Worms are an extremely helpful component of any compost bin or pile, not to mention worm farms. And it turns your morning cup of coffee can contribute to their diet. Using coffee grounds for worms is an easy way to keep them from heading to the local landfill while being environmentally friendly.
Do Worms Like Coffee Grounds?
Worms like to feed on a range of organic materials and coffee grounds are one of them. They also like kitchen scraps such as used tea bags, banana peels, egg cartons, and crushed eggshells. Paper coffee filters can be added to their diet as well. Aged manure, human and pet hair clippings, vacuum cleaner dust, and leftover vegetable scraps are also organic foods they will eat. You should not feed your worms meat, dairy, or fresh manure.
Are Coffee Grounds Good For Worms?
Not only do worms like grounds but they are good for them as well. They have a high nitrogen content and provide fatty acids along with carbohydrates. The small size of the grounds means they are easy for the worms to consume, unlike other food items which may need to be chopped, torn, or crushed first. Grounds also provide grit that makes it easier for worms to digest foods once they have entered into their gut.
Extra Benefits Of Both Worms And Coffee Grounds
By adding coffee grounds in compost and worm farms you can help to increase their temperature as the grounds decompose. They also function as a natural snail and slug repellent and can help keep harmful molds, fungi, and bacteria from becoming established.
When worms consume the grounds it helps to break down the nitrogen contained within them. It is then excreted in their waste called worm castings where it is readily available to plants. Worm castings (also known as vermicompost) can be used as a fertilizer or soil amendment for both garden and potting soil. And compost of course can be used to improve soils as well.
Keep These Considerations In Mind
When feeding worms coffee grounds there are a few things you’ll want to remember. First of all, you’ll always want to make sure you let them cool down to room temperature first to avoid harming worms and good bacteria in your compost or worm farm. You’ll also want to feed grounds in moderation. That’s because while they are typically a neutral pH, they can sometimes be slightly acidic.
And too much acidity can be dangerous for worms since they have sensitive skin. If you are afraid that the acid levels are too high in your worm farm, a simple solution is to add a handful of crushed eggshells, crushed oyster shells, or fire ashes every few weeks. This will keep the acidity down. In compost, it’s recommended to keep coffee grounds at no more than 20% of the total material.
Saving those used coffee grounds for worms is a great way to help the environment and indirectly increase your garden blooms and yields!
Start Shopping for Composting Worms!
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