Do you compost any of your scraps?

Yes I compost a lot of my scraps as I have a worm farm in my garage.

I was told you can only give minced scraps as being so small they cannot eat bigger things - the lady who helped me set it up told me all that, but I have since found out that people put everything in there, so I do not know what to believe, however I put more in now.

I even put ground coffee beans from my machine in this time and hope they dont drop dead from it!

They seem to be eating the things I put in though no idea how - guess they just chew at it! But things like a hard carrot, I dont know how they would eat?

anyone an expert on worm farms? Would love to hear about others?

by Finy

I have just installed the doggy poop septic . . . . here, wormy, wormy, wormies . . . . . I might go and buy some compost worms to get it going. It is supposed to be better to use worms than the septic tank enzymes. Time will tell. (My neighbour's one dog does more than my two combined . . . .eeek!)

Ooo, I have always been interested in getting a worm farm. Are they much work?

Yes I have a worm farm to compost kitchen scraps. @Finy my advice is you can put most organic waste in there except for citrus, onions and tomatoes (due to the acid). Chopping up scraps finely will help the worms to eat them quicker, putting in large pieces still will get turned over it will just take longer. Put in some paper based products too - egg cartons, used tissues, paper towel, paper napkins or scrap paper all work well. Keep it moist as well by regularly adding water.

by bambootiger

thanks for that advice! I do already put soaked newspaper around the edges - so could I put a whole banana skin in or should I first cut it up? I would have thought it would go mouldy but it doesnt seem to!
Do you have millions of tiny things in there as well? I also put grass clippings as well as the newspaper every month or so

All sounds good. I also put whole banana skins in and they don't go mouldy and get broken down. I know of people who mince up all their vegie scraps in a food processor before they put it in the worm farm but that is just way too much work for me. My worm farm attracts fruit flies particularly in the warmer weather so I might stop using it when my local council implements the organic waste bin.

are those tiny insects fruit fly then? Yes, putting it all through a blender is what the lady who showed me how to use it, told me to do but I also think that is too much work - to wash all that up!
Hard to imagine that those tiny worms can break up a whole banana peel.

No. We used to, but we found that the possums got into it. If it was some kind of sealed system, like a worm farm, then that would be good. We used to have a compost bin behind the shed, but the little blighters managed to get into the bin despite a sealed lid , and strew the waste all over the place.....kind of defeating the purpose of having one !!! After a while, we got sick of collecting egg shells and vegetable scraps from our lawns, so we gave it up.

by Lluxi

All of my food scraps that I can, but not onion skins, as they shouldn't go into the compost, I've been told, & I don't put in egg shells, because I thought they had to be crushed up 1st, & I'm to lazy to do that.

by Miro

Miro, I don't think you have to crush your eggshells for the worms. Throw them in and see what happens.
Eggshells are so valuable in the garden and a wonderful source of calcium - it's a pity to waste them. I give my eggshells a really quick rinse and spread them out in the sun for a few days or pop them into the oven totake advantage of the residual heat when my food is cooked. I think eggshells are satisfying to crush . I usually give them to my chooks but also I sprinkle the crushed shells around plants to stop snails and add calcium to the soil.

Thank you Miro. I am pleased.

I seem to have no talent with composting but the worm farms sound good. I don't think I'd have enough to keep them fed though . . . and then I would feel bad if they died. As I understand it, they put their mouths on the food and liquify it due to some chemical change and they just suck it up.

by Rice

How cute is that pic of yours :)

I give them soaked newspaper around the edge, and lawn clippings and they like all that so you dont need just scraps!

Wow! Thanks Rice. :-D xo

To be totally honest.....we really never have any?
I guess because I only make enough food that it would really be a handful in a week. I buy potatoes that I don't have to peel, I buy veg pre-cut in pkts, and we do not eat eggs much at all....

by jonaja

It's a worm par-tay! *yeehah* LOL

LOL

We used to compost our food scraps but found we were getting mice because of it so the composter went to the tip. Next we had a worm farm (they do like the coffee grounds) and all was going well until my husband killed them all by using rain water so he's given up now.

by helga

Oh no . . .he committed wormicide! LOL

Rain water killed the worms? How strange. You'd think it being 'natural' that they'd be fine.

Lol Rice. Yes Vee, his royal gardening expert thought the rain water would be a better option as we've always understood rain water was better for everythng but not this time.

Yes. What can be given to the chooks is given to the chooks, and what can be composted is composted.

by Vee

. . Perhaps worms only like vodka . . . Bahahahahahaha!

When I investigated the price I was surprised how dear they were . . . but . . if you make your own you can buy worms from people in your area for about $25 or so per thousand. THAT large hardware chain charges $50 per thousand and they could have been on the shelf for a loooooong time. x x x

I have two compost bins mainly for manure enriched chook bedding and garden waste. I occasionally put kitchen scraps in them. Most kitchen scraps go to my chooks unless I have left them too long...I just bury them straight into the garden. I actually don't have a lot of kitchen waste to start with. I had a worm farm but don't have it going anymore but I am considering growing meal worms for my chooks.

by annfi

Annfi, Thank you for your egg shell tips. I'll see if I can rectify about what I've NOT been doing with my egg shells!

All our fruit and veg scraps and other compostables get chucked into a bucket by the garden. Once full I give it a mix, cover in a thick layer or cardboard or newspaper and wait fro it to break down. I also often throw the scraps direct into the garden. We managed to grow a few rockmelon and pumpkin and other bits and pieces this way.

by lizzi

Yes, I put vegies & fruits peelings around two specific trees' in my garden, & they respond with beautiful flower displays!

by donjo