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cdg_1972

feeding oleanders to the worms?

CDG_1972
9 years ago

Dear all,

I got my hands on a good supply of oleander leaves and I thought they could be a great source of nutrients for my red wigglers. So... I got the brilliant idea of reading a little bit before dumping the first load on them and apparently the unified consensus is that oleander leaves (regardless of the variety) should not be used in vermicomposting. However, the "poison" in oleanders is a glycoside that is biologically active towards heart muscle in animals. As far as I know, there is no indication that worms would have the any sensitivity towards the toxin or give my worms a heart attack!

I also found this article that talks about toxicity of compost made from oleander leaves and the toxin should be gone in a few days.

Before I start doing my own experiments (and possibly killing some worms) I would like to know if anybody has good information in this regard. Best case scenario would be a good article in a scientific journal.

Many thanks and happy composting!

Here is a link that might be useful: Article about composting oleander (no worms)

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