmiller808]

I use Tumbleweed Worm Farm & Compost Conditioner. I believe it comes out of Australia.

[@suzyscutz3632]

If you have wood ash from a bonfire or fireplace, add some of that to offset the acidity of coffee grounds.

[@mountaingreens7189]

I would have never thought worms need grit. Thanks for the tip!

[@MIgardener]

thanks for watching!

[@sharonbentley1829]

Thanks for the tips. Good video

[@ancesthntr]

Just found your channel - thanks for the great information! I will use coffee grounds and ground eggshells, but I was wondering if some finely ground charcoal (from hardwoods, with no additives) would also be good. I am a big believer in Biochar, and it seems to me that a good way to charge up the charcoal with nutrients and bacteria is inside of a worm’s gut. It would help the worms’ digestion and simultaneously enrich the soil even more after adding those castings.

[@nov51947]

Pumice is another great choice...available at most garden stores and LOTS of other places. Very fine powder that is just the right size for worm gizzards. ( Don't get the grit that is marketed for chickens.)

[@MIgardener]

oh wow! I never thought about pomice! that it also a really good grit. thanks for the suggestion!

[@puschmannn]

Greetings and thanks for your very interesting videos! I like coffee grounds too and use it a lot, i have a great source for it: 3 giant coffee dispensers in my ex-company! A friend of mine who cleans up there simply empties the bio-waste container and brings the "brown gold" to me. I add eggshells too, but i grind them with mortle and pestar into a very fine, floury powder which - along with the coffee grounds - i scatter onto my vegetable patches for providing calcium. Bye :)

[@jionnie]

Can also add Dolomite Lime Powder for grit ! Can get it at hardware store or garden nursery !

[@MIgardener]

jionnie you absolutely can! just watch out for the pH swings. I feature a video on that, and it can harm them if the acidity is too high or too low.

[@kacybw]

I've heard that lime doesn't actually cause your bin to be more basic. It acts as a buffer and neutralizes acidity. So, if your bin has a pH of 7, lime won't have much of an affect until more acidity is added.

[@kyubbi090]

my bedding is straight sugar cane husk. took roughly 3 months to break down.

[@dcon9708]

This is craziness, under no circumstances would I ever wash egg shells before throwing them in the worm bin. I have never whitenesses first hand any negative effects and I doubt anyone else has either.

[@dala109]

Hey MIgardener, I am over here in WI and just started worm composting this spring. I didn't see any videos from you on how you possibly kept them going through the winter? Got any tips for us northern people on keeping worms in winter?

[@Boodieman72]

Coffee grounds, egg shells, and not sure if this is for their gizzard but tea bags.

[@FranzAllanSee]

How much coffee bean grounds or egg shells should i mix with their food?

[@fatt1729]

my worms like mango skins and whole past ripe mangoes.overly ripe & mushy bananas and whole yams that are starting to compost going mushy.I think that it is the sugar that they like.Also any left over apple cores and half eaten pear cores. And for the roughage i add coffee grounds, sand and AZOMITE ( Volcanic Dirt)in the aged horse manure compost pile.This is the material i use for the bedding and additional food source for my smaller worm containers.As of lately the smaller container in the garage was getting ripe so i have started to add a handful of garden lime in all the containers that have the worms as it has now been a couple of months since they have been in those containers.They seem happy as i have not seen as many trying to escape as before.AS the smaller container in the garage gets repopulated i release the worms into the larger 25 gallon container outside.I start with small amounts of worms and check on them a week later to make sure they survive.I mention this as I was told that the Horse manure may have a worming medication that could kill them.So far so good the worms have survived and are reproducing at an alarming rate .

[@anniefreewriter]

If horse manure is aged, the worm meds have no potency.

[@fatt1729]

thanks for the reply i try to wait about 2 months out and treat the manure as a compost.i also use a inoculate from some homemade imo i have.once the mushrooms bloom and go away i know it has the proper ph for the worms.this is non scientific but i know it is aged enough and won't heat up again.

