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Those who worm compost
I'm just getting started. I got a bunch of worms from my mom's composter two days ago. The instructions that came with her kit said not to lift the lid for the first three days to let them acclimate. But I caved and peeked last night, and I have a couple of questions:
- do they eat moldy food? I had thrown in some strawberries that were a bit past their prime and when I peeked last night, they had developed some mold on them
- should I be concerned that after a day and a half they were still in the same corner I dumped them in, and not in the food at all? They were definitely alive, but they were still concentrated in one area. I know, I know, it said three days, but I really thought they'd be in the food by now.
- do you chop up the food or anything? I was looking at the whole moldy strawberries and untouched banana peels, wondering if they had been chopped down if they'd be more accessible to the worms...
Re: Those who worm compost
I am not sure about the moldy food question.
I would give it a bit more time for them to get used to the environment and to start to eat the food. It will take a little bit for them to start to compost everything.
Did you cover the food with the soil? That is a big thing that you need to do to keep the stink down.
I never used to chop the food up and had no problems with the worms eating it but it could be a good idea to get them going.
We vermicompost at work.
1. Never had any problem with them eating mold. I wouldn't put a ton in there, but mold spots on fruit are fine.
2. I'd wait a bit longer. Make sure you have enough moisture.
3. The more you chop the faster your turnover. It's not necessary, but it moves things along.
Good luck to you!