Worm castings are a great way to improve your soil and help it become more fertile. They're also a great addition to any garden, whether you're just starting out or have been growing for years!
What are worm castings?
Worm castings are the nutrient-rich soil that is produced by earthworms as they digest organic matter. They are full of beneficial microorganisms and nutrients, which makes them great for use in your garden.
Worm castings can be used as a soil amendment or fertilizer for all types of plants, including vegetables, flowers and trees. The best way to use them is by mixing them into your existing soil at the beginning of each growing season or adding them directly on top of existing beds before planting seeds or transplants into them.
Earthly Matters worm castings are available in the YYC Growers online store → here.
Earthly Matters earthworm castings are an all natural soil enhancing plant food that comes from nature in its purest form. Their castings are a living soil, unpasteurized and certified organic, no food waste inputs are used and the castings come completely odorless and non toxic.
The Benefits of Using Worm Castings for Your Garden
Improve soil structure. Worm castings improve the structure of your soil by adding organic matter, which helps to hold water in the soil and improves drainage.
Increase water retention. Because worm castings improve drainage, they also increase the amount of moisture that can be held by your soil before it drains into the ground below. This is especially beneficial if you live in an area with dry summers or winters where evaporation is a major issue for gardeners trying to grow plants outdoors during these seasons.*
Improve nutrient availability: Worms digest organic matter such as dead leaves and other plant debris on top of soil layers (topsoil), which releases nutrients into their waste products called "castings" -- hence why they are sometimes called "worm poop."
How to Use Worm Castings in Your Garden
Worm castings are an excellent soil amendment that can be used in a variety of ways. One way to use worm castings is by mixing them with existing soil, which will help improve the quality of your garden beds and increase their overall fertility. You can also top dress garden beds with worm castings or apply them directly onto plants as fertilizer.
A few tips:
- Avoid contact with plant leaves.
- Don't over apply.
- Use in conjunction with other fertilizers, not as a replacement for them.
How to Store Worm Castings
Worm castings are a great addition to your garden, but you need to store them properly.
Worm castings should be kept in a cool, dry place. If you live in an area with high humidity or temperatures above 80 degrees Fahrenheit, consider storing your worm castings indoors. The best way to store them is in an airtight container. You can use any kind of plastic container that seals tightly and has a lid--a mason jar or Tupperware container will work perfectly! Just make sure it's not too big; small containers are easier to keep track of and prevent mold from forming on top when they're opened frequently during the growing season (which may be necessary if you're using the worm castings as fertilizer).
Use within 6 months: Once opened and exposed to air at room temperature (50-70 degrees F), most types will begin breaking down rapidly after 2 weeks due to microbial activity within them; however there are some exceptions such as red wrigglers which do not appear affected by this degradation process even after being stored for over 1 year without any signs of deterioration occurring whatsoever so long as they were kept sealed tightly closed throughout those periods too."
Happy gardening! 🪱
Eartlhy Matters worm castings are available in the YYC Growers online store → here.
