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3 yr old rotted oak leaves - bedding or food?

8 years ago

Does anyone feed rotted leaves as part of the food for the worms in a house compost bin or is it more an item to be used as bedding?

Thinking of getting the Worm Factory 360 and still trying to wrap my head around what can be used in the bin once worms are settled in and reach the point of needing to be fed. I maintain a pile of chopped up oak leaves in my garden but cannot decide if they would be useful as part of the feeding or bedding for the worms as I would not want bugs to be brought into the house. Should a small bag of the leaves be frozen first before using? Would that kill off bugs or eggs? I don't see bugs in the older lower levels of this rotting material but I suppose it's possible something living is in there. Do worms also eat their bedding material as it breaks down?

Mary

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Comments (5)

confused545
8 years ago
Leaves are great bedding and precomposting them makes it even better. Yes worms do eat the bedding and break it down. I just bring fall leaves right in and add them to the bin. If you are supper worried about bugs in the house newspaper makes great bedding as well.
Jon Biddenback
8 years ago
Leaves are bedding; bedding is edible but the worms should be getting more nutritious food as well.

I don't worry so much about other bugs in the worm bin. I advise you to relax about it as well. Worms alone cannot do the work of a worm bin; there's a whole ecosystem involved that competes and cooperates and eventually finds a balance that fits the local conditions. You already can't do anything to keep out fungus and bacteria, and you might choose to allow some of the bigger organisms. Isopods (sow bugs/pill bugs/ roly polys) in particular can be helpful: they're like little living shredders, tearing down tough cellulose-based material like stems, bark, cardboard, and wood, into partially decomposed, worm usable material.
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Mary Leek
Original Author
8 years ago
My thanks for these very helpful replies. I did know other items should be fed but wasn't certain if I used leaves as some of the bedding, if they would also be eaten.

From reading more on this forum I learned about first freezing chopped up kitchen scraps to help with decomposition so will do that. I might have a lot of scraps that could be used for food, then go a spell with none so freezing will be a way of always having food on hand. Plain cardboard I have plenty of so will begin shredding that for use as part of the bedding, plus shredded newspaper. Looking forward to learning more about this form of composting.

Mary
Jon Biddenback
8 years ago
When possible, try to mix up your bedding. Too much of the same thing can pack up and block air flow, becoming a stinky anaerobic mess. Also, a wider variety of inputs gives you a more nutritious and balanced end product. A mix of bedding materials with different shapes, sizes, and textures helps in both ways.
Mary Leek thanked Jon Biddenback
Mary Leek
Original Author
8 years ago
Excellent advice, will do. My sincere thanks for taking the time to advise.

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