Vermicomposting garden waste esp. leaves

12 years ago

Now I know there is usually an excess of this and therefore too much for the average worm farmer to give to his/her worms to process, but I was wondering about leaves specifically. In all the 'what have you fed your worms today' type threads most people seem to feed kitchen scraps and maybe a bit of composted manure or leaves. I'd like to know what kinds of leaves, maybe like a checklist of plant species which have leaves that can be safely fed to worms. Is it true that leaves of fragrant species like lavender, bay, and many other herbs, etc. should not be fed to worms? I suppose eucalyptus is also not a good idea. Is there a simple test one could do to make sure you aren't feeding the wrong types of leaves i.e. a smell or texture test?

My next Q is do these leaves really need to be at least partially composted before being added to your worm farm? Can't I just scoop up a load of recently fallen leaves and chuck them in? Surely in nature the worms start feeding on whatever lands on the mulch layer? Pulling it down into the soil and what have you.

I've recently added a bunch of soft green weeds to my worm farm, things like dandelion and vetch, highly nitrogenous material to test whether they like it.

I love testing using my own experiments, which is how I learn most of my experience, but the only worry I have is that I'll end up decimating my worm population by accident.

PK

Comments (6)

sbryce_gw
12 years ago
Last fall I scooped up a bucketful of newly fallen leaves and topped off my bins with them. A couple of days later I found a Thank You note from my worms. I don't know what kind of tree it was. Yes, the leaves need to compost before the worms can eat them, but what better place for them to break down than in your worm bin?
fam62cc
12 years ago
This time of year, once the snow has melted, I rake up some leaves and the detritus that goes with them and feed them into the trays in small quantities. The worms like just fine.

Dave Nelson
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plumiebear
12 years ago
PK, I think the list of leaves that should NOT be added to a worm bin is very short. You mentioned eucalyptus because of the oils. I've read that leaves from certain oak species (don't know which ones) take a very long time to get processed, but don't seem to harm the worms. Pine needles take 6-12 months, but the worms love them. I use camphor tree leaves all the time and the worms love them. I tested by adding a small amount in one corner and watching to see if the worms avoided them.

I've added freshly fallen leaves (not yet decomposing) as top bedding. It does no harm, but the worms won't really start processing them until they start decomposing a bit more. I collect leaves through Fall & Winter and leave them in the bags. I then use them throughout the year as bedding for my worm bins. Within a few weeks they start to get moldy and/or slimy depending on moisture content - perfect for the worms. If I was in a hurry or wanted to save space, I'd put the leaves through a shredder.
SusanfromMontana
12 years ago
I have had experience only with maple and fruit tree leaves. I shred mine in the fall. I suppose you could use them whole but they'd take longer to break down. If the leaves are dry, you can just crush them up by hand when you add them to the bucket. Each week I prepare a 5-gal. bucket of about 5- 10 lb. vegies, coffee grounds and moist bedding (cardboard,egg cartons,leaves, etc.) I fill the bucket (usually I have 1/4 to 1/2 bucket of leaves). I mix up this concoction every day. Usually after a week, the mixture has cooled down (the coffee grounds heat it up) and the bucket is no longer full. I spread this on top of my bins along with about 2 tablespoons of finely ground egg shells. This mixture is enough for my 3 18-gal. bins. Sometimes I have some left over, so I just add more vegies and bedding for the next week. The worms love it!
marauder01
12 years ago
Hi there , good question.

Maybe you could do a trial bin (like a 10 gal tote) to try leaves only as bedding. Worth a try.

Remember, leaf litter if the origin (if I'm not mistaken) of the humble EF.

Good luck.

PS I use, Apricot, Plumb, Nectarine and Quince leaves in autums, and all work great. This year I'm going to do a trench method in one of my veggie patches, and add about 10 lbs of worms and leave over winter.
protea_king
Original Author
12 years ago
Wow thanks for the feedback. I am presently inundated with fallen leaves especially those of wisteria, apricot, apple and willow. I've added quite a bit to the top without mixing it in so that all in all the organic layer is about 30cm deep. Pulled some away today and the worms are loving the layer in-between the vermicompost (partially processed) and the non-decomposed leaves. I also wet the leaves so that it's nice and moist. We've had some cold nights recently so hopefully the worms will start depositing cocoons soon.