Home FAQ Why This Site Feedback

How much should I feed the worms?

How much (& how often) you can feed, at most, is determined by the size of worm population & the volume of the bin.  But all you need to do is avoid overfeeding & the worms will take care of the rest.  For example, my 65 gal. bin is now getting 10 quarts of scraps approximately every 10 days.  If we produced 15 quarts instead of 10, would the bin keep up with this higher feeding rate?  Probably.  The worm population might grow accordingly.  Over time, your worm population will grow until it hits the first limiting factor - the food stream, or oxygen, or space.

Avoiding overfeeding is easy.  When you dig down into the next zone to be fed (following your rotation), if you see recognizable scraps, don’t feed then, but return in a week.  You can bury that batch in your garden.  If the only thing recognizable is egg shells & avocado pits, I go ahead & bury it.

During the first rotation - i.e. the very first time you feed each zone,  your worm population will be low, so make the feeding amount lower - maybe 4-5 quarts per feeding (for a 65 gallon bin).

Leave a Reply