Smart gardeners know that worm castings are
precious for their fertilizative abilities, and red wigglers are the champions
of their production. Worm castings are packed with nutrients and beneficial
microbial life that helps plants thrive. One of the biggest upsides of
vermicomposting practices is that you can produce worm castings by using
ordinary kitchen scraps.
Though it's tempting to toss in any fruit and
vegetable scraps into the compost bin for the worms without a second thought,
doing so without the right system in place is actually harmful to the worms
because even nutritious plant byproducts can throw off the balance of your worm
bin if mismanaged.
Three Common Fruit And Vegetable Issues
Most households generate a relatively steady
stream of food scraps that end up in the composting bin. Generally, these
include salad trimmings, apples, banana peels, carrots, and various other
scraps left over by plants. While all of those items are ideal for feeding red
wigglers, there are three common issues to look out for before introducing
these into the worm bin.
Fruit
With High Acidity pH
Most fruit tend to increase the acid content
of any environment during decomposition, so when too many fruit scraps are
added at the same time, the worm bin’s acidity pH can quickly drop. A
concerningly low pH level makes the bin environment acidic too quickly, which
stresses the worms and can result in death. The bin should always maintain a pH
level of 6 to 7 for an ideal environment for the red wigglers.
Excess
Moisture
As various plant matter breaks down, it
releases water, and if you aren’t careful, this can turn the worm bin into a
soggy mess. The wet, sludgy content creates anaerobic conditions, which will
not only produce foul odors from the compost but foster an unhealthy
environment for the compost bin’s worm residents.
Excess
Nitrogen
The worm bin relies on a specifically balanced
carbon-to-nitrogen ratio. Since most fruit and vegetable scraps are rich in
nitrogen, which is released upon decomposition, too much of it at once throws
off the ratio. When there isn’t enough carbon content to offset the increase in
nitrogen in the system, the ratio’s balance is lost, resulting in an increase
of heat in the bin, which is particularly dangerous for the
temperature-sensitive worms.
How To Feed Scraps To Worms Safely
With the above concerns in mind, you might be
wondering how you manage the composting worm bin correctly when it comes to
supplying it with fruit and vegetable scraps. You’ll be glad to know that it's
all about making some small, simple adjustments.
Since adding scraps will increase nitrogen
levels, every time you add some to the bin, add more carbon to make sure that
the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio is balanced, with the carbon content staying
higher. This can be in the form of shredded plain cardboard, dried leaves, or
untreated pine shavings. These materials keep the nitrogen levels in check and
help to absorb some of the moisture produced, keeping the bin a more stable
environment for the red wigglers.
The concern of increasing acidity can be
offset by adding some dolomite lime or crushed eggshells on top of the bedding
whenever food is added. These will help neutralize the acid buildup and supply
worms with calcium, which promotes good digestion and assists in cocoon
building.
Finally, don’t overdo the food additions to
the bin. Look for any food scraps from the last feeding. If any remain, skip
adding extra to avoid overfeeding. This helps to not introduce excess nitrogen
(overheating) and rot of the food scraps left sitting undecomposed for too
long.
For a bonus tip, you can make the scraps
easier for worms to consume by chopping them up or blending them before feeding
the worms. Another good idea is to freeze, then thaw the scraps before feeding
since this process breaks down the cell walls and speeds up the decomposition,
allowing the red wigglers to eat them faster.