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Worm Care

Instructions

Welcome to the world of composting worms! Here's how to keep them happy, healthy, and hardworking.

1. Home Sweet Home

• Bin Type: A traditional storage bin with holes for ventilation and drainage is important and works well. 

• Bedding: Provide moist bedding like shredded newspaper, coconut coir, leaves and other carbon rich materials.  Bedding should moist and feel like a wrung-out sponge.

• Temperature: Keep worms between 55°F and 80°F (13°C – 27°C). Avoid freezing or overheating.

2. Feeding Your Worms

• What to Feed:

  • Fruit scraps (banana peels, apple cores and more)

  • Vegetable scraps (lettuce, carrot peels and much more)

  • Coffee grounds and filters (choose unbleached filters)

  • Crushed eggshells (for grit)

  • Shredded paper (compostable paper)

• What to Avoid:

  • Meat, dairy, oily foods

  • Citrus Peel (in large amounts- gets moldy)

  • Spicy foods (onions in large amounts)

  • Processed foods and plastic

Carbon-Nitrogen (Brown-Green) Balancing is a Key to Success! More info here

Tip: Feed small amounts at first. As worms multiply, you can feed more! 

3. Moisture and Maintenance

• Moisture: Bedding should stay moist but not soggy. Add water if it’s too dry or dry bedding (brown) if it’s too wet.

• Mix It Up: fluff and turn the bedding every week to prevent compacting and encourage airflow.

• Harvest: After 3–6 months, harvest your nutrient-rich worm castings for plants!

4. Troubleshooting

• Bad Smell? Too much food or too wet. Reduce feeding and mix in dry bedding.

• Fruit Flies? Bury food deeper and cover with a layer of bedding.

• Escaping Worms? Check bin conditions – they leave when it’s too hot, cold, wet, or dry.

5. Carbon/ Nitrogen Balancin​g

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6. Fun Fact

A healthy worm bin smells earthy and sweet — like the forest after a rain!

📩 Questions?

Feel free to reach out!
Direct your questions to

Rusty's Worm Farm at

salsa24@gmail.com

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