It is definitely the most amazing procedure to give your garden,potting soil,or germination mixes
the increased push for better growth. Castings are completely organic besides being the all
natural fertilizer. Worm castings have no odor and are non-toxic to boot! The other interesting
point is earthworm castings will never burn even your most senstive plants.
What are earthworm castings? It results in a fertilizer that comes directly from the earthworm. The
earthworm digests the soil and passes it through its body and returns it to the soil as a beneficial
altered nutrient called earthworm castings.
The earthworm castings contain such rich water-soluble nutrients. Castings will enable plants to
rapidly and without difficulty absorb these essential nutrients. The end result is the plant
needs only a minimal effort to obtain all this great nutrients in the right proportions. You will not
find this to be the case with most chemical fertilizers. Indeed these fertilizers have many many
nutrients,but the plant is limited in the breakdown of these fertilizers to the extent in which an
earthworm is able to provide.
Earthworms themselves assist in the improvement of the soil letting the soil drain better by the
worm tunneling activity and in turn improves the aeration,porosity and the deep saturation of the
soil. The earthworm also improves soil fertility by releasing minerals that are deep in the
subsurface and can often be in very short supply on your surface soil. This is such a valuable
ingredient in your garden and with a large population they will even keep the weed growth under
control. The tunneling of the earthworm does suppress many of the requirements necessary for
weed development. An earthworm will frequently digest weed seeds which either destroys them
or renders them useless in germination.
How could it actually be better than compost? The earthworm has the ability to transform regular
compost with additional beneficial organisms into a completely odorless form ready for immediate
use by your plants. In nature animal waste and decaying plant material are worm food not plant
food.
In planting my annuals or perennials I put a small handful of castings into each hole . Your
garden application should be made once a year at 20 pounds per 1000 square feet. In your potted
plants mix your potted plants mix a small amount of worm castings into your potting soil. Keep in
mind that castings are very very potent so don't become over zealous in your application it should
be no more than one-fifth of the ingredients.
Don't forget about worm tea! Many farmers have used it over the centuries and can be mixed at
home. However it is time consuming and requires the correct recipe but it is available in the
commercial world. There is evidence that worm tea will cure tomato blight and leaf curl. Worm tea
is an excellent 100% natural,non-toxic alternative. There are many places on the internet that you
can purchase both worm castings and worm tea. Hey worms are good for more than fishing!
Author: Fred Myers
Article Tags: Gardening, Earthworm Castings, Soil, Earthworms, Worm Tea, Value Of Earthworms,
Soil Amendments, Fertilizer To Use On Garden
Article Source:
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/earthworm-castings-will-enrich-your-garden-377649
.html
Earthworm Castings Will Enrich Your Garden
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