Material such as citrus and onion are discouraged as they are very acidifying. The material is best chopped or mulched. Covering or shading the area in summer is important. The rate at which the material is converted by worms depends on the amount of worms added to the food source. A smaller scale example quotes the addition of about 2.5 kg of worms per cubic metre container.
Reports indicate that worms eat about their own body weight in organic matter each day.
This material is low in nitrogen but high in cellulose. It includes newspaper, cardboard, straw, processing waste and leaf material. It is not suitable as a sole source of food for worms and a nitrogen rich material must be added. Organic matter Any organic matter is suitable, such as residue from food processing plants, for example, potato processors, carrot juices and waste bakery products. The traditional source of worm food has been food scraps from households and the hospitality trade.