The mysteries Of Worm Castings Revealed

At first glance, earthworm casting would seem to be no big deal, after all the castings of worms have a NPK value, at most, of only 1-1-1. Hardly earthshaking, when you consider that most chemical fertilizers have NPK values of 8-8-8 or higher.

But there is much more to the story than at first meets the eye. It just so happens that fertilizers that have low NPK values are ideal for most vegetables and other types of plant life. What plants require is a constant source of nutrients, not intermittent high doses of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium that may burn them. Worm castings are so effective an organic fertilizer because they release slowly, over a long period of time, the small amounts of the nutrients so essential for optimal plant growth. Indeed, earthworm castings are the ideal slow release organic fertilizer. Here's how it happens? The microorganisms that live in the earthworms gut, and are secreted in their castings, are the key to this incomparable organic food source for plant life. For example, ammonium is a common ingredient of most soils but it cannot be absorbed by plants until it is broken down to nitrates by the bacteria. These microorganisms, for the most part, originate in the gut of the composting earthworm and were secreted in their castings. Thus, as long as the soil contains the beneficial bacteria which originated in the worm's gut, the plants and vegetables in your garden will have a constant source of nitrogen for many months. This process will go on indefinitely if the soil contains a sufficient number of earthworms since they will continually be adding fresh castings to the soil. In this respect, a single teaspoon of worm castings will feed a plant in a six inch pot for two months, but if a sufficient number of earthworms are also present in the pot the plant will be fed indefinitely. This assumes, of course, that there also are enough organic material in the pot to feed the earthworms. But that's only part of the story. Earthworm casting contain all of the minerals essential for plant growth including potassium, copper, zinc, phosphate, manganese, magnesium and several others that I can't think of at the moment. In any case, earthworm castings contain all of the trace elements required for healthy plant growth. Chemical fertilizers are, for the most part, devoid of these essential trace elements. Worm castings also contain powerful growth hormones including, most importantly, the humic acids (not to be confused with the humus found in regular compost which is not a growth hormone). These hormones are essential for optimal plant growth. However, it is important to realize that an excess of worm castings can actually stunt plant growth. This does not pose a problem in the garden but the percentage of castings in potting soils should not exceed 25 percent since higher concentrations of castings will impede plant growth. Earthworm castings also stimulate the germination of seeds. The next time you are starting plants from seeds try this simple experiment. Divide your seed trays (plastic cells) in two. In one section plant the seeds in a standard organic mixture like peat moss and vermiculite. In the second add 20 to 30 percent earthworm castings to the mixture. I think you will be amazed at how much better the seedlings grow in the mixture containing worm castings. Finally, worm castings inhibit plant diseases like root rot and if the castings are used to make worm tea, which is sprayed on the plants leaves, it inhibits the infestations of pests like powdery mildew and aphids. This is so, because the microorganisms in worm tea attach to the binding sights on the plant's leaves leaving no place for the pests to affix to them. Yep, earthworm castings are the answer to the maiden's prayer, especially if she is a gardener. Happy gardening!