nutrients Considering Incorporating Vermicompost for Peppers, Other Vegetables, Figs, etc.

[NJChilehead]

I've been cold composting for about 8 years for my garden vegetables, and frankly the return that I'm getting is not as great as I'd originally hoped for. I recently started looking into vermicomposting, and the more I read about it, the more I like the idea of incorporating it. For those of you who have experience with either vermicomposting and/or cold composting, what have you found to be the pros and cons of each? What proportions would you use worm castings in compared to regular compost (my understanding is that worm castings are potentially hotter than regular compost)? My specific goals for vermicomposting are:

1) To supply organic matter into the soil, same as regular compost

2) I've read that worm castings are high in micros. It would be ideal to be able to use a fertilizer with desired target NPK and have a reduced number of supplements to provide the micros (or at least something to take care of most of the micro demand).

3) To boost the microbiology of the soil

Obviously I'm growing peppers but also tomatoes, watermelon, lettuce, figs, and other edibles. Looking forward to learning from those of you who have experience with it! Thanks for any help.

 

[CaneDog]

I vermicompost and I generally think of using it in two different ways. While it's wet/active, I mix it into soil with the idea of boosting the microbiology of the soil by introducing lots of beneficial microbes. With dry worm castings, I use it with the idea of introducing broad spectrum nutrients. For the former use, I don't mix it into soil I'm using right away - like I wouldn't make it part of the mix going directly into a container for transplant. As an example, I might distribute it into tubs of soil/compost mix that will age for a while before I use it or mix it into a raised bed. With the dry stuff, I will mix it in for immediate use and I use it at relatively small ratios.

I don't produce huge amounts of it and I'm not really sure how significant a role it plays, but it's a easy way for me to recycle veggie scraps and I figure it contributes at least something to the grow. It's often surprising what huge masses of worms you'll get after you introduce food and I rarely detect any smell from it.

 

[ahayastani]

I use vermicompost because it is the only type of natural fertilizer I can get here locally (I only have container plants though). Depending on the type of plant, I prepare 10-25% vermicompost to fill my containers.

When I had a property, I didn't work compost into the soil, just topping the soil and had the elements do the heavy work for me