Advise sought on using worm castings!

I am contemplating using worm castings on my peppers ..do folks that use it find much improvement in the  production/health  of their plants?Or maybe I should come right out & ask is it worthwhile  making a casting call at the local box store ;)
Thanks ...Sandy!
 
 
Worm castings are the best!   Mix them into your soil, top dress, make a fancy aerated tea, pasteurize them and apply,  and/or apply as a raw tea.  Worm castings contain high levels of nutrients and humates, as well as being host to a plethora of microbiota, which will help your rhizosphere to be healthy and productive.  Also, one of my favorite benefits of worm castings is their water retention.  One of the first things you will notice after applying worm castings is that your soil will stay moist for a longer period of time. This is usually a good thing in the heat of the summer, but can be a problem in cold and wet climates. 
 
Hi Sandy

You can buy worm castings easy enough. Some of us also have worm farms. It is a way to compost organic matter, also known as, vermicomposting. I have African Nitecrawlers in a Worm Factory. The Red Wigglers are the most popular, however, and known for eating their way thru scraps.
 
Hi Jim,
Maybe next year I will do the worm farm  HA HA...actually there is a lot of worms around here,I see the birds eating them all the time..Our  home was built on  farmland  so a worm farm may be in order :)
For now I will get some from the old box store,will see what they have to offer.
73
Sandy
 
I use worm castings from my red wiggler bin all the time. Outside of manure and bone meal I prep my beds with initially, worm castings is what I fertilize with exclusively throughout the grow season. I will also drop red wigglers directly into my beds. Since switching to worm castings my peppers have been much more vigorous. Granted, I also started using 40% Aluminet shade cloth at the same time. I'm sure both are contributing greatly.
 
 
 
Maybe next year I will do the worm farm  
It's super easy. Just grab a plastic bin from Walmart, drill some holes in it, throw in cardboard pieces, coffee grinds, leaves from the yard, and get it moist. Check local nurseries for composting worms. You can order them online as well. Keep the bin indoors or in a shady spot outdoors. Let them munch on added kitchen scraps and reproduce for a few months and then Google fancier worm farm builds.
 
Another thing if you live anywhere near the country is rabbit manure. It is a cold manure. You can put it right on your garden. Look on craigslist for people selling rabbits and offer to clean out their rabbit manure. Put on you garden and buy some worms and the worms will decompose the rabbit manure and put it in the soil.
 
Thanks again,I like all the ideas & suggestions.Will get going,weather today not so cooperative,cold & rainy..but no snow,thankfully :P
 
hot stuff said:
Another thing if you live anywhere near the country is rabbit manure. It is a cold manure. You can put it right on your garden. Look on craigslist for people selling rabbits and offer to clean out their rabbit manure. Put on you garden and buy some worms and the worms will decompose the rabbit manure and put it in the soil.
 
Can confirm this is a great option, I've got two house rabbits and my garden can't get enough of the rabbit manure.
 
Back
Top