[@mmuller1651]

Why the egg shells need to be washed? What‘s the issue when simply dry and blend them to powder?

[@pawelkapica5363]

Thanks, I just throw the egshell in a bowl and pour boiling water over it and let it sit, that should kill off everything within 5 minutes.

[@lucybyrd1810]

I would like to start one of these worm bin is it possible that I could use shredded white paper or newspaper and make sure it's moist before adding the worms

[@MeliponiculturaenCostaRica]

Amazing, living on a tropical country you don't really care about anything on a worm farm, but it seems I had been doing it wrong for many years

[@Dee.C]

You can actually feed the worms the grit anytime. You do not have to add it every time.

[@MelancholyMadoka]

Drinking Game: Take a shot everytime he uses the word "roughage".

[@lullasierra1]

I add my veggie clippings, eggshells and coffee grounds after grinding in my food processor or blender.

[@MIgardener]

Wind Dancer That helps a lot!

[@joanfernandez4072]

Hi I use coffee grinds, chopped banana , chopped potato peels, grind egg shells, apple peels and seeds, Is there anything else I could add. I only had them like exactly 10 days. I’m new st this.

[@eugeniolopez8539]

I don't drink coffee, but I do drink tea. What are your viewpoints on used teabags?

[@HansQuistorff]

I add back some of the sandy soil that is under my mulch so that they also get healthy soil organisms.

[@MIgardener]

great idea!

[@chelleweatherspoon2226]

Thank you so much! I am starting a compost center at my home and you really helped me to prepare for that. I like your vid and subscribed.

[@frogman1055]

My question to you is, "Would Diatomaceous Earth (food-grade) be safe to use in worm bins help excelerate the process of creating castings or harmful to them?" I know its excellent for humans and animals to consume, but very harmful for insects for it is also a natural organic pesticide.

[@MsAkimbo1]

I have 5 compost bins with red wigglers doing very well in Victoria, BC. When I harvest the soil I often pick out the eggs and put them back into a bin. Are the darker, almost auburn-coloured ones, the empty shells? I cant tell. I know the smaller round pale yellow ones are relatively new eggs. Another question: Has anyone tested the theory that wigglers from manure, will not do well in regular compost. I started an experiment a week ago to test this theory, but I won't know for a month or two. The worms from the manure, are lighter in colour and fatter. They don't look like earthworms. Their manure-grown eggs look a larger. I've put a number of them in a small test bin with moist coconut coir to see if they'll hatch. Thank you.

[@raygrowtx]

if you use sand try to use loam sand , and really sand works better then coffee and egg shells , but i use them also , just builds the soil

[@MIgardener]

thanks for the tips! I will also be adding a bit of sand as well, but I am trying to feed my worms as much stuff as I possibly can to cut down on landfill usage.

[@raygrowtx]

yeah thats good , plus all the nutrients from that kitchen waste going in the soil , sands like a filler , i would rather have more soil in the garden then sand

[@jharrell23867]

Leaves, wood chips, animal bedding, rabbit poo, chicken poo, goat poo, dog poo, used coffee grounds, the inedible parts of animal carcass usually rabbit but sometimes chicken and goat, sand and lastly comfrey. no food waste other than coffee as i give that to the animals and they eat it and poo it out and then it goes to the compost or worm bed.

[@MIgardener]

Justin Harrell that sounds good too! Minimizing waste and maximizing output. Thanks for sharing your method with us.

[@jharrell23867]

No problem keep up the great work in your vids.

[@Agamimg360]

you can get free coffee grounds at Starbucks they even bag them to give away. my local dinner gives us egg shells by the 5 gallon bucket full.

[@tonymengela]

chickens use grit to actually grind their food, not the way fiber works for people in the way it adds bulk to the waste

[@MIgardener]

I think I made mention of this, but true. Chickens get lots of grit and stuff from pecking around in the soil. We get fiber which helps to move stuff through.

