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If you have a worm bin, and are harvesting the worm castings (yes, it’s worm poop), and you’re spreading those castings around your outdoor and indoor plants, you are helping to create some powerful soil, teeming with microbiology, that will supercharge your plants. According to Cal Recycle, the process of vermicomposting, which uses worms to break down organic material such as food scraps, will turn them into a nutrient-rich soil amendment that can nourish your house plants or garden.

Some wormy facts:

* Worms break food waste into compost faster, over 8-12 weeks. Traditional composting, on the other hand takes 6-9 months.

* You can worm compost in your apartment or house, even under your kitchen sink. You can also vermicompost at school or the office.

* Worms like to feed on food waste.

* Worms break down food scraps efficiently.

* Worms eat over half their body weight a day.

* Worm manure contains beneficial microbes and nutrients for plants.

What will worms eat?

Worms eat a variety of organics, such as:

* Paper.

* Manure.

* Fruit.

* Vegetable.

* Grains.

* Coffee Grounds.

* Ground Yard Wastes.

Do not feed worms:

* Meat.

* Dairy.

* Oily food.

* Citrus scraps (toxic to worms).

What Do Poop-Happy Worms Need?

* Moist, organic bedding as damp as a wrung-out sponge, in a location that has a temperature range of 55-77 degrees F.

* Darkness – they are sensitive to light.

* Because they have no teeth, add 1 Tbs of grit, such as clean soil, sand, rock dust or oyster flour in bedding to help the worms grind the food.

* Clean soil, sand, rock dust, or oyster flour with no foreign organisms.

From the Fresno County Master Gardener publication, “About Worm Castings”:

Castings contain rich microbiological colonies that help fight soil-borne plant diseases and repel insects.

Worm castings are water-soluble allowing plants to quickly and easily absorb essential nutrients and trace minerals. When the manure passes through the worms digestive tract, it forms a coating around the grain which allows for the nutrients to “time release” into the soil. Nutrients are readily available to plant material over a greater length of time and will not burn even the most delicate plants.

Analysis of earthworm castings reveals that they are rich in iron, sulfur, calcium, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK rating: 5.5.3). They are much richer in nutrients than bulk compost, therefore application rates are much lower.

Improved Growth: Extensive University testing has been performed by Ohio State, Cornell University, UC Davis and the Australian SIRO to prove the worth of worm castings. The tests have shown improved flower size, bloom quantity, quality and color. Fruit and vegetable tests have resulted in yield improvements from 57% to over 200% as well as improvement in taste and appearance.

Worm Castings Are Great For Your Garden!Nutrient-rich soil: Worm castings, or vermicast, are rich in water-soluble nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, as well as micronutrients like iron, zinc, and magnesium. These nutrients are in a highly bioavailable form that plants can readily absorb, boosting their growth.

* Improved soil structure: Worm castings improve the physical structure of the soil, increasing its ability to retain moisture and improving aeration, which is crucial for root development.

* Beneficial microorganisms: The castings contain beneficial bacteria and enzymes that help develop a strong immune system in plants, making them more resistant to pests and diseases.

For a deeper dive into the benefits of worm castings, check out this excerpt about vermicomposting in the publication, “Microbes at Work”.

After the paywall break:

Are commercially bagged earthworm castings as good as homegrown or worm farm-purchased castings?

In the podcast (above), America’s Favorite Retired Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower, and Sacramento-based organic soils expert, Steve Zien, tackle that question (that portion only available to paid subscribers of the Beyond the Garden Basics) .

Plus, after the paywall break, a complete transcript of today’s podcast!