Worm castings are natural worm manure that gardeners widely use to enrich garden soil and grow seedlings, vegetable plants, and more. Worm castings are specially prepared natural fertilizer that effectively stimulates plant growth.

Are worm castings good fertilizers? This article will explore the benefits of worm casting and more.

What Are Worm Castings?

Worm castings are the rich digested soil that red worms leave behind. In other words, these fertilizers are worm poop. As worms break down food and other material they consume, they leave behind their rich organic waste in the process.

These wastes are rich in nutrients and beneficial microbes, and when introduced to the soil, they improve the overall soil structure and quality. Worm castings are also called earthworm castings, and these worms farmers use them to fertilize vegetable plants.

Although getting 100% pure worm castings is quite tricky; these natural fertilizers provide much more value to the soil than most chemical fertilizers.

Where Can I Find Worm Castings?

Gardeners widely use worm castings on their potted plants, garden soil, and any soil where plants can grow. You can get these organic fertilizers from a commercial compost worm farm or prepare them yourself.

Red wigglers are a special earthworm species generally used to prepare worm castings because of their faster metabolism and large appetite. Compost worms are grown on a worm farm and kept in a worm bin, container, or bed.

Benefits of Worm Castings to Container Plants

If you need an organic material that does a far better job than synthetic fertilizers or animal manure, then worm casting has got you covered. Here are some of the top reasons why you should mix worm castings with your potting soil:

Worm castings are the best natural fertilizers you could ever feed your plants. Moreover, they are chock-full of organic plant food, nutrients, beneficial bacteria, and microbes.

Applying these organic materials to your potting soil can help your vegetable plants grow bigger and stronger. Furthermore, it can improve a plant's resistance to pests and diseases.

Worm castings contain water-soluble plant nutrients, and they help the soil retain water effectively. Furthermore, they also improve the overall soil amendments by improving drainage, soil aeration, and the absorption rate of the soil. It helps to reduce soil erosion, compaction, and crusting. Castings also contain humic acid, which helps plants absorb nutrients.

Apply worm castings to your planting hole if you need to increase the amount of organic matter in your garden soil. Many rich organic wastes leave the digestive system of these compost worms. Furthermore, these wastes increase the number of microbial activities in the soil, making your soil richer and healthier.

Another essential benefit of these natural fertilizers is that when compost worms lay eggs, the eggs hatch, increasing the number of beneficial worms in your garden soil. Worms help break down heavy metal deposits in your soil, resulting in healthy soil.

When to Add Worm Castings to Garden Soil

There is never a wrong time to add worm castings to your garden soil. You can use them on your seed starting soil, when planting perennials, on your potted plant, and so on. Additionally, you can also sprinkle them when transplanting your seedlings. Worm casting can nourish and help grow it all.

Furthermore, you can turn your pure casting into tea, making it easier for the fertilizer to find its way deep into plant roots. A quarter cup of this liquid slow-release fertilizer will make it's way farther into the potting soil.

Which Worm Castings Are Best?

Growing your worms and making homemade worm castings is always a good idea. Moreover, it will save you from the extra cost of getting one online. The quality of your worms will reflect on how well you feed or manage them.

Furthermore, growing worms requires a lot of time and patience. If you feel you will not devote your time to keeping your worm bin in check, it is best to get one online or from a store. The good thing is that many reputable companies sell these worm castings online. Thus, locating one will not be difficult. Lastly, you can pay a visit to any worm farm nearby in case you need ideas on how to grow yours.

Frequently Asked Questions 

A worm casting tea is a natural liquid fertilizer made from a mixture of worm manure and water. Worms eat a wide variety of foods, including food scraps, kitchen leftovers, decaying roots, and so on. After digesting the organic material, the worms make the castings rich in nutrients and helpful microorganisms.

You can use these natural fertilizers in various ways, including hanging baskets, container plants, shrubs, and trees. These are the best super-foods you could give to your plants.

Add only a handful of castings per planting hole. About one-fourth to one-half cup of castings per hole should be enough. For larger shrubs, add two cups of casting per one to three-gallon pots.

Unlike most fertilizers that contain high concentrated nitrates, worm castings do not affect your plants negatively in any way. It has little to zero chemical ingredients, and they are one of the best slow-release fertilizers you will find on the market.

Furthermore, worm castings contain a higher concentration of nutrients that penetrate deep into the plant's roots, thus stimulating growth.

Dry castings are similar to wet castings in terms of preparation; however, dry castings use methods that keep the fertilizer as dry as possible, resulting in consistent fertilizer compacting into the mold. Dry casting creates a unit that is free of any reinforcing material.

Conclusion

Worm castings are every plant's favorite food, and you can mix worm castings with water for deeper plant root penetration. Before starting the growing season, you can prepare your castings, turn them into liquid fertilizer, and then apply them when the time comes.

Worm castings are one of nature's most fascinating creations. Overall, whether you choose to prepare your worm casting or buy it, your plants will reward you with bountiful harvests.