Worm castings can be referred to as nature’s perfect plant food. This all-natural, organic soil amendment has 10 times the nutrients of regular compost. In this post, you’ll learn to love worm castings as we look at what they are, how they are applied to the soil and their gardening benefits.
Worm castings are simply worm manure, excretions from a worm’s body used to fertilize the soil and increase its immunity. They are produced when worms consume organic material which travels down the worm’s digestive tract and is excreted as a bacteria-rich pill. Don’t worry, they don’t smell bad. Worm castings can be used to top dress lawns, trees, shrubs, or house plants. It can also be sprinkled into vegetable or flower planting rows before planting.
Now that you know about nature’s simple fertilizer, you may be wondering if you can apply it to your garden and what benefits it has. You absolutely can apply worm castings to your garden and not only can you but you also should. Adding worm castings to your gardening practices has the following four benefits:
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Worm castings provide important nutrients to plants
Worm waste contains bacteria-rich substances that have 10 times the nutrients of regular compost, including 5 times the nitrate, 7 times the phosphorous, and 3 times the magnesium. These nutrients are essential for soil and plant health.
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Worm castings improve soil structure and increase water retention
Healthy soil has a good proportion of sand, silt and clay. A cohesion of these three creates a pore space that stores water in the soil. Warm casting holds soil particles together making the soil more water-absorbent.
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Worm castings repel pests and suppress diseases in plants
Adding worm castings to your garden will reduce the population of plant pests like spider mites, whiteflies, and aphids. They also contain bacteria that prevent pathogens from contaminating seeds and seedlings.
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Worm castings increase soil microbial activity
They contain a diversity of microbes like bacteria, fungi, and protozoa which help to break down dead plant and animal matter in the soil to increase plant fertility.
Worm castings are a natural and organic nutrient-rich fertilizer that improves soil texture, structure and promote healthy plant growth. This makes them safe and easy to use in your garden. Soil Kings is pleased to offer a 5.5-litre pail of worm castings available for pickup or delivery. Contact us today to place an order.
