How to prevent worm composting problems
Worm composting is a very natural process to recycle waste that hits two birds with one stone. First, organic waste materials are recycled by worms. Then, the worm composts are used to nourish the soil which is really good. Because of such advantages, gardeners engage in worm composting so they can harvest organic fertilizer. Nonetheless, worms are also sensitive creatures so there are certain things take note to avoid worm composting problems. In most cases,worm composting problems occur when the diet or environment of the worms are overlooked. Here are practical tips to prevent worm composting problems:
Never give dairy products or oily food to the worms.
Avoid feeding worms with something that is acidic such as orange rinds.
Keep the composting bin moist as much as possible. A very dry environment would surely kill the worms.
Maintain an ideal temperature for your worm bin. Never expose the worms to direct sunlight or cold. See to it that the temperature ranges from 50 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. If the weather is extremely cold or hot, bring the worms indoor to protect them. A heating pad during winter season is a good measure to keep worms warm but keep it below 90 degrees unless you want to the worms to die.
Do not place fresh cow manure in the worm bin. This is a possible cause of worm composting problems since manure can raise heat levels in the bin. Also, there are pathogens in the manure that could kill the poor worms.
Some grass cuttings and leafy products like alfalfa can potentially heat up the bin so reduce use of such materials to avoid worm composting problems.
Make sure that you have properly chopped the food cuttings for the worms. Worms can easily grow bigger and multiply when fed with the right diet.
Prevent critters like centipede from inhabiting the bin since they kill worms. The bin in itself is an ecosystem so critters are part of that environment.
It is actually easy to avoid worm composting problems as long as you feed your worms well enough. Likewise, an environment that’s not too cold or too hot would keep the worms happy. Just be guided by the advice given above and you would likely prevent worm composting problems.