Unleash the Power of Worm Castings in your Garden

Hey there, fellow gardeners! Today, we are going to explore a couple of ways that you can utilize the power of worm castings in your garden to boost plant growth and yield, improve soil structure, and deter a few pests and diseases. Yes, we can achieve all these goals with worm poop! Let’s jump right in.🪴

What Are Worm Castings, You Ask?

Simply put, worm castings are the nutrient-rich end product of earthworms- worm poop. This magical substance has been appropriately nicknamed “garden gold” by farmers and gardeners who have discovered the power of worm castings. They can improve soil structure, improve water retention, introduce beneficial microbes and nutrients to the soil, as well as suppress plant diseases and deter pests. All naturally, without the use of harsh chemicals! Impressive huh?

Why Would I Ditch the Chemicals?

1-     Protect Beneficial Insects: This is a huge one! Unfortunately, many commercial chemicals and pesticides can’t differentiate between beneficial and unwanted pests in your garden.  Although you may be trying to eliminate the aphids and caterpillars that are gobbling up your bounty, those pesticides can wipe out the helpful garden friends like ladybugs, butterflies, and bees. These pollinators are needed to help your garden flourish while deterring pests naturally. 🐝🐞🦋

2-     Nurture Healthier Soil: Pesticides and herbicides can strip the soil of beneficial microorganisms and essential nutrients. These are both needed to help the garden thrive. By using more natural alternatives like worm castings, you can help promote healthier and more fertile soil, to help create a garden space that is disease-resistant and can nourish your plants naturally. 

3-     Cost-Effective Alternative: Pesticides and herbicides can be expensive. You could choose to divert your household food scraps to a worm bin that would produce beautiful and rich worm castings for your garden. Once you set up the bin and get your composting worms, they are fairly self-sufficient and will thrive with the right food/paper scraps and minimal care. That means more money for fun gardening stuff! 

How to Use Worm Castings in Your Garden

This is the easy part!

·       Mix them directly into your soil when planting. We use a ratio of 80:20 soil to worm castings on the farm.

·       Add worm castings to your seed starter mix.

·       Top-dress your plants by sprinkling worm castings around the base of the plant for a quick nutrient boost.

·       Brew up a batch of worm tea to use as a foliar spray or soil drench. Both can offer a microbial-rich boost!

So, the next time you are getting ready to head out to the garden, be sure to pick up some fresh worm castings instead of the pesticide spray. Your plants, your soil, and our environment will thank you! Plus, it’s a pretty cool conversation starter.

If you are curious about starting your own worm farming adventure or maybe need a few tips feel free to drop a comment or give us a call. We LOVE to chat worms! 🪱🪱🪱