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pineviewplanter

Can I put tomato skins in there

pineviewplanter
14 years ago

with the worms in my worm bin? I have a kazillion tomatos and am canning a lot. I hate to toss the skins and thought maybe they might be okay for the worms. Would they be too acid or would they be okay?

Comments (9)

  • Jasdip
    14 years ago

    They should be okay,(I fed mine last year) but as with anything you're not sure of, put a few in a corner. When you see them in the skins, you know they're safe to use. I still wouldn't dump the whole batch in there at once, even when you see them eating the test batch.
    Moderation is still important. Can you refrigerate the peels or freeze them, then feed as necessary?

    I'm going to be giving them a lot myself when I buy my Roma tomatoes that I do each year.

  • sbryce_gw
    14 years ago

    Go ahead and feed them to your worms. I have fed whole tomatoes with no problems. In fact, the worms love tomatoes. If I had a lot of tomato skins, I would treat them like any other food. As a precaution, I never feed more than 1/3 of my bin at once, just in case things heat up, or for some reason the worms object.

  • kitttenn37096
    14 years ago

    I was going to ask this same thing myself. Thanks.. I think I shall freeze them in small containers and defrost during winter months when fresh veggies are lots scarcer.

    I do that with melon rinds other veggies...

    Kitt

  • tango_il
    14 years ago

    yep it's tomato season. my worms enjoy all the tomato scraps. there's a lot of moisture added too so keep up with the water excess

  • jonas302
    14 years ago

    You bet throw them in I haven't found any friuts or veggies they don't like I even fed them the leftovers from prosessing 5 pounds of hot chiles

  • mndtrp
    14 years ago

    It helps to know how large your bin is. I have a 35 gallon trash can for a bin, and I wouldn't hesitate to dump a pretty good sized amount of tomato skins in the bin. Like jonas, I've put 2 bushels worth of green chile skins in my bin.

  • Jasdip
    14 years ago

    My guys eat onions and citrus.....things that are suggested not to use. I've never found anything they don't like.
    I've got my corn cob chunks in there now for them.

  • steamyb
    14 years ago

    These worms normally eat manure, so anything else is a treat.

  • jusme_newby
    10 years ago

    My first job as a kid was helping out in a service station. When told to get the "hose Bender" I spend a whole half of a day asking everyone where one was. Nobody told me there was no such thing.

    Nobody told me not to put tomato skins in my worm bin either. But they should have. I just spent three hours trying to separate the worms from the castings using the light & pile method. But the worms never ate the tomato skins. Now, when subjected to a bright light they do not head down to the bottom of the pile, no, they hide under the tomato skins near the top. I guess the light that makes it through the skins is filtered to red and, as I have been told, they do not react to red. And I put a LOT of tomato skins in last fall.

    Unless my worms are just plain finicky, I would caution not to put tomato skins in a worm bin. Instead, go find me a hose bender.

    Hugh