[@cynthiaridgeway1100]

Yeah, yeah ,yeah. How critical are you? We all get it.

[@pgal6904]

is azomite rock dust good enough or is it too fine of a material to grind up food

[@Brabham26]

Thanks for sharing. Do you have drain holes in your bins? If so where do you drain? Did catch it in your bin set up video?

[@jasminebehm532]

So if you want to add acidity to let’s say blueberries. Use coffee grounds fresh not used? Lol caught that point when you were talking about coffee grounds

[@kaybegley9566]

Do you have to let the grind for dry out before feeding? I have heard that fresh coffee grind are very wet and can cause issue with the bin.

[@veronicabe7902]

You add such a small amount. Can I add like 50 pound of coffee ground on top of puree and okara, and milk slurry from cleanning my utensils. If or when I do this right after the feeding of these green material, worms come up and get burned from the load of coffee ground, or can i just wait a couple days until they moved away, or should i do it where it is hot composting, and feed them where it's cool about 80 F? suggestions please, I'm new and worry and confussed about what to feed worms, and should i freeze all my scraps, that would take rooms in my fridge. And if I wait and feed them on schedule, when the weather moves in, there is a problem w the mice migrating into the house for warmth. I guess I should feed them all my scraps, juicing, ect., before the weather broke in, and not feeding them anymore, and burry the scraps for the winter. thanks.

[@JulieRohloff]

I use azomite rock dust

[@uchibauki2515]

Can I use rabbit hay for my worms?

[@deborahelliott8460]

Worms, believe it or not can also have topsoil as roughage. Don't know why you don't mention this, but just as chickens need grit, worms need dirt if there is no other stuff available. Sand also is grit for worms.

[@MIgardener]

Deborah Elliott I agree, But I like to have pure 100% worm castings. Sand would not be worm castings..

[@nancypoulin8016]

How often do you feed the worms, My red wigglers just arrived today and there was no instructions on how often to feed them. Also I just guessed about the ratio potting soil to newspaper and how often do you add newspaper. I did put some crushed bananas and apples and some crushed eggs shells with ground coffee grinds after I put them into the Rubbermaid container. Some advise please :)

[@svetlanikolova5557]

I put my worms outside in the pile with rotting food , grass, and gave them water. I also what yo thank you for the sand idea! I will use the flower net to make it finer ! God bless! By the way, do you have a way to make them multiply faster?

[@garykernstock354]

I use the same materials but I add them to my food scraps and use my food processor to blend it and make it all small and fine. I then pour that into solo cups and freeze them. Then I just add that to the bin and it is easier for them to digest because all the scraps are tiny and since I use a little water when I process this it adds a little moisture to the bin. So far it seems to be working great.

[@mrJhangfk]

+Gary Kernstock If mixture is running add oat or corn meal to thicken the slushie.

[@Agamimg360]

I use the same old thing as I too live in the states were we are told just everything we can and cannot do. If I lived over seas I might add human waist that I had processed in a batch bio digester ( which is nothing more than a large ball shaped tank in the ground )much like our old Septic systems. But instead of flushing all the beneficial materials that our waist turns into after its broken down Properly You unload it ounce every few months and use the resulting super plant food ( both liquid and solid ) and warm food for that matter. like the Japans have been doing for some time now. Human waist is much more diversified than just about any other animal out there and our waist is the best fertilizer going if it is handled right as in processing it through a bio digester. If our friends the Mexican farmers who supply a lot of our foods these days would quit doing it the lazy way and process the stuff right it wouldn't get the bad rap from repeated e collie out breaks.Just saying. we'd be so much farther in this world if we didn't have so many people telling us what we can do. sorry about the rant Its just that this is a pet subject that Iv'e been studying for years and it gets a bad rap.

[@vanderingrose7079]

Can I give bran buds and fibre one original cereals to my worms?