Comments on: The Coffee Grounds Worm Garden

By: Bentley

Bentley — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:15:02 +0000

Hi Lucy,
Based on my communications with earthworm researchers, E. fetida definitely doesn’t seem to pose any threat (L. rubellus, absolutely! In some regions anyway). Apart from the likelihood that they will be killed in the winter (when in an unprotected natural environment), they MUCH prefer living in very rich organic deposits, such as manure heaps, compost piles etc. That’s not to say they can’t survive in leaf litter, or even potentially live in it for an extended period – I simply mean they won’t likely thrive in that environment the way other potentially-threatening species can.

Here is an article I posted on the topic last spring:
http://www.redwormcomposting.com/general-commentary/do-composting-worms-pose-a-threat-as-invasive-species/

By: Lucy Gibson

Lucy Gibson — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:47:34 +0000

I want to make everyone aware that red worms are not native to this continent, and it’s best to keep them in your indoor worm bins if possible. If they get into native forests here, they eat up too many leaves, so there isn’t a “normal” amount of leaf cover on the forest floor, which is bad for the native trees. This is true, also, of quite a few species of earth worms, which are currently a bigger problem than red worms, since red worms can’t tolerate winter temperatures, at least in the north. But they could, as Bentley hopes, possibly have their cocoons make it through the winter. So in the interest of trying to avoid disrupting native plant habitat, it’s best to keep red worms you’re raising for composting, indoors.

By: Corey Cate

Corey Cate — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 21:20:18 +0000

I used to “pick” wild night crawlers for use by fishermen. I would collect them in Los Alamos New Mexico schoolyard lawns at night when they came up to feed. I would collect hundreds and then package them in little tubs containing newspaper wads to be sold in bait shops.
They keep well in refrigerators and in shredded newsprint when moistened.
This is all to say they are very different from red worms.
I am beginning to keep a compost bed with red worms. My experience is nil and I’m on my early learning curve. Thanks for all the insights here. I came here wondering how to use daily coffee grounds to enrich compost and / or a worm bed.

By: Pam J.

Pam J. — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:10:52 +0000

I agree with Bentley completely. And below is what I wrote last night but didn’t send…I can get long-winded on the subject of worms.

Hi Mark,
I’ll be interested in what other people say, but I’ve always read that the earthworms you find outside your home are not the same species as the redworms most people use for vermicomposting. Redworms like to live in garbage and feces, including their own. Earthworms we find outside, at least in the eastern US, would not thrive in bins like the ones most people use for redworms. These outdoor earthworms also eat leaves and other debris left by plants, and probably even manure, but they need more room, more places to burrow and make tunnels. On the other hand… if I were you I would give it a try. You might sacrifice a few worms in the process but let’s face it…I love my worms but in death they can go back into the earth to be eaten by other worms.

By: Bentley

Bentley — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:29:27 +0000

Hi Mark,
Unfortunately the “nightcrawlers” that come out of the soil at night are not good for vermicomposting. They need a lot more space and cooler temperatures. You might be able to grow decent numbers of them in large, raised garden beds sitting directly over soil. Just add lots of leaves, grass clippings etc and water frequently.

Hope this helps

By: mark

mark — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:54:27 +0000

hi, i live in westfield massachusetts. I caught 200 nightcrawlers 3 months ago and love nightcrawling at night ever since i was a kid ,i used to sell them when i was a kid living in otis mass,did quit well at it.my interest has been resparked due to injury i have found much extra time on my hands and would like to try my hand at selling them again ,i can pick plenty after rain but would like to try and breed them and also start vermicomposting.Can they be bred efficiently enough so they can sustain worm numbers on there own? Also what size bin or home would i need to house say 1000,or so nightcrawlers and would this work for vermicomposting? thank you for your time.MARK

By: wesley

wesley — Fri, 01 May 2009 21:37:01 +0000

so u us us coffee to star it

By: Mara

Mara — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 16:27:08 +0000

That is helpful.
Thanks Bentley.

By: Bentley

Bentley — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 14:32:55 +0000

Hehe – Guess I should have mentioned that in the post itself!
I am miles behind in my comment replies, but I figured I had better respond to this thread before I stress out too many people.

Really, it doesn`t take much at all – could be as simple as watering them down and letting them sit for a bit.
I find that grounds that come from my own coffee maker are ok the way they are, but the worms generally wait at least a couple of days before feeding on them. I should mention that I buy `medium`grind – I find that the finely ground stuff isn`t appreciated as much (or at least it takes longer).

The specialty grounds may also cause some issues since they can contain other things – flavorings etc.

I suspect that if you are adding grounds to an outdoor system, there is really nothing you need to worry about (assuming you aren`t adding bucketfuls to a small system). For a small indoor bin maybe just make sure you have moistened the grounds, and try adding a small amount at first to see how the worms like it. You might also want to avoid mixing grounds in too much – add the material in pockets so the worms can choose to feed on it as they please.

Anyway, not sure if any of this rambling has helped, but I figured it was worth a shot!

By: Pam J.

Pam J. — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 14:13:11 +0000

I’m interested too…for a year now I’ve been feeding coffee grounds to my indoor worms and I’ve also been tossing grounds directly on my lawn and flower beds. Everyone seems happy—-lawn, flowers, worms—-but I’d like to hear more stories from more wormers.