One masters the art of gardening once he knows when to grow and when to stop, when to nurture and when to harvest. Gardening is a skill, and it requires patience.
The most important thing to note about gardening is knowing what soil to use and which fertilizers would fit best for the chosen plants. If you are reading this article, I’m pretty sure it is because you are looking for the perfect formula – worm castings.
Using fertilizers has been a big part of gardening and farming, and worm castings are among the most efficient and proven methods to fertilize your crops without going over the budget.
So, sit back and relax because by the end of this article, you are going to learn the tricks of using worm castings and realize how effective it really is for your garden.
First off, let me just emphasize that worm castings are nature’s richest form of fertilizer. A small serving of them can already sustain a plant for almost three months! Indeed, they are not just effective; they are even economical.
I know what you’re thinking, how about animal manure? Aren’t they also as effective as worm castings? Well, comparatively, worm castings are easier to absorb; hence, they are better growth stimulators than animal manure.
Uses Of Worm Castings
There are many popular ways to use worm castings, and they can be used at home or commercially.
However, there are four common ways to use worm castings that will certainly benefit your crops. They can either be used as a soil conditioner, liquid fertilizer, solid fertilizer, or for Germination.
1. As A Soil Conditioner
One way to use worm castings is by using it as a soil conditioner. Yep, before you place your soil on their designated pots and plant boxes, hoe a layer of barren soil on the ground and add a good amount of worm castings.
Mix the two with water until both are evenly combined. You will be surprised at how helpful this can be when you start using them for plant growing.
Before planting your crops, it is particularly important to condition the soil first depending on the crops that you want to grow. For instance, when growing vegetables like lettuce, the soil must be well-drained yet moist.
So, it is highly suggested to do a thorough research first. This way, you will know what type of conditioning the soil needs.
2. For Germination
Germination is the second on our list of the most common ways on how to use worm castings. Worm castings are a natural germicide that can be used solely or with another formula.
It is advised to use around 10% to 20% of worm castings when mixed with native soil, according to Ohio State Research. It will help ensure continuous growth of your plants for almost three months without you even adding anything else during those times.
The native soil usually hardens with time, especially if it loses its soil biology. Adding worm castings to your soil will give back its softened state.
To effectively bring back the innate biology of the soil, you can use worm castings with vermicomposts. Note this important lesson on how to use worm castings with vermicomposts.
First, dilute the mixture with either soaked or drained peat moss, choir, or purchased germination mix. This is to lower the nutrient level that may no longer be appropriate for your plant.
Now, don’t worry too much, you can still use your worm castings as much as you want, but there can be plants that need more and some that need less; hence, as a gardener, you should be wary about that.
3. As A Solid Fertilizer
One of the well-known ways of using worm castings is to add the worm castings around the plant’s bases immediately, or you can lightly bury them in the soil, and then add some water.
A spreader can also be added to make it more convenient, especially if you have a large-scale garden.
However, remember not to use too much of worm castings if you don’t want to damage your plants.
4. As A Liquid Fertilizer
The Fourth and last thing on our list of effective worm castings uses is to use it as a liquid fertilizer. Since worm castings are easily broken down and perhaps dissolved, you can actually liquefy it with water and make it a liquid fertilizer instead.
The trick on how to use worm castings as liquid fertilizer is to have one cup of worm castings for every gallon of water.
Then, wait for 1 week before using it. The liquefied mixture is now ready to be sprayed onto your plants. Truth be told, some, if not most garden enthusiasts, like this method better than the others.
Finally! What You Need To Remember
Based on what you have learned from above, I hope I have answered some of your queries about how to use worm castings efficiently. Indeed, earthworms are nature’s best element to increase effective plant growth and yield.
If you truly care about your garden and have plants that you want to grow, maybe it’s time to consider ditching the unnatural products that you have been using. You can use worm castings that are definitely 100% natural and organic instead.
Please note that worm castings contain more nutrients than topsoil; hence, they supply more nutrients to the plant. Furthermore, the nutrients found on worm castings last longer; thus, they are more reliable and cheaper in the long run.
Pin it!