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If you are looking to spruce up your lawn in a natural and enriching way, then worm castings are the best solution for your grass. This article explains what worm castings are, how worm casts create a healthy lawn, and why they are generally the best option for your garden. We also go over some frequent questions regarding worm castings.  

Can I Use Worm Castings Instead of Fertilizer?

Worm castings are essentially the excrement left behind after worm activity. As the earthworms move through your lawns, they digest other organic material and excrete earthworm castings. These earthworm castings are rich in minerals and nutrients like iron, calcium, and nitrogen. 

Worm casts are generally sold from organic earthworm farmers by the pound. You can spread the worm castings on top of your soil to act as a natural fertilizer for your lawn.  

Additionally, you could opt to produce your own earthworm castings by breeding earthworms in a worm bin. You can use excessive earthworm castings to stimulate lawn and plant growth. 

Some gardeners prefer to introduce earthworms to their lawns. Their presence in the ground improves aeration and drainage as the worm activity stimulates the soil and creates trenches between the roots. This method is known as vermicomposting.

What Are the Benefits of Worm Castings?

Using worm compost made of worm casts has many benefits for soil. It is organic, safe, and healthy for plant growth. It also serves as pest management from insects and other night crawlers that may damage or rid your soil of vital nutrients, leaving your lawn dry and barren.    

Healthy Lawn

Earthworms make an excellent lawn and a great addition to your property. The presence of earthworms in your lawn will significantly benefit the nutrient availability in your garden. The worm castings release micro-nutrients into the grass, which the roots of your lawn then absorb. The grass grows faster, stronger, and healthier due to the worm compost. In addition, the coating around the casting makes it water-soluble; it offers a slow release of nutrients and reduces the risk of fertilizer burn.

Pest Management

You can use earthworm castings to prevent pests such as spider mites, fruit flies, and aphids. Within the organic matter of the castings is an enzyme known as chitinase. This enzyme acts as a repellant to insects that may harm your lawn. However, the low amount of chitinase in each casting can take a few weeks before you see noticeable results. Nevertheless, worm castings are still effective and safer for your plants than traditional pesticides. 

Can Earthworms Damage Your Lawn?

No, earthworms tend the soil and live naturally in the ground. However, they cannot damage your lawn; but they can improve the soil structure. Using too much chemical fertilizers can put your plants at risk, and too much can cause severe damage to your lawns. They may even have unforeseen consequences such as fertilizer burn and water pollution. On the other hand, vermicompost is a natural, non-intrusive way to fertilize the soil and improve the mineral content. Moreover, as worms encourage natural composting, you can be assured your vermicompost doses do not contain dangerous chemicals, primarily when you breed your worms.

How to Build Your Own Vermicompost Bin 

If you want to produce your own worm casting and have a steady fertilizer supply, begin by gathering all the necessary materials. Creating your own worm farm is a relatively simple process; here are the steps to get you started:

Building Your Vermicompost Bins

First, you will need two bins with one taller bin that can fit inside the shorter bin. The sizes are up to you, but the bigger the containers, the more worms you can keep and the more worm fertilizer you get.  

Drill holes on the top surface of your tall bin for airflow. Make four drills in each corner of the tall container to let excess water out. Cover the holes with vinyl to prevent the worms from getting out. 

In the tall bin, place about three inches of shredded paper, some soil, and enough water to keep it all damp. Next, place the tall bin into the shorter bin making sure there are no holes in the shorter bin. Look out for worm mounds and gather your worms. Then introduce your worms to the bin and let them get used to the environment for at least a day before you feed them.  

What and How to Feed Your Earthworms

Feed them with food scraps like vegetables and fruits or even tea bags. Make sure to refill the paper scraps or collect grass clippings and place the food on top. Then cover the food with soil to prevent fruit flies. Use one side of the container when feeding to draw worms there. It makes it easier to harvest the compost from the other side. 

The liquid that comes out of the bottom of the bin is known as worm tea. Worm tea is excellent to pour on plants. If you have too many worms, you can use the extras as fishing bait. 

Monitoring Worm Activity 

Now that you are all set up, monitoring your worms and keeping them healthy is essential. Ensure you feed them regularly. If you notice some food is uneaten, remove it from the bins. 

Some worms can be picky about what they eat. Often it is due to worms not wanting to eat through fruits and vegetable peelings or preferring easier-to-digest foods. Also, make sure there is no compaction in the container as the worms need to move freely. 

How Do I Apply Worm Castings to My Lawn?

Compost Spreader 

Now that you have your vermicompost ready, you can place it on your lawn. The best way to do this is by spreading the castings using a compost spreader. The compost spreader is a fast and effective way of laying out the vermicompost over the surface of your lawns and into the soil. 

They may be a bit pricey, but if you have a large garden and plan to use the compost regularly, this is a worthwhile investment for any gardener. Rake in the compost to ensure a readily available supply to your yard's root zone. 

Worm Tea Spray 

You can soak the castings in water to create worm tea. You can use a spray bottle or garden hose to spray the worm tea across the surface and onto your plants. This method is convenient and a great way of introducing a variety of healthy microbes into your yard. The added moisture also serves to promote a healthy soil profile. 

Where Can You Buy Corm Castings? 

If building and maintaining a vermicomposting bin is not for you, then you can buy the worms castings from a supplier. Before buying, ask the supplier or look around for information about their worms. We recommend worms exclusively fed organic material, meaning there is no chance for their castings to bring dangerous chemicals into your lawn and soil.

What Are the Disadvantages of Worm Castings?

Worm castings are organic fertilizers and have no disadvantages. You can use the castings as regularly as other organic or chemical-based fertilizers. Moreover, you can also mix the castings with topsoil to extend its use. Moreover, ensure an even spread across the surface of your lawn to make it more effective. However, make sure you do not cover your yard entirely as it still needs to receive ample sunlight and air. 

Conclusion

Any gardener understands the importance of proper and quality fertilizer for their yard and soil. However, with so many options available, each with its pros and cons, it can be daunting to figure out which is best for your soil. 

Well, the search is over because worm castings are best for everyone's gardens and plants. Are worm castings good for grass? Definitely! It is suitable for your lawn, plants and works great as a pest repellent. It is safe to use and poses no risk even if you put too much on your grass or plants. If you want greener grass and healthier soil, this natural fertilizer is the way to go!

Grow Bigger Plants with Simple Grow

Do you wish your plants would grow bigger? Was your garden less than it should've been last year?

If you're tired of growing puny vegetables and fruits, it's time for an upgrade...Simple Grow Worm Castings!

What are worm castings? Another term for worm manure. Why would you want to use it in your garden, raised beds, and house plants? Because it makes them grow bigger, faster and healthier...with no chemicals!

How do worm castings do this? It's like giving your plants a powerful multivitamin with everything they need to grow. Trace minerals, nutrients, and most importantly...worm castings are chock full of beneficial microbes. Why does that make a difference?

In recent years, we've learned the importance of gut bacteria for humans and know that it impacts so many different parts of our health. The same thing applies with worms. Gut bacteria from the worm's digestive tract gets into the soil from the worm castings and promotes plant health. Plants have a symbiotic relationship with the microbes from the worm's digestive tract. Plants respond to it and grow really big...really fast!

If you've never tried worm castings before, you owe it to yourself to give them a try. Instead of using traditional chemical fertilizers from the big box store, why not try fresh, certified organic worm castings this year? You'll be able to grow bigger, healthier plants that you actually can feel good about eating. 

Take advantage of our special bundle sale on 25lb bags today!

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