Are you looking for a perfect way to maximize the health of your soil? Perhaps you’re debating between worm castings vs. worms? After all, having nutrient-rich soil is what every gardener strives toward. This guide will give you all the information you need to help you decide whether you should stick to traditional compost or start using vermicomposting, aka worm castings.

What Are Worms?

You must have noticed the lean figures crawling around in your garden soil before. These boneless creatures are known as earthworms and are valuable soil residents. The worm's digestive tract contains many beneficial microorganisms, hormones, and enzymes.

These worms play an integral part in stabilizing soil structure and recycling organic waste. Worms eat wasted material, such as wasted food, vegetable matter, coffee grounds, paper, and lawn waste. After eating, they leave dark brown excrement (worm poop) in the soil, which acts as garden fertilizer. Having worms on your farm is a good indication of healthy soil.

What Are Worm Castings?

You have a few options when it comes to enhancing the growth of your plants. And, one of them is worm castings, like Simple Grow. Strangely, some people believe that worm castings and traditional compost are the same and possess similar properties, which is not true.

Worm castings are the brown excrement we mentioned above. Worm castings, also called vermicompost or vermicast, are substances worms leave behind after eating food or kitchen scraps and organic material.

Simply put, worm castings are essentially highly nutritious worm poop. This waste is used as a fertilizer for optimal plant growth. They contain humic acid, which helps absorb plant nutrients and ensures soil aeration. They are also rich in nutrients and microorganisms that provide plenty of microbes and bacteria into the land, producing the best garden soil. These beneficial microbes boost plant growth, solidify plant immunity, and combat diseases.

What Is Compost?

Compost is organic matter used to fertilize the soil. This material type is easy to make, and managing compost bins is not tricky. 

Creating compost piles is one of the most fun gardening projects to take on. All you have to do is add kitchen scraps and garden waste, like grass cuttings, plant trimmings, vegetable peels, or any other organic material, to a bin or compost pile. Compost piles often contain bacteria, fungi, and worms, too, and once you have built up a decent pile, you can use the compost for months to come.

What Is the Difference Between Worm Castings and Compost?

Since both worm castings and compost are valuable additions to improve soil and aid plant growth, what exactly sets them apart?

Compost might have a slight advantage when you analyze the macronutrients and NPK value of both. Although the exact density of NPK value depends on the type and weight of materials, it typically falls between 0.5% and 4%. The typical NPK value of earthworm castings ranges from 0.1 to 2%. Does that mean an extensive NPK value determines that compost is the better fertilizer?

Typically, plants have provided better performance and produced higher yields with worm castings than composts. As a rich source of nutrients and humus, worm castings boost plant productivity and maintain soil aeration. However, vermicomposting at your home is not as straightforward as regular composting.

What Is the Difference Between Worm Castings and Worms?

Since both worm castings and compost are valuable additions to improve soil and aid plant growth, what exactly sets them apart?

Typically, plants have provided better performance and produced higher yields with worm castings than composts. As a rich source of nutrients and humus, worm castings boost plant productivity and maintain soil aeration. However, vermicomposting at your home is not as straightforward as compost. Even though you can buy either, castings are relatively pricier than compost.

Worm Castings vs. Worms

Are worm castings better than compost? Plenty of factors influence the final product, including soil technicalities, the waste you put, and more.

Have a look at this brief comparison of both techniques for a better understanding:

• While gardeners are well aware of traditional techniques, many underestimate the significance of soil aeration. Soil aeration is a fundamental factor in plant production that promotes root growth and decreases plant death.
• Worm castings boast higher percentages of humus than regular soil and compost, which provides air supply and prevents dehydration.

• With a better nutrient profile, worm castings contain plenty of growth-promoting elements, such as auxins and cytokinins with higher levels of micronutrients. 
• You can purchase commercial worm castings. However, they can be pricey. That said, you’re receiving quality material that will boost the health and growth of your plants.

What Are the Benefits and Drawbacks of Using Worm Castings?

Here are the pros and cons of vermicomposting.

Benefits

• The nutrient content with micro value is the most highlighted advantage of worm castings. Beneficial bacteria and microbes aid in plant productivity, immunity, and root growth in abundance.
• Plants can easily consume all the nutrients.
• Worm castings can eliminate bad bacteria and toxins that are harmful to the health of the soil.
• Worm castings do not allow the crops to dry. They enhance water retention and promote soil aeration with their high humus percentage. Hence the plants are livelier with a better hydration and airflow system.
• Often, castings perform like an organic pest repellent. They protect your plants from spider mites, aphids, and more.

Drawbacks

• Worm castings are commercially sold at a higher price range. You can raise organic worm castings domestically, but managing them is not as simple as it may seem.
• Worms devour plant and animal pathogens containing soil. These pathogens are susceptible to being transferred in worms.

Final Verdict

Whether you have indoor plants, outdoor plants, or potted plants, they need a constant source of organic material to flourish. So, you might be debating between worm castings vs. worms.

Although it is up to you to use whatever fertilizing technique you choose, worm castings areproven to be a more effective fertilizer. No doubt, there are some limitations to vermicomposting, but the benefits you reap from the finished product are more than enough to balance everything perfectly. Happy gardening, folks!