WORM CASTINGS
What are Worm Castings?
Worm Castings are the organic material that has been digested by worms,
in this case Eisenia fetida.
{simply put, worm $ h i t}
Earthworms
derive their nutrition from many forms of organic matter in soil including
decaying plant parts, decomposing remains of animals, and living organisms such
as nematodes, protozoans, rotifers, bacteria, fungi. They can produce their own
weight in castings every 24 hours. During the digestive process, many insoluble
minerals are converted to a plant-available soluble form and long-chain
molecules such as cellulose are partially broken down by bacteria in the
digestive tract. Investigations show that fresh earthworm casts are several
times richer in available nitrogen, available phosphates and available potash
than the surrounding topsoil.
Worm castings also contain many beneficial bacteria and enzymes. The
analysis of wormcastings reveals that the number of beneficial bacteria in
the ejected worm casting is much higher than in the material ingested by the
earthworm.
Worm Castings have many beneficial microbes which are
important in:
Worm Castings have the texture of coarse coffee grounds or peat
moss.
“Promoting
Plant Growth and Health”
Improves Plant Growth: a 20% increase in
plant growth and a 150% increase in root mass is possible by adding just 1 part
of worm castings to 9 parts of soil!
Research has shown that Worm Castings added
to
the soil at low rates may result in
improved disease resistance because:
-
Plants are healthier and stronger when grown
in
Worm Castings
-
Worm Castings provide beneficial microbes that compete with
disease causing organisms
-
Microbes supplied by Worm Castings compete for available food
sources
Worm Castings benefits soil in many ways:
-
It improves its physical structure
-
It enriches soil in micro-organisms, adds plant hormones such as auxins
and gibberellic acid, and adds enzymes such as phosphates and cellulase
-
It attracts deep-burrowing earthworms already present in the soil
-
It improves water holding capacity
-
It enhances germination, plant growth, and crop yield
-
It improves root growth and structure
Worm Castings can be used to make compost tea (worm tea), by mixing some
Worm Castings in water and steeping for a number of hours or days. The resulting
liquid is used as a fertilizer.
Worm Castings fed to poultry stimulates their immune system.
Trial Results
-
Propagation -
|
Chrysanthemum Rooting:
-
Incorporated 10% vermicompost
into the propagation media (peat)
-
Rooting occurred over 2 weeks,
after which the media was washed off the roots
-
There is an 173.5% increase in
dry root mass when rooted in 10% vermicompost
-
The dark pigmentation on the
roots could
not be washed off
|
With 10% Worm Castings With no Worm Castings |
|
Brussels Sprouts:
Stem Diameter
Compared to the control plants (0% worm castings) the test plants are:
-
10% vermicompost: 11.4% thicker
-
15% vermicompost: 8.8% thicker
-
20% vermicompost: 12% thicker
Plant Height
Compared to the control (0%
vermicompost), the test plants are:
-
10% vermicompost: 10.7% taller
-
15% vermicompost: 9.6% taller
-
20% vermicompost: 8.9% taller
|
With no Worm Castings |
With 20% Worm Castings |
-
Growing -
|
This picture shows that plants grown in 5% Worm Castings
(1 part Worm Castings to 19 parts potting soil) have a dramatic increase in
the number of flowers and the speed to flowering! |
With no Worm Castings With
5% Worm Castings |
- Research Summary -
-
Increased root mass by: 3.3% – 173.5%
-
Increased plant height by: 0% - 11.4%
-
Increased stem diameter by: 0.9%* - 12.4%
-
Crop cycle reduction by: 1.5% - 2.7%
-
Increased flower size by: 4% - 5.7%
|
- Biological Analysis -
|
 |
Organism Biomass Data |
Actual |
Desired |
| Total Bacterial Biomass (µg/g) |
1,774 |
100-3000 |
| Total Fungal Biomass (µg/g) |
1,896 |
100-300 |
| Protozoa |
|
Numbers per gram |
Flagellates |
220,382 |
10,000+ |
|
Amoeba |
121,200 |
10,000+ |
|
Ciliates |
10,821 |
50-100 |
Download the complete Lab Report PDF
|
|
-
Nutrient Analysis -
|
|
Our worm castings contain excellent nutrient
levels as shown in the table. |
Nutrient |
% |
|
|
Nitrogen |
2.34 |
|
|
Phosphorus |
0.56 |
|
|
Potassium |
1.00 |
|
|
Calcium |
2.28 |
|
|
Magnesium |
0.42 |
|
|
Sulfur |
0.56 |
|
|
(As % of dry matter basis) |
|
-
Worm Castings Production -
|
|
 |
-
We use a two
week hot composting process (>55ºC) to kill potential
pathogens and weed seeds
-
The Worm Casting production process (6-8 months
minimum) follows the hot composting and occurs in an enclosed and
protected area
-
Worm Castings are screened to a ⅛ to ¼ particle size
|
Our Worm Castings are certified organic.
Listed by the Organic Material Review Institute (OMRI) for use
in organic production.
Worm Castings available in 1,300 lb mini-bulk
bags (approximately 1.5 yards) and in 2 kg retail bags
Our certified organic Worm Castings may
purchased from our online store